Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 5, 1991 TAG: 9104050131
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Sources familiar with the situation said Radford athletic director Chuck Taylor spoke with Robinson by phone Wednesday and told Robinson that he would not be among the leading contenders for the job vacated by Oliver Purnell, who left for a similar position at Old Dominion University.
The sources said that Taylor told Robinson the leading candidates were current Radford assistant Ron Bradley and an unidentified Division I head coach.
Taylor confirmed Thursday that he and Robinson spoke, but he would not disclose details of the conversation.
"We talked about a lot of things," Taylor said.
Robinson, a Roanoke native and former Radford player and coach, had no comment.
Bradley, who joined Purnell's staff before the 1990-91 season, has been perceived publicly as being the front-runner.
The Division I head coaches whose names have surfaced in connection with the Radford job are VMI's Joe Cantafio and Southwestern Louisiana's Marty Fletcher. Both said Thursday they had heard nothing from Radford.
Meanwhile, a petition drive originating with a Radford University alumni group in Roanoke is being formed to support Robinson's candidacy.
"We're basically trying to put a push on for Steve, and we'll send it to [university president] Dr. [Donald] Dedmon," said Tommy Walthall, a former Radford basketball player who was organizing the drive. "We're not trying to step on [athletic director] Chuck Taylor's toes or anything, but we would like to voice our opinion."
The group, which Walthall described as a loosely organized assembly of alumni with a special interest in athletics, hoped to have about 100 signatures on the petition.
"We believe that Steve, with his experience at Kansas, could bring that system to Radford and do very well with it," Walthall said. "Also, with all the support he has in Roanoke, that can do nothing but help the program. The program needs support in Roanoke."
Robinson played basketball for Ferrum and Radford, where he played for the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons. Robinson also was an assistant on Joe Davis' staff there from 1983-85.
Another potential candidate for the job surfaced Thursday when Nevada-Las Vegas assistant Ronnie Ganulin said he wanted to become involved with Radford's search.
Ganulin, 45, has been Jerry Tarkanian's aide at UNLV for four years. Before that, he was an Old Dominion assistant for two years.
by CNB