College of Coaches

The College of Coaches was an unorthodox strategy employed by the Chicago Cubs in 1961 and 1962. After the Cubs finished 60–94 in 1960, their 14th straight second-division finish, Cubs owner P. K. Wrigley announced in December 1960 that the Cubs would no longer have a manager, but would be led by an eight-man committee. The experiment was widely ridiculed in baseball circles, and was effectively ended in 1962 before being completely abandoned in 1965.

After the 1960 season, Wrigley went to backup catcher and coach El Tappe for his input on a successor to Charlie Grimm. Tappe said years later that he suggested Wrigley not allow the manager to bring in his own coaches, as was standard practice. Rather, he suggested Wrigley bring in eight veterans from the Cubs organization as coaches—four for the minors and four for the Cubs. Tappe believed that if the coaches remained the same during inevitable managerial changes, the franchise would still have some consistency. Wrigley liked this idea, but added a twist—one of the coaches should also fill the manager's role.

The Cubs officially rolled out the College of Coaches during 1961 spring training. The original "faculty" included Tappe, Grimm, Goldie Holt, Bobby Adams, Harry Craft, Verlon Walker, Ripper Collins and Vedie Himsl. Each coach would serve as "head coach" for part of the season. The original concept called for the eight coaches to rotate through the entire organization from the low minors all the way to the Cubs, ensuring a standard system of play. Additionally, Wrigley argued that it would be better for the players to be exposed to the wisdom and experience of eight men rather than just one.

In announcing the experiment, Wrigley argued, "Managers are expendable. I believe there should be relief managers just like relief pitchers." He also contended that the manager system was nepotistic and led to constant turnover.

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