GAGLIARDI'S COACHING RECIPE

During 52 years of coaching football, 42 of them at Saint John's University in Minnesota, John Gagliardi has established a winning record by adopting a long list of no's. No tackling, wind sprints, or lengthy calisthenics during practice, for instance; no training tables and no compulsory offseason weight lifting.

By eliminating tackles in practice, Gagliardi says he believes injuries are reduced. ``Form tackling,'' in which defenders put their arms around and shoulders into the ball carrier, simulates full contact, only no one is brought to the ground.

``Once we know a guy can tackle, we don't need to keep testing him,'' Gagliardi says.

At last count, the list of Gagliardi ``no's'' ran to about 100. They began casually and emerged more definitively in the 1960s, when Gagliardi was invited to speak at coaching clinics.

``I didn't know what to talk about, so I gave them this approach,'' he says. ``I figured it's different; They'll like it. I made a list and built on it.''

His so-called rules are neither arbitrary nor unduly rigid. For example, he's not opposed to being called ``coach,'' it's just that as young upstart in the profession he didn't feel comfortable with the title. ``If my players want to call me coach, that's fine,'' Gagliardi says, ``but most of them call me John. There's a lot of informality. We like it that way.''

Today his ``Winning With No's'' philosophy includes:

* No players cut.

* No one considered too small.

* No grading of game films.

* No signs in dressing rooms.

* No laps.

* No use of the words ``hit, kill,'' etc.

* No practice on Sundays or Mondays.

* No big deals when we score. We aren't surprised.

* No play calling from the bench.

* No statistics posted.

* No cheap shots tolerated.

* No practice in rain, mud, or excessive wind.

* No timing anyone in 40 yards, mile, etc.

* No superstitions.

* No player unsuited at home games (115 or more dress).

* No pampering athletes.