Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 12, 1990 TAG: 9005120085
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Daly Although his new team was beaten by his old one, it was not an unpleasant experience for Daly, who either had coached or recruited every player on the field.
"I didn't know what to expect from W&L," said Daly, who spent the 1990 season as a volunteer assistant at VMI. "I felt from Monday [until game day] that there was genuine caring and a desire to re-establish contact."
One of the reasons Daly was at VMI was the Lee-Jackson Classic, which follows a week of social activities, including a banquet for the teams. Daly had become good friends with VMI coach Doug Bartlett during a series of clinics they had given over the previous two years.
"We must have done 15 clinics together," Daly said. "The nature of crosstown rivalries is such that, if we weren't such good friends, I'm not sure I would have pursued the idea of coaching at VMI or that he would have tried to work it out."
Daly was looking for a way to remain active in coaching and continue his association with lacrosse while looking for full-time employment. He has accepted an offer from the Westminster School in Simsbury, Conn., where he will be an English teacher, head football coach, assistant lacrosse coach and assistant athletic director.
Part of the agreement is that Daly, 39, will become athletic director after one year.
"My wife [Sandy] and I have talked this over as an alternative way to remain in education with the proper emphasis on athletics," Daly said. "And it will give me more time to spend with my family [daughter Lindsay, 6, and son Tyler, 4].
"To be honest, I don't know if this is what I will do for the remainder of my career. We'll know soon enough. I can tell you this is all I'm thinking about doing right now."
Daly announced Nov. 15 that he was resigning from Washington and Lee, but he had been considering his future since his sixth season as the Generals' lacrosse coach produced a 4-9 record in 1989.
Daly had another year left on his contract, but in a meeting with school president John Wilson and athletic director Bill McHenry, Daly was told in early May that his status would be the subject of further review.
"Basically, I was put on hold," Daly said. "I was not told that I wouldn't be the coach, but I was not told I would be."
As a result, Daly started to consider his options. He had experience in a variety of sports and had coached football at every level before coming to W&L in 1984.
"If I stayed in college, I could see there was a trend away from the single-sport head coach at the Division III level," Daly said. "I decided I wanted to go back into football. I told myself, `If the [lacrosse] season goes the way we hope, I don't have to worry.' But I had to make other plans.
"Unless we turned things around, I could sense my future was not an extended one."
Daly was in the process of making arrangements to help coach W&L's football team when he received a letter Aug. 15 to the effect that he was being reassigned and no longer would head the Generals' lacrosse program. As part of his new job description, Daly would work with the football program and teach physical education.
During the week, Daly worked work with the W&L running backs and kicking specialists and then hit the road each Saturday to scout the Generals' upcoming opponent. He did not have any recruiting responsibilities and resigned four days after the season.
Daly began to investigate job opportunities, but while he could not make a full-time commitment, he volunteered his services to VMI for preseason workouts Jan. 19 to March 1. Anything beyond that had to be based on his availability.
Daly made two trips to Connecticut to check into the situation at the Westminster School and also visited Mercersburg (Pa.) Academy to serve as a consultant to the school's lacrosse program. He had just returned from a nine-day Outward Bound trip when preparations began for the Lee-Jackson Classic.
"I didn't feel it was good to go a season without coaching," Daly said. "I think people understand that coaches get fired. I felt my reputation was solid enough as long as I remained in coaching."
Daly still might be at W&L if not for the departure of McHenry, the school's longtime athletic director and a Daly supporter. But that's another story. Daly offers no judgment on his reassignment, but the events speak for themselves.
The W&L football players had started to return to school by the time Daly was informed of his status. Whatever the lacrosse players might have thought of Daly, they questioned the timing of his departure. For one thing, it meant they would not have a supervised fall practice.
"There was a feeling of disappointment," Daly said. "It had gone on for so long, I thought I'd be given another year. We'd solved our goalie problem. Our defense was solid. We knew what kind of recruiting class we had. All we needed was some more scoring."
The Generals had averaged fewer than six goals per game in 1989, but doubled their output this year in finishing 9-4 under first-year coach Jim Stagnitta.
"You have to give credit to Jim Stagnitta and his staff for an outstanding job," Daly said. "And you have to give credit to the kids, especially the seniors. They came in as winners and they went out as winners. I think they know I didn't flee from the situation.
"I would have loved the opportunity to coach them. It's like I always said to the players, `Don't worry about the things you can't control.' I think they've done that."
Daly said he never felt awkward at any point leading up to or during last week's game, won by the Generals 18-7.
"A lot of them came up to me and it wasn't to rub my nose in [W&L's success]," he said. "They wanted to see how I was doing. After we went through the line after the game, I was pleased that as many veterans came up and spoke. There was caring and respect, and that's all that matters."
by CNB