Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 16, 1993 TAG: 9305160148
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
However, the general feeling among Wahoos is a thankfulness that this time of success is just about over. At the spring social for the area chapter of the Virginia Student Aid Foundation at Hunting Hills on a sunny Saturday, a variation of the word "relief" was on the lips of many in the gathering of 'Hoos who.
The uncertainty and worry of two years of in-house and NCAA investigation are history. UVa's sanctions, in football only, are known, and football coach George Welsh said that at three recent VSAF functions, he's gotten a sense that the concerns of alumni now surround the Cavaliers' unsettled quarterback situation this fall.
"There are a lot of points of view [on the NCAA probe] among Virginia supporters," said Jeff Jones, whose basketball team reached the NCAA's Sweet 16. "However, I do think one thing they have in common is a sense of relief. It's like, `At least the NCAA has spoken.' "
It was the loans given to athletes by former VSAF boss Ted Davenport that began UVa's first trip to the NCAA's jailhouse. And although the Tuesday resignation of former Virginia athletic director Dick Schultz as the NCAA's executive director seemed to write the last chapter in the seamy novel, Welsh said the bad news may not be history.
"I don't feel relieved," said Welsh, whose program was the only one to receive sanctions. "We are on probation, and the death penalty is out there if anything happens again. And Ted Davenport still has a lawsuit pending. I don't know we can say we've heard the end of it."
Jones and Welsh said they were surprised the implication of Schultz and the attending furor meant the end of a career, particularly because the penalties against the Cavaliers were limited. The two coaches are to be admired for their candor on the subject, particularly since UVa president John Casteen and athletic director Jim Copeland have refused to comment on the Park Report or Schultz's demise.
Jones said he was stunned at the independent Park Report's conclusion, considering the NCAA Executive Council had used that as a basis before voting to retain Schultz. He wasn't surprised Schultz "took the high road" and resigned once he realized his effectiveness would be forever compromised.
"I don't think that what happened, considering our penalties, should have brought the head of the NCAA down," said Welsh, who was hired by Schultz in 1982 from Navy. "To me, that's bordering on the ridiculous. I know a lot of people feel that way.
"I know Dick pretty well. I can tell you this: He's the big reason I'm at Virginia. I had other offers to move in those years at Navy, but Dick is the individual who sold me on what could be done at Virginia. He's been very creative and forward-looking, and I think he did a tremendous job with the NCAA, too."
Welsh isn't alone in that regard. One UVa alumnus from Roanoke was wondering this week whether the Cavaliers could bring Schultz back as athletic director. That desire is rooted in the job Schultz did in revitalizing the program, plus a dissatisfaction, evident at this gathering, with Copeland.
One vocal and local alumnus wondered why, particularly in light of Schultz's damning by the Park Report and the citing of a lack of institutional control during Copeland's watch, that the Cavaliers' AD not only kept his job, but got a five-year contract renewal during the probe.
A large measure of the criticism of Copeland can be traced to a decision to move the seats of longtime VSAF contributors and men's basketball season-ticket holders to locations away from the floor in University Hall. The change was made in an attempt to enhance the atmosphere at UVa games, after no-shows among long-distance contributors diminished the announced sellout crowds.
Frustration over the revised U-Hall seating plan has remained an undercurrent of disgruntlement during the NCAA investigation. It is also a subject that will continue to dog Copeland and VSAF executive director Lawson Drinkard, who spoke of "trying to be fair" to contributors while adding to UVa's homecourt advantage.
Even the coach is concerned.
"There are a lot of people who are beyond being upset about it," Jones said. "And, unfortunately, a large number of those, in terms of longevity, are some of our largest fans. That's disturbing. I understand why it has to be done, but that doesn't mean it's any less disturbing."
In that regard, he isn't alone among Wahoos.
by CNB