Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 8, 1990 TAG: 9006080153
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bill Brill
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
In a wide-ranging, two-hour discussion with several media members, Copeland spoke about finances and cost containment, scheduling, facilities and the future of college sports.
There were few specifics, except on issues that dealt with the 10-month search to replace Terry Holland.
The last few weeks of that period, Copeland said he found himself completely consumed by a job for the first time in his life. "I wanted to make the right decision," he said.
The issue was complicated when Providence coach Rick Barnes accepted Copeland's offer, and then backed out. That eventually led to the promotion of 29-year-old UVa assistant and alumnus Jeff Jones.
"Between Barnes and Jones, I was floundering a little bit," Copeland said. "The tempting thing was doing something quick. For a couple of days, I was fighting that."
Copeland said Barnes reneged on the offer, something the Providence coach has publicly denied. "I'm not going to call anyone a liar," Copeland said. "It would be hard for anyone to misconstrue what went on between the two of us."
In discussing whether the search had been conducted properly, Copeland asked rhetorically how the search would have been viewed if Barnes been hired.
Yet, because the high-profile coach backed out after Copeland had notified candidates Mike Montgomery of Stanford and Bruce Parkhill of Penn State, the Virginia athletic director felt considerable heat.
"When you go through the public criticism, no matter what kind of ego you have - and I have a pretty strong one - you have to step back and evaluate what you did and how you did it," Copeland said. "What would you have said if Barnes was announced? How was the process any different when he didn't take the job? The people were involved who should have been."
Did he know enough about Barnes, "Not in retrospect, no," Copeland said.
Eventually, by what appeared to be a roundabout route, Copeland wound up with Jones as his coach. The reaction, he said, has been extremely positive, and he noted that when Jones has spoken to alumni groups around the state, there always have been record crowds.
Copeland also said the longer the search lasted, the better he felt about Jones. He said his new coach looked a lot better, compared to other candidates, than he possibly could have "last June, July or August."
In what might be regarded as a bit of irony, since it long was one of one Holland's complaints, Copeland said, "We're going to spruce up University Hall, make it look better."
Some of the work being done at U-Hall will be more than cosmetic, Copeland said, and one of the people involved in the task is former basketball assistant Craig Littlepage.
Littlepage is expected to remain in athletic administration, and Copeland said he had offered him such a job "even before Terry hired him as a graduate assistant."
Littlepage also was a candidate for the basketball job, and spoke critically of Copeland's decision not to hire a black coach. Copeland said he and Littlepage had talked and he indicated there was no problem.
He also said, "I did interview black coaches other than `Page.' "
On other matters, Copeland said:
UVa has scheduled football games against Syracuse in the next six to eight years and has negotiated with Florida State, although no contract has been signed.
The school's athletic department has been in the black each year since he arrived in September 1987, but not by much. "I consider making $100,000 on a $7.5 million budget breaking even," Copeland said. The Florida Citrus Bowl payoff was $1.2 million, but the school netted only $150,000. UVa made between $425,000 and $450,000 in the '89 Kickoff Classic against Notre Dame.
The ACC isn't going to expand, although it appears other leagues may make significant changes. "We looked at other things that don't appeal to us," Copeland said. "You wonder what configurations you're going to have [elsewhere]. Our compactness has helped us. What's good about our league is the compatibility of the AD's. Everybody has shown a willingness to give up something."
by CNB