Ralph W. Aigler - Hiring of Crisler and Retirement of Yost

Hiring of Crisler and Retirement of Yost

Fielding H. Yost became the football coach and then athletic director at the University of Michigan since 1901. Aigler was also one of the first persons within the University to challenge Yost's authority. In 1937, Aigler's hiring of former Notre Dame head coach Hunk Anderson as assistant football coach was seen as a sign that "the iron hand of Fielding Yost carries less power than it did." At the time, it was reported: "Prof. Ralph Aigler is said to be rapidly becoming the dominant figure in Michigan's athletics."

Charges surfaced in November 1937 that Michigan's freshman athletes had been subsidized with employment through an Ann Arbor manufacturing concern at a higher rate than other employees, and with funds controlled by alumni. When Aigler was reported to have said that "all freshman athletes at Michigan would be presumed to have been subsidized", it was perceived to be part of political infighting among those in control of Michigan's athletic programs.

Harry Kipke was fired as Michigan's head coach in December 1937, and Yost and Aigler were authorized to begin interviewing candidates for Kipke's job. On February 10, 1938, Aigler made a public announcement that Fritz Crisler had been hired as Michigan's new head football coach. Aigler was reported to have hired Crisler without Yost's knowledge. In fact, the report of Crisler's hiring was combined with indications that "the impending retirement of Fielding H. Yost as Michigan's athletic director will be hastened to put Crisler in complete control." At that point, "it became clear that Yost no longer ran the athletic department. Uncharacteristically, Yost did not raise a ruckus; instead, he stepped aside graciously."

The U-M Regents reorganized athletic oversight in 1942 and replaced the Faculty Board of Athletic Control with a new intercollegiate athletics board, and Crisler succeeded Aigler as chairman of the body with ultimate authority to hire and fire coaches. Aigler remained the faculty representative to the Big Ten until 1955.