Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 2, 1990                   TAG: 9006020065
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

LONGWOOD HIRES FLETCHER AS AD

Fletcher, 50, had been at Tech since 1978. He will take over at the NCAA Division II school in Farmville on July 1, said a Longwood spokesman. Lancers baseball coach Buddy Bolding had served as interim athletic director since Dr. Carolyn Hodges resigned in June 1989.

"He is well-qualified to maintain and enhance our strong intercollegiate athletics program, while at the same time continuing our primary emphasis on academics," said William F. Dorrill, Longwood's president, in a statement.

At Tech, Fletcher's duties included overseeing football, track and cross country, as well as supervising the school's drug-testing program, recruiting and admission of student-athletes. Tech athletic director Dave Braine could not be reached for comment concerning a replacement for Fletcher.

"Longwood is lucky to have a man of his ability," Braine said in a statement released by Tech.

Earlier this year, Fletcher applied for the AD's job at Tennessee-Chattanooga, but withdrew his name from consideration. Fletcher could not be reached for comment Friday, but said in a news release issued by Longwood that he welcomed the opportunity to improve the school's athletic program.

A native of St. Paul, Fletcher came to Tech in 1978 as a member of coach Bill Dooley's football staff. Fletcher and Hokies assistant head coach Billy Hite were the only former Dooley staff members still at Tech. Under Dooley, Fletcher coached receivers and was the recruiting coordinator. He combined his coaching and administrative duties for two years before leaving the football staff in 1987 to become assistant athletic director.

Before coming to Tech, Fletcher was an assistant to Dooley at North Carolina for six years.