Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 28, 1993 TAG: 9304280220
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Andy Ward, who has made the Cavaliers' softball program a state power, was named Tuesday as the new football coach. He takes over for Larry Carter, who resigned in February to move up as the school's athletic director.
Ward was an assistant coach under Carter. Last summer, when Carter nearly moved to the AD job, Ward ran the summer conditioning program and was expected to get the football job then.
After Carter resigned, though, Botetourt officials opened the job up for applications.
"I feel like he's the best man for the job," Botetourt principal Jim Sledd said Tuesday. "We had a number of assistant coaches in other schools and one, who I consider a head coach at another school, as having legitimate shots at the job. If we were going with an assistant coach, we felt we should go with somebody on our staff."
Botetourt's problems started before Carter came from Patrick Henry four years ago. The Cavaliers haven't had a winning season since 1985.
"I don't think a quick fix is in the cards. We have to start, rebuild and hopefully within a couple of years we'll be very competitive in the Blue Ridge District," Ward said.
The 29-year-old Ward has an overall record of 51-20 in softball after Tuesday's 11-3 victory over William Byrd. In that span, the Cavaliers have been Group AA state runners-up twice.
"Andy's relatively young and I think he'll communicate well with the student athletes," Sledd said. "I believe he'll stimulate interest in getting more students out for the program. We agree on concentrating on the fundamentals of blocking and tackling."
Ward has had experience turning football programs around as a player. He played under Salem assistant Larry Bradley at Grundy High as an offensive guard and then went on to Emory & Henry.
"Grundy was a losing program when Coach Bradley took over. The last two years we were in the playoffs and went 8-2 and 7-3," Ward said. "Emory & Henry had been losing, but it became a Division III power."
Ward said he hoped to work at getting more players interested in football at Botetourt's feeder schools to increase participation.
Ward isn't certain whether he'll give up coaching softball. "There's a lot of loyalty there because the girls have been in the program a long time," he said. Ward will give up his duties as a basketball assistant coach.
With Ward's appointment, Shawsville is the only Timesland school still without a football coach.
by CNB