Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 15, 1990 TAG: 9004150215
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Mullins has not visited Virginia, but the Roanoke Times & World-News has learned that he has been in contact with UVa athletic director Jim Copeland.
Mullins, who has just completed his fifth season at UNC-Charlotte, could not be reached for comment. Copeland, who attended the Virginia basketball banquet Saturday night, has made a practice of not commenting on individual candidates.
It is believed that Copeland is giving strong consideration to 29-year-old assistant Jeff Jones. Copeland has held several interviews with Jones and 38-year-old Craig Littlepage, UVa's other full-time assistant, whose 23-63 record as head coach at Rutgers is considered a strike against him.
Mullins, a 1964 Duke graduate, played in the National Basketball Association before taking the UNC-Charlotte job in 1985. He has an 81-69 record, including a 16-14 mark last season.
The 49ers played in the NCAA Tournament in 1987-88 and, despite a slow start this season, reached the championship game in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
Mullins is the same age, 48, as Terry Holland, who resigned effective May 1 to become the athletic director at Davidson.
Mullins had said in early February that he was not interested in the job because of Copeland's timetable for filling it.
Copeland originally had planned to settle on a choice by the end of the regular season, but he changed his mind because of Virginia's success during the early signing period for recruits and the reluctance of some candidates to speak with him.
Mullins was one of those coaches who was unwilling to talk during the regular season, and the Cavaliers went in other directions, narrowing their search to Rick Barnes of Providence, Pete Gillen of Xavier and Mike Montgomery of Stanford.
When Barnes turned down the job, Montgomery backed out and Gillen twice turned down invitations to visit, Copeland reportedly started working on the new list.
Among those said to be on the list were Clem Haskins of Minnesota, Paul Westhead of Loyola Marymount and Mike Jarvis of Boston University, but Mullins is viewed as a more viable candidate because of his ties to the ACC and the ACC area.
The coaching situation was the talk of the basketball banquet, but nobody seemed to have a handle on who would get the job. The Mullins rumors did not receive widespread circulation.
"We don't know what's going on," said Terry Kirby, a freshman guard who also plays tailback for the UVa football team. "I wouldn't say we're getting irritated, but the recruits are getting a little irritated. Cornel Parker is a little irritated."
Parker, who played AAU basketball with Kirby, signed with Virginia in 1989 but did not meet Proposition 48 guidelines for freshman eligibility.
Parker enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy and now is qualified under Prop 48. He reportedly is still interested in UVa, but his original letter-of-intent no longer is binding.
James Madison coach Lefty Driesell is making a big push for Parker and left a letter for him at Fork Union earlier in the week.
by CNB