
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 31, 1990                   TAG: 9003310219
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RALEIGH, N.C.                                LENGTH: Medium

VALVANO RECEIVES SUPPORT/ NCSU STUDENTS RALLY FOR COACH

Students rallied Friday at North Carolina State in support of embattled basketball coach Jim Valvano, the target of a possible lawsuit by the university, whose board of trustees wants to terminate Valvano's contract.

The University of North Carolina Board of Governors will meet Monday to consider authorizing N.C. State to sue Valvano, said Robert "Roddy" Jones, chairman of the board.

The Board of Governors, the governing body of the state's 16-campus system, must authorize litigation brought by a school.

Woody Webb, a Raleigh attorney who is helping represent Valvano, said he didn't want a lawsuit. He also said he hoped the board would let Valvano speak to it.

"I would be hopeful that (the meeting) doesn't end the negotiations," Webb said. "If they want to fight, I guess he'll have to fight. But Jim doesn't want to."

Last week, the N.C. State Board of Trustees voted 9-3 to instruct attorney Howard Manning to terminate the school's contract with Valvano. Manning told the trustees he thought the school had grounds to end the contract based on a contention that Valvano failed to ensure the academic progress of basketball players.

Webb said Chief Deputy Attorney General Andy Vanore, who is assisting the school in its talks, told him authorization for litigation didn't mean negotiations were over. Webb repeated that Valvano is willing to renegotiate his contract, including a $500,000 buyout clause, and would agree to a one-year contract.

At the rally, the school's cheerleading squad led hundreds in the chant, "We Want Coach V," and heard speakers demand that the university keep Valvano.

"I think they should have contract negotiations," Wolfpack point guard Chris Corchiani told the crowd. "I think they should negotiate a raise [for Valvano]."

Rally organizers hoped it would send a message to the Board of Governors. Victoria Grieco, an N.C. State alumnus, said she collected 20,000 signatures supporting Valvano.

N.C. State is under a two-year NCAA probation because some players sold complimentary tickets and basketball shoes. The NCAA did not charge Valvano with knowledge of the violations.

Wolfpack basketball came under more scrutiny after ABC News aired allegations of point-shaving by former N.C. State players. Another allegation surfaced prior to the rally. Former NBA center Jeff Ruland said he took unspecified amounts of money from Valvano when Ruland played for the coach at Iona, the Philadelphia Daily News reported.

by CNB