Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 9, 1993 TAG: 9312090205
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From staff reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
He had little to say.
Staley, known as much for his brashness and bluntness as well as his winning soccer programs, was officially hired to restart the women's soccer program at Alabama on Wednesday.
"Alabama offered me the position, and I accepted it," Staley said.
The Crimson Tide, which dropped women's soccer in 1988, will begin play next fall with Staley as head coach.
In Staley, Alabama gets a fiery competitor who helped bring national attention to Radford soccer. Sometimes, that attention got Staley in hot water with athletic officials, players and other coaches.
One of the most memorable moments of Staley's career was Radford's fight-marred match with Virginia Tech in 1990. Since then, the Radford-Tech match has drawn large crowds and garnered increased media attention.
Before the 1991 Tech match, Staley made derogatory comments about Tech players, students and even football players in an interview with Radford's student newspaper. Insiders knew Staley was simply trying to stir up interest in the match, but athletic officials were steamed and Staley later apologized.
A record crowd of 4,000 fans turned out for the match.
"The bark was worse than the bite," Staley said. "I guess I was the Billy Martin of southwest Virginia soccer. That was my style. There was a rhyme and a reason to everything I did. We gave some people some thrills over the last nine years."
Staley's teams were consistent winners. His 1985 women's team went to the NCAA tournament and this year's squad finished with a best-ever record of 15-3-2, earning him Big South Conference coach of the year honors.
Staley's men's teams posted back-to-back 15-win seasons in 1990-91 and he was named the conference's co-coach of the year in 1991.
His combined coaching record at Radford was 189-129-26.
In other sports in the region:
Senior defender Kim Conway of Virginia and senior midfielder Sue Williams of Radford were chosen to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Umbro All-Central Region women's team.
Virginia junior defender Danielle Desfosses, a junior, and Radford goalkeeper Amy Pseja, a freshman, were selected to the second team.
Georgia Tech athletic director Homer Rice said Wednesday that the school is studying a return to natural grass in 1995 for the playing surface of Grant Field in Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Tech's conversion to natural grass would leave Virginia as the only artificial surface in the ACC.
In South Boston, Felicia Manns scored 15 points as William Fleming's girls' basketball team evened its record with a non-district 46-18 win over Halifax County on Tuesday.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB