Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 27, 1993 TAG: 9304270165
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It's at least the second time in the past two years that Braine has been strongly considered by another school; he withdrew from the Miami of Florida search two years ago after interviewing.
"I made no promises to anybody," Braine said of Iowa State. "I'm not going out there saying I'll take the job if they offer it."
Braine, in his sixth year at Tech, will visit Ames, Iowa, for a two-day interview May 10-11. Iowa State, like Tech, is a land-grant university with an enrollment of about 25,000, but has a $12 million athletic budget - bigger than Tech's.
"I'm happy [at Tech], but I'm going to look at certain things, if for no other reason than to see how the other half lives," Braine said.
Earlier this month, Braine said he was interested in the Miami job, which again is vacant. But he said Monday that Miami hasn't contacted him.
Iowa State's other three finalists are North Carolina State associate athletic director Nora Lynn Finch, Eastern Michigan athletic director Eugene Smith and Washington State AD Jim Livengood.
Iowa State is replacing Max Urick, whose contract will not be renewed when it expires June 30.
The list of finalists angered Iowa State basketball coach Johnny Orr, who wants the AD job. Orr, who has coached 12 years at the school, threatened to quit if he couldn't get along with the new athletic director. Of the list of finalists, he told The Associated Press: "I could have worked for people qualified like that in high school."
Told that, Braine said:
"That's a bold statement. I sure don't want to jump into any hornet's nest, I promise you that. Johnny Orr's a big name. The last thing an AD wants to do is have a problem like that to begin with."
Braine arrived at Tech in 1988, shortly after the school's football and men's basketball programs were put on NCAA probation.
Although the football team hasn't been to a bowl game and the basketball team hasn't participated in postseason since then, Braine is credited with helping put Tech's program on more solid ground. He was a key player as the university raised more than $18.5 million for athletics over the past three years, and he helped move Tech football from independent status into the Big East Football Conference.
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
by CNB