 This led to athletic director Tom Hamilton taking the reins of the team on an interim basis for the 1951 season.In 1952 Red Dawson took over, and the Panthers, led by future Hall of Famer Joe Schmidt, scored a huge upset at Notre Dame, then coached by Frank Leahy, en route to a 6–3 record.However, a losing record followed in 1953, and after three losses to start the 1954 season, and due to poor health, Dawson stepped down.