Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 29, 1990 TAG: 9003290067
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The decision came after a three-month evaluation of the coach by Braine and leaves Allen with two years remaining on his original four-year deal with Tech.
Under a clause in Allen's contract, Tech was required to inform him by the end of this month whether it would extend his contract by one year. Braine recommended to President James McComas and Executive Vice President Minnis Ridenour that Allen's contract not be extended, and they approved the recommendation.
Braine said he will evaluate Allen again after next season.
"We feel like the program has not made as much progress as we would've liked," said Braine, adding that the team's record wasn't a major consideration in the evaluation. "It's not where it should be, and we need to make some changes."
Allen, an assistant to Charlie Moir for 11 years before becoming head coach in 1987, has guided the Hokies to a 43-45 record in three seasons.
Braine wants Tech's basketball team in postseason play every year; the Hokies haven't advanced beyond the Metro Conference Tournament since 1986, when they played in the NCAA Tournament. In the previous eight years, Tech reached postseason play seven times.
Allen took over as interim coach in 1987, the same year the program received two years NCAA probation for violations committed during Moir's tenure. The sanctions included a postseason ban in 1988-89.
Braine said it is important that Tech recruit a big man; in Allen's three years, he has brought in three players 6-feet-8 or taller, none of whom have made a major impact.
The athletic director also criticized the Hokies' play during the 1989-90 season, especially their field-goal shooting and rebounding. Each of Allen's teams has shot 45 percent or worse from the field, and Tech has been outrebounded in each of Allen's three seasons.
Braine said he was pleased that all three of Tech's seniors - Bimbo Coles, Greg Brink and Scott Davis - are scheduled to graduate either in the spring or summer.
Braine said the decision not to extend Allen's contract does not constitute a win-or-else ultimatum to Allen.
"I don't think it's a vote of no confidence," Braine said. "Frankie is being given the opportunity to prove himself."
Allen did not analyze the university's decision.
"The thing I've got to do is just go out and coach the basketball team, run the program to the best of my ability, and like everyone else just wait and see what develops over the next season," he said.
The evaluation did not cover Allen's staff. Allen said he is comfortable with his assistants - Ron Carr, Tic Price and Jim Baker - but said he'll make a change for next year. Allen said Jay Reynolds, who for two years has been a graduate assistant in charge of monitoring the players' academic progress, is planning to attend law school. Allen said he'll replace Reynolds with a more basketball-oriented coach - probably Davis, whose Tech career ended earlier this month - and let the athletic department's academic counseling programs take care of his players' academic needs.
Tech has stricter entrance requirements and its basketball budget is smaller than many of its opponents. Although Allen and football coach Frank Beamer have discussed Tech's academic standards with university officials, arguing that Tech should be more competitive with the schools it plays, it appears little headway has been made.
And even though Tech's overall athletic program is not funded at a level comparable to some of its competitors', the budget is unlikely to increase significantly anytime soon. Tech's $90,000 basketball recruiting budget falls about in the middle of the Metro, more than local-minded Southern Mississippi's $30,000 but less than Memphis State's $190,000. Still, Braine said the athletic department is doing all it can to support the basketball program, and said those problems should not stop Tech from reaching postseason play.
"I think our recruiting budget for basketball is very good," Braine said. "There are a lot of schools playing today that have [academic] restrictions. The NCAA takes 64 teams, the NIT has 32 teams, that's 96 teams. We should be one of the top 96."
Shortly after the season, Allen said Tech's schedule had been too tough for his young squad, and he subsequently was criticized for hinting that he wanted to take some of the bite out of the schedule. Wednesday, he said he still favors playing prominent teams, but would prefer to do it on a home-and-home basis.
"I don't see anything wrong with playing Vanderbilt, playing Houston, Baylor and [trying] to play ACC teams like Wake Forest and people like that," Allen said. "I didn't say we were going to load the schedule down with six or seven teams on the lower end of the [power ratings]."
Braine said Tech won't change its scheduling philosophy, and said Allen doesn't lack support in the athletic department.
"Frankie doesn't have a better friend on the administrative staff than me," Braine said. "I want very much for him to succeed, too. But I'm also the guy who's in charge of the program. Ultimately . . . [we're] judged on wins and losses. He has support. But we have to show improvement."
by CNB