THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 6, 1996 TAG: 9608060323
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 34 lines
North Carolina State today is expected to announce Ray Tanner's replacement as the Wolfpack baseball coach. And Old Dominion coach Tony Guzzo is still on the short list of candidates.
Guzzo, New Mexico State's Elliott Avent and Winthrop's Joe Hudek were the original three finalists and each met with N.C. State interim athletic director Les Robinson last week. A fourth coach, Tulane's Rick Jones, who initially withdrew from the running two weeks ago, also met with Robinson last week.
According to sports information director Bruce Winkworth, Robinson talked to assistant athletic director Mack McElhaney on Monday morning.
Guzzo went out of town for a family reunion last weekend and could not be reached Monday by telephone. Robinson and McElhaney attended a faculty outing Monday afternoon and were unavailable for comment.
In Guzzo's two seasons at ODU, the Monarchs advanced to consecutive NCAA tournaments. Before coming to ODU, Guzzo coached Virginia Commonwealth to a pair of NCAA tournament berths.
In his 18 years of college coaching, which includes a four-year stint at North Carolina Wesleyan, Guzzo has compiled a 509-403-2 record. In addition, he gave Avent his first baseball job at North Carolina Wesleyan and later hired Avent at VCU.
``I think it's ironic,'' said Avent, an N.C. State alumnus. ``This is the only job I ever wanted. That's where I went to school.''
Avent, going into his ninth year at New Mexico State, has compiled a 225-213 record.
``He's like a big brother to me,'' Avent said of Guzzo. ``Everything I've done in baseball, I owe to him.'' by CNB