Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 15, 1990 TAG: 9004150046
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Usually, football and basketball openings were filled by coaches who had an "in" with someone in the administration. It was the buddy system, and that was deemed as important as a coach's qualifications as a teacher. Schools would go through the motions of taking applications and conduct an interview or two, but all along it would be known who would get the job.
This is no longer the case. Take Alleghany and Franklin County, which are conducting searches for new football coaches. In both instances, these searches have turned into statewide manhunts.
Alleghany has interviewed 19 coaches for its opening and Franklin County has interviewed 15. Both schools have set up committees that included representatives from the administration, the athletic directors and the principals who have tied up a lot of hours seeking a coach.
The natural question is whether Franklin County or Alleghany would spend this time and energy hiring a teacher for English, math or history.
"I don't think that's a fair comparison," said Alleghany principal Randolph Scott. "I wouldn't have the foggiest idea of how many people we interviewed, but we were interviewing one every hour."
Scott says football is important enough to his community that he wanted the committee to "look under every stone."
Will it pay off? Alleghany was set to hire a coach last Thursday. Scott made a recommendation, but at the last moment, there was no announcement.
Sources in Alleghany indicate Greenbrier (W.Va.) East coach Homer Criddle was offered the job. He either turned it down or is making a decision between the Alleghany job and staying at Greenbrier East for a raise in pay.
Franklin County's process is behind that of Alleghany's since Dean East resigned later than the Mountaineers' Kenny Higgins, who went to Brookville.
"We've had 35-40 applications," said Dr. William Owings, the Franklin County principal. Deadline for applications was Friday, but Franklin County already has conducted interviews.
Even when first-round interviews are completed, Owings says the final five will be brought back for more interviews. Then the top three names will be submitted to superintendent William Gerreau for a decision.
"For any position that has the visibility, we'd spend this amount of time," said Owings. "We interviewed 10-15 people when we were looking for a drama teacher. We planned extensive interviews for a soccer coach, but we were fortunate enough to find Tom Thatcher.
"I believe the more applications you get and the more screening you can do, the better person you'll find in the final analysis for the children."
\ Noting Timesland:
Christiansburg's Jeff Stanley, the co-Timesland wrestler of the year, finished eighth in the National High School Championships last weekend at the University of Pittsburgh. He finished 2-2 in the tournament. Chilhowie's Brian Nunley, who was All-Timesland, also was in the tournament.
Cave Spring guard Jay Gentry has accepted a Westover Academic Scholarship to Lynchburg College, where he will play basketball. That sets up an interesting brother-against-brother confrontation next year: Cary Gentry is a point guard at Roanoke College, and the two schools are Old Dominion Athletic Conference rivals.
Another Knight, Keith Spicer, also is leaning toward Lynchburg, where he might play baseball and basketball. Rodney Jefferson is going to Randolph-Macon and might attempt college athletics, and Pat Hayes, a center for Cave Spring, will go to George Mason, where he said he might play golf.
Patrick Henry has a varsity lacrosse team coached by Bob Rotanz, a former Roanoke College All-American. The Patriots, who have a six-game schedule, lost their first game to powerful Virginia Episcopal School 22-0. Patrick Henry's team is the first public-school lacrosse program in Timesland.
Long-time E.C. Glass basketball coach Willie Taylor was fired after 14 years. He had a 175-133 record. Mentioned as possible successors for what is one of the better jobs in Central Virginia are former William Fleming assistant Barry Hamler, who coaches at Booker T. Washington; Altavista coach Stu Richardson; Charlottesville coach Kenny Leatherwood; and Fieldale-Collinsville's Ben Gravely.
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on April 28, 1990\ Correction
Because of a reporter's error, Alleghany principal Randolph Scott was quoted incorrectly as saying he didn't know the number of applicants for the school's football job. He actually had said he didn't know how long the interviews lasted.
Memo: correction