Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 18, 1992 TAG: 9203180128
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Green, approved Monday to take over a program that has produced only three victories in two years, has a major rebuilding job ahead. This year's senior-dominated club produced only one victory.
"The one thing I asked when I talked to them is if they were looking for a quick fix. If they were, I wasn't the coach for them. You have to build a foundation," Green said.
Green's name surfaced last week after Franklin County failed to lure John Zernhelt from the University of Maryland. Zernhelt, who was on the staff of Joe Krivac when he was released at Maryland, found a job at Rice.
The only other person believed to have a chance at the job was highly successful wrestling coach Kris Kahila. But he was reluctant to give up a program that has been a perennial Northwestern Region power.
"We're tickled to death to get Horace," said Franklin County athletic director Jerry Little. "He emerged from an impressive list of candidates. We were very impressed with him. He's been a quality person and a quality football coach."
Green, 43, was an assistant last fall at James Monroe in Fredericksburg, which has been a strong Group AA team the past few years. He was formerly a head coach at King George in the mid-1980s, but for personal reasons has not been a head coach since then.
Green also has been head track coach at Rustburg, James Monroe and Stafford. He is currently an assistant track coach for James Monroe.
Like many of the applicants for the Eagles' job, Green has ties to Ferrum College, where he played football for coach Hank Norton.
"I'm not looking at Franklin County as a stepping-stone job. I'm looking to retire there," said Green. "I enjoy kids a lot, so I'm not trying to hop place-to-place. Kids are basically the same everywhere."
Green says he wants to build the Franklin County program from the foundation - the sandlots and the feeder schools.
"The first thing is to teach fundamentals. As we master that, we'll go to the next level," he said.
The hiring leaves only one Timesland school without a football coach. Carroll County has a vacancy after Mike Scharnus moved to Liberty last week.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.