THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 3, 1996 TAG: 9603030190
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
James Madison basketball coach Lefty Driesell hedged when asked if Saturday's 75-72 loss to Old Dominion in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament was his last as a college coach.
``I don't know what I'll be doing next year,'' said Driesell when the subject of retirement was raised. ``I might be dead.
``I don't know what I'm going to do. I might decide not to come back. I just don't know.
``I know that I started out working for Ford Motor Co. out of college. When you work 25 years there, they give you a gold watch. Well, I've been in coaching 47 years and I haven't gotten a gold watch yet.
``Most people quit working long before they go 47 years. I don't call coaching working. If I did, I would have quit long ago.''
Driesell, a Norfolk native and former Granby High, Davidson and Maryland coach, has a career record of 677-322, which ranks 12th among all-time coaches.
However, his Dukes finished 10-20, giving him his first losing season since 1960-61, when he was 9-14 in his first season at Davidson.
And the future doesn't look promising. The Dukes return four starters and all but two seniors from a team that won its last five regular-season games. But gone will be Darren McClinton, an All-CAA guard who scored 34 points Saturday and at times was a one-man team.
Driesell said if he does return, it will be because he promised his incoming freshmen he would coach them.
``I promised my freshmen I would coach them at least one year,'' he said. ``I'm a man of my word.
``I'd say because of that, I'll probably be back. But I wouldn't say definitely. ... Right now, I just don't know.'' by CNB