Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 16, 1991 TAG: 9103160275
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"I am working as hard as I can to keep Bowling Green in the thick of things in the Mid-American Conference," said Larranaga, who was on a recruiting trip two days after Bowling Green lost to Wisconsin in overtime in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. "I've got a job to do and I've got to be sure I do the best possible job I can. Other than that, I have no comment."
Larranaga was an assistant to Terry Holland at Virginia when Tech athletic director Dave Braine was in UVa's administration in the late 1970s and early '80s, and he is considered a logical candidate because of his ties to Braine. A source close to Larranaga said Braine has not contacted the Falcons' coach, who is 74-70 in five years at Bowling Green after going 17-13 this year and taking the Falcons to their second straight NIT appearance.
Braine has refused to comment on any aspect of the coaching search, and it is not known whether he has talked to any prospective candidates.
There are several other coaches who are being linked to the Tech opening but apparently have not heard from Braine: Tennessee-Chattanooga's Mack McCarthy, Furman's Butch Estes, VMI's Joe Cantafio, Murray State's Steve Newton, Division II Virginia Union's Dave Robbins, North Carolina-Wilmington's Kevin Eastman and South Carolina assistant Eddie Payne.
Robbins has been at the Richmond school for 13 years and has a 312-82 record. Virginia Union beat Morehouse College 89-79 Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament in Charlotte, N.C.
"[There are] some people sort of in the know saying, `Would you be interested, your name has been thrown in the hat, we're interested in you,' " Robbins said Friday. "But not from anyone that can give you the job. . . . Nothing official."
Robbins said he didn't want to discuss another job while his team still was playing, but said he will be interested if Tech calls.
"You'd be stupid not to be interested in a job like that," Robbins said.
McCarthy and Estes expressed some interest in the job on Wednesday, but each said then that he had not talked to Braine. Neither could be reached for comment Friday. Estes' Paladins lost to West Virginia 86-67 in the NIT on Friday night.
Cantafio said Friday that he hadn't heard from Tech, either.
Payne has been on George Felton's South Carolina staff for five years, the last two as associate head coach. He said he would be "curious" about the Tech situation but hadn't been contacted.
Same goes for Eastman, a University of Richmond graduate who said he isn't likely to look around after only one year at UNC-Wilmington.
Newton is 114-63 in six years at Murray State and has taken the Ohio Valley Conference school to the NCAA Tournament three of the past four years. Newton, whose team is seeded 13th in the NCAA Southeast Regional in Atlanta and lost 89-79 to fourth-seeded Alabama on Friday, didn't return phone messages left for him the past two days.
His boss, however, hinted that the Hokies would be in for a battle if Braine approached Newton. Murray State athletic director Michael Strickland, who said Friday that Braine had not called to ask to talk to Newton, said Murray State is delighted with Newton and said the coach's renewable contract will be rolled over to keep it at four years.
"I would not stand in his way," Strickland said when asked what he would say if Braine called. "But I would do everything I could to discourage Steve from doing that."
Strickland said Newton, who was at Murray State for current Tech football coach Frank Beamer's last two years there, has rejected other job overtures in past years.
by CNB