Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, December 17, 1993 TAG: 9312170189
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Goldsmith, 49, replaces Barry Wilson, who resigned after posting a four-year record of 13-31-1 at the ACC school. Wilson won four conference games during his tenure and finished no better than seventh in any of his seasons.
The hiring of Goldsmith was a surprise, since he publicly stated two weeks ago he wasn't interested and would remain in Houston.
After that, Virginia offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien, former Cincinnati coach Tim Murphy and William and Mary's Jimmye Laycock became Duke's top candidates. However, each of those interviews resulted in a dead end.
During the weekend, Goldsmith spoke several times with Tom Butters, Duke's athletic director, but by Sunday, Goldsmith again no longer was a candidate.
He planned to take a recruiting trip for the Owls but instead awoke at 4:30 a.m. Monday and headed to the airport, calling Butters to say he was coming to visit.
"I just could not get it out of my mind," Goldsmith said of the Duke job. "I got all fired up and jumped out of bed and came on."
After leaving five messages on Butters' answering machine, Goldsmith finally got through and was picked up at the airport by Wilson.
"I was heartsick the day before when we kind of left it like it wasn't going to happen," Butters said.
Goldsmith met with the school president Thursday morning and signed a five-year contract. Butters refused to release Goldsmith's yearly salary.
"The rules have changed. I'm not a miracle-worker," Goldsmith said when asked about winning at a school with the academic standards of Duke, not far removed from the academics at Rice. "What has happened over 30 years is the NCAA dropped the bottom out of the requirements to go to school. And the top academic schools did not change their standards and suffered on the field for it.
"But now with Prop 42 and Prop 48 and the shrinking of scholarships, there is a lot larger pool for everyone. It's not easy now, but it's possible where it was virtually impossible for a long time."
Goldsmith arrived at Rice in January 1989, and his overall record there is 23-31-1.
In other college football:
\ COLLEGE DIVISION ALL-STATE: Two former Timesland players are among the first-team defenders on the College Division All-State team selected by the Virginia Sports Information Directors.
Former Lexington High School standout Robert Hull, a sophomore lineman at Washington and Lee, and former Giles High School star Mark Middleton, a junior punter for Emory & Henry, are first-team selections.
Washington and Lee's John Surface, a senior from Jacksonville, Fla., made the team on the offensive line.
Virginia State quarterback Gregory Clark is the player of the year, and Hampton's Joe Taylor is the coach of the year.
by CNB