Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 7, 1991 TAG: 9102070225
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Braine was interviewed by the university's search committee last week in Miami. He informed Miami on Wednesday that he will stay at Virginia Tech, where he moved the Hokies into the Big East football league with the Hurricanes and six other schools on Tuesday.
"The Big East [entrance] had something to do with it, and my family had something to do with it," Braine said. "I'm happy where I am, and so is my family. I like Virginia Tech and I like the situation we're getting into. We've made a lot of progress."
Braine, 47, said he never was offered the Miami job, and he added, "I don't want to intimate that I was. It never got to that. They are still on the first round of interviews."
The Hurricanes are seeking a successor to Sam Jankovich, who left Miami to become the chief operation officer of the NFL's New England Patriots.
"I went down there to talk and look at the situation because I thought I owed it to myself," Braine said. "I wanted to do what I'm doing now to end all of the speculation, all of the innuendo."
Braine, who is starting his third year as the Hokies' athletic director after moving from that position at Marshall, has an annual salary of $87,000 at Tech. Like other state employees, he works on an annual contract.
It has been reported that Miami will pay its new athletic director in the $200,000-a-year range.
"After sitting down and reviewing everything with my family, we decided we are happy in Blacksburg," Braine said. "Tech has just made a commitment to join the Big East for football, which represents a major step for our athletic program.
"The future looks bright, but there is still work to be done. I want to stay and help this program reach its full potential."
With the Hokies in a football conference for the first time in 27 years, Braine's next major decision will involve the Hokies' future in men's basketball and non-revenue sports.
The Hokies will choose among staying in the Metro Conference, which likely will be without an automatic NCAA Tournament bid in 1992; moving to the Atlantic 10 Conference to replace Big Ten-bound Penn State; or becoming the sixth Virginia school in the Colonial Athletic Association.
A source familiar with the Miami search said North Carolina athletic director John Swofford continues to be at the top of the list of candidates.
by CNB