Coach Finley

Robert Edward “Horseshit” Finley came to SMU in the early 1930’s as a young athlete. He earned his nickname by calling everything he did not like or agree with “horseshit”. He was one of a kind, plain and simple. As I heard one person put it: “They broke the mold, then immediately killed the mold-maker”. He had a perpetual look in his eye that made you think he was always ‘up to something’. He usually was.  I will attempt to describe him the best I can.

Coach Finley played baseball and football for the Mustangs.  He was a star fullback for SMU during the glory years of the 1930’s. He was on SMU’s 1935 national champion football team, and the 1936 Rose Bowl team. On November 30, 1935 #1 ranked SMU played a key game against #2 ranked TCU whose team featured the famous Slingin’ Sammy Baugh. Finley, the SMU punter, was back to punt in a key play late in the game trailing the Horned Frogs 14-13. He faked the punt and threw a 37 yard touchdown pass to Bobby Wilson to win the game 20-14. It has been called the $85,000 Pass, because it allowed SMU to go to the Rose Bowl that season and earn some large fees for their appearance. Finley went on to be drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but instead chose to play baseball as a catcher.  He was signed by the Red Sox in 1937 and played in their minor league organization for six seasons.  He was traded in 1943 to the Phillies and played in a couple of seasons in the major leagues with them. He later became an American Football League referee for all nine years of their existence.

Finley coached the SMU baseball team from 1965 to 1976. During this time, he had a full-time sales job for a company based in Dallas, and I remember hearing one time that he coached the Mustangs for a small $800/yr. stipend. He just liked being around the game. As a coach, he was strictly ‘old school’. By that I mean he set the line-up and managed the games, but not much else. He expected you to show up on time and to play hard. Our practices were undisciplined and laid back. You were expected to run and throw on your own to get in shape. Most practices, the pitchers shagged balls in the outfield, while the rest of the team took a couple of rounds of batting practice. One round of infield practice at the end, and we were done.

Coach Finley raised enough money in the Dallas community for us play in the prestigious Riverside, CA tournament in 1975. Intensely loyal, he routinely battled umpires on behalf of his players. There are numerous stories, some of which I am saving for another time, so I will choose to use some of his better known quotes to show his personality:

“Alright now, let’s gear up and get after ’em!”

To our hometown umpire:  “Come on, Ernie, that’s horseshit!”

“All I ask you to do is what I ask you to do!”

“Where do you eat? You eat where you eat, Dammit!”

“Ho-ly cats, Tino!”

(After a batted ball low-bridged him down the left field line in batting practice at Dallas Baptist) “Hot dammit, hit the ball straight!”

“Dammit Johnson, throw hard!”

Heckling the piano player in a bar at the Shamrock Hilton in Houston:  “Do you know Bonaparte’s Retreat?” and “Play something you know next time!”

“Stay out of that butcher shop!”

“Johnson, your eyes look like two pee-holes in the snow!”

Coach Finley passed away in 1986. This world has been less fun ever since.

Attached is a news spot, a glimpse of SMU Coach Finley in 1974, giving life to the legend if you never had the privilege of meeting the man.  In this clip, I’m again the lefty catching in for John “Whale” Park, who was hitting popups into the wind to the infielders.