Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 11, 1990 TAG: 9004110075
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Both of the Cavaliers' full-time assistants, Jeff Jones and Craig Littlepage, met Tuesday with athletic director Jim Copeland.
There was no indication Copeland was planning to interview additional candidates.
Gillen had taken his name out of consideration March 28, after which he traveled to Tokyo to coach the East team in the Aloha Classic. Gillen returned to Cincinnati on Monday night.
Sources said Copeland asked Gillen to reconsider in a Tuesday telephone conversation, but Gillen would not back away from his earlier stance.
Xavier had received an oral commitment from Tyrice Walker, an Ohio high school standout, while Gillen was out of the country.
Gillen is one of four coaches to withdraw from consideration in the UVa search. The others are Rick Barnes of Providence, Mike Montgomery of Stanford and Bruce Parkhill of Penn State.
Copeland gave Montgomery and Parkhill a chance to withdraw after receiving what he thought was a commitment from Barnes. However, Barnes decided to stay at Providence.
Copeland, who had interviewed Jones and Littlepage during the season, met with both coaches Friday to apprise them of the most recent developments. When they got together Tuesday, the format more closely resembled a formal interview.
"It was a 2 1/2-hour-long conversation that was very narrow in focus," said Littlepage, in his second tour as Virginia assistant after serving as the head coach at Pennsylvania and Rutgers. "It was specifically about Craig Littlepage - the values and philosophies I believe in.
"I did not concern myself with the other candidates or the time frame or the questions that a lot of people seem to be asking. I didn't have any reason to think it's down to two or 10 or whatever number of candidates. Obviously, a lot has taken place over the last three weeks, but my interest or enthusiasm for the job has never wavered."
Jones, 29, played for Virginia from 1978-82 and is the career leader in assists. He is in his eighth year on the staff, the last five as a full-time assistant.
"We went into more depth on issues we had previously discussed and he [Copeland] raised some new issues," Jones said. "I don't want to read anything into it that wasn't there. I'd have to say I feel good about the meeting as opposed to feeling bad, but I've tried to stay on an even keel."
Jones said that Copeland is not considering the possibility of naming an interim coach.
Virginia has been in the market for a new coach since June 23, when Terry Holland announced he would coach one more season before becoming the athletic director at Davidson.
"I didn't anticipate it dragging on like this," Copeland said.
The Cavaliers will be without a coach for the start of the spring signing period today, although there is a chance UVa may have a coach for its basketball banquet Saturday.
Virginia signed two players during the fall signing period in November and is actively recruiting only one player, Cornel Parker, who signed with the Cavaliers in 1989 but went to Fork Union when he failed to meet NCAA standards for freshman eligibility.
by CNB