THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 9, 1997 TAG: 9701090562
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REA MCLEROY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 51 lines
Old Dominion University soccer coach Bob Warming resigned Wednesday after one season with the Monarchs to accept the head coaching job at perennial powerhouse Saint Louis University.
Warming, who molded Creighton into a Top 10 program from 1990-94, led the Monarchs to a 3-17-0 season.
He was approached about the Billikens position on New Year's Eve and was officially hired Tuesday. The lure of coaching the program that has won 10 national titles in a soccer-mad city made the offer too good to refuse.
``I would say it was about the unusual opportunity that there was to hop into a program with a great storied tradition,'' Warming said. ``It's a soccer city, the birthplace of collegiate soccer in America. Those opportunities don't come along every day.''
Saint Louis finished second in the nation in Division I soccer attendance last season.
Warming was also drawn to the Jesuit philosophy taught at the university.
``When I was at Creighton, I became entrenched in the Jesuit philosophy of education and the importance of teaching ethics with education and the importance of service and commitment to other people,'' he said. ``It's a philosophy I embraced. It's something that's important here and is valued at this university.''
His commitment to people and his players was the lone drawback to accepting the position so quickly. With less than 24 hours' notice of his hiring prior to a university press conference, Warming couldn't meet individually with his players.
``It happened so fast and the kids are out of school now,'' Warming said. ``It wasn't one of those things where you find out a week ahead of time and can get on the phone and tell everyone how great the program at ODU is and how they'll be successful in the future. I'll be coming back to ODU to help out with things.''
Warming has compiled a 206-118-27 record in his 20 years of coaching. During his tenure at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte from 1982-88, his teams were 68-51-17. After five seasons at Creighton (72-19-7) he became athletic director at Furman, but returned to coaching with the ODU job a year later.
He takes over a Saint Louis program that is reeling from its first losing season in 38 years - the team was 5-14 this year.
Warming succeeds Joe Clarke, who resigned Nov. 25. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Bob Warming's Monarchs were 3-17 in his only season as ODU men's
soccer coach.