Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 28, 1990 TAG: 9101090304
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C/1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Doug Doughty/Sportswriter
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Gillen reportedly met Monday with UVa athletic director Jim Copeland at the Pittsburgh airport.
Virginia is seeking a successor to Terry Holland, who announced June 23 that he would step down after the 1989-90 season to become the athletic director at Davidson, his alma mater.
Copeland originally had hoped to settle on a coach by the end of the regular season, but changed his mind due to UVa's success with a team that started five underclassmen. Also, many of the top coaching prospects, including Gillen, would not speak with him until after the season.
Gillen, who has a 119-39 record in five seasons at Xavier, took the Musketeers to the final 16 of the NCAA Tournament before they were beaten by Texas 102-89. Xavier finished 28-5.
A report in the Washington Post said two Xavier officials indicated Gillen was inclined to take the Virginia job if offered. Gillen did not return phone calls to his office or home.
Gillen, 42, will be in Denver for the annual coaches convention that coincides with the Final Four, but will leave Saturday for Japan, where we will coach the East team in the Aloha Classic.
The games will be held April 6-8, but Gillen is not expected to return to Cincinnati until April 10.
Copeland said Tuesday that he does not expect to have a coach named this week, but he does think he will wrap up his search next week, although he does not want to be tied down to any timetable.
Copeland said he will not go to Denver.
Copeland also has met with Stanford coach Mike Montgomery, who reportedly may visit Charlottesville next week. Also being mentioned in connection with the post are Penn State coach Bruce Parkhill, Vanderbilt coach Eddie Fogler and Providence coach Rick Barnes.
There is reason to believe that Barnes has a greater interest in the job than has been indicated by the national media. Barnes earlier had been linked with North Carolina State, where Jim Valvano may be safe for another year.
Parkhill and Fogler are in New York, where Vanderbilt meets St. Louis for the championship of the National Invitation Tournament and Penn State plays New Mexico for third place.
University of California athletic director Dave Maggard said earlier this week that UVa had not requested permission to speak with Golden Bears' coach Lou Campanelli, formerly of James Madison.
Also, Texas coach Tom Penders indicated that he has not taken any calls from Copeland. Penders has been courted by the University of Florida.
Virginia assistant coaches Jeff Jones and Craig Littlepage have been interviewed, but both were described by Copeland as "long shots" in a meeting last week with the players.
One of the Virginia players said Copeland read off a list of approximately 18 names, "but we didn't find out anything we hadn't already seen in the papers," the player said.
by CNB