Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 25, 1993 TAG: 9303250256
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: COLUMBIA, S.C. LENGTH: Medium
IT'S REALLY TRUE: CREMINS GONE
Bobby Cremins, intent on leaving a legacy at the school where he played basketball, changed his mind Wednesday and took the coaching job at South Carolina.The chances of Cremins leaving Georgia Tech and returning to coach at his alma mater seemed remote Tuesday night when he called athletic director Mike McGee and turned down the offer.
On Wednesday morning, Cremins called back and asked for more time to consider. Soon after, he accepted.
Cremins, who spent 12 seasons at Georgia Tech, replaces Steve Newton, who resigned Jan. 18 after the school's internal report outlined five secondary NCAA violations. The team went 9-18 this season.
The silver-haired, 45-year-old coach received a five-year contract worth $106,928 per season. McGhee said the deal also allows Cremins to earn outside income through television, radio and endorsements and provides for five annual contract extensions.
The arrival of Cremins set off a swarm of emotion among South Carolina fans and players looking for someone to revive a program that has languished since the 1980 retirement of Frank McGuire, the coach for whom Cremins played.
"We were watching the news, and they said he had resigned," Gamecocks junior forward Emmett Hall said. "We jumped up, started shouting; it was a crazy time."
Cremins said he had thought often about the chance to return to South Carolina and duplicate McGuire's feats.
"It's always been a dream of mine to come back here and coach," he said. "I never really thought it would come to reality. I would like to end my college career where I started it, and that's right here in Columbia."
Cremins said he agonized about the decision.
"The last couple of days, I wanted to come, but the [Tech] players and the Georgia Tech people were holding me down," he said. "Last night, I told Mike [McGee] I really couldn't come because of my players."
However, Cremins said he asked McGee if he could sleep on it one more night. McGee tried to reach Cremins on Wednesday morning. When he couldn't, South Carolina issued a statement saying the coach would remain at Georgia Tech. It did a quick about-face when Cremins called again to say he still was thinking about it.
The lure of coming back to where he played from 1968-70 won out.
"I like to do things instinctively, right or wrong," said Cremins, who compiled a 240-135 record at Georgia Tech and reached the NCAA Final Four in 1990.
"I made a final instinctive decision."