Chris Murray

cmurray@rgj.com

On the surface, the Wolf Pack football team's link with Notre Dame started in 2009 when the two teams faced off for the first time.

But if you go back nearly a full century, you'll see another long-lost link: The Fighting Irish made it a habit of having alums become Nevada's head coach.

Buck Shaw, one of the greatest tackles and kickers in Notre Dame history, was Nevada's head coach from 1925-28. After beginning his career at Creighton, Shaw transferred to Notre Dame and was an All-American who blocked for halfback George Gipp. Shaw was named to the all-time "Fighting Irish" football team.

Shaw began his coaching career at North Carolina State in 1924 but took over Nevada's program in 1925. He posted a 10-20-3 record, going 0-7-1 in his final season at Nevada. He went on to have a great coaching career, leading Santa Clara, Cal and Air Force, where he was the school's first varsity football coach.

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Shaw also was the San Francisco 49ers' first head coach, leading that team from 1946-1954, and the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1958-1960. He led the Eagles to the NFL championship in his final season (1960), beating Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers, before retiring.

George Philbrook played at Notre Dame in the early 1900s and competed in the 1912 Olympics, finishing fifth in the shot put, seventh in the discus and competing in the decathlon. Philbrook succeeded Shaw as Nevada's head coach and posted a 6-15-5 record from 1929-31.

Finally, Joe Sheeketski, one of Nevada's most successful coaches, also was a Notre Dame alum. He played for the Irish from 1930-1932. After a stint at Holy Cross, Sheeketski coached Nevada from 1947-50, leading the team to a national ranking in 1948.

He guided Nevada to the Salad Bowl in 1947 and Harbor Bowl in 1948, the first two bowls in Nevada's history, and finished with a 24-18 record. Sheeketski also served as Nevada's athletic director from 1947-51, preceding Jake Lawlor, who was Sheeketski's line coach and eventually the school's athletic director from 1951-1969.

And while Nevada has only played Notre Dame twice (2009 and this season), one well-known Wolf Pack alum did play against the Irish back in the 1940s.

Dick Trachok, the Wolf Pack's athletic director from 1969-1986, played against Notre Dame as a member of Pittsburgh in 1943. Trachok served during World War II after that season and then was lured out to Reno by Sheeketski, where he became a star player, the team's head coach and then AD.

"I don't think we even scored in that game," Trachok said of the Notre Dame-Pit matchup.

Good memory. Notre Dame won, 41-0, at Pitt in its 1943 season opener before winning the national title that season.