RESTIC NIXES PHILLY

The Philadelphia Eagles yesterday chose UCLA's Dick Vermeil as their next head coach, dousing rumors that Harvard football mentor Joe Restic would be tapped by the Eagles.

Vermeil's team registered an electrifying upset over the Ohio State Buckeyes in this year's Rose Bowl.

Before yesterday's announcement, Restic appeared to be the frontrunner for the five-year, no-strings-attached contract signed by Vermeil.

Eagles owner Leonard Tose and general manager Jim Murray approached Restic last Monday, but he remained wary of the scant job security afforded by the top slot on the cellar-dwelling Eagles. Restic was quoted by Associated Press as saying: "If they give me what I asked for, then I've got a decision to make. If they don't then it's all over. I'm staying at Harvard."

Both Tose and Murray whisked to the west coast last week to scour the college coaching ranks there before naming Vermeil.