Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 23, 1994 TAG: 9403230090
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CLEMSON, S.C. LENGTH: Medium
Barnes replaces Cliff Ellis, who has taken the Tigers to the National Invitation Tournament but said in January this would be his last season after 10 years at the school.
Clemson's athletic director, Bobby Robinson, said Barnes would be paid a base salary of $110,000 a year, not including endorsements.
"I plan for this guy to be here a lot longer than seven years," Robinson said. Barnes was the only coach interviewed for the job, he said.
Barnes, a 39-year-old native of Hickory, N.C., said he always wanted to coach at an Atlantic Coast Conference school.
"When you grew up in the early '70s, all you saw on TV was ACC basketball," Barnes said. "I think anybody that grows up in this part of the country knows what a great tradition Clemson University has."
Barnes said attending the ACC tournament in 1978 made him want to become a college basketball coach.
The coach said he and Robinson knew soon after they first met in January that they wanted to work together. He said he called Robinson at 2 a.m. a few days later and said: "Are you fired up? Are you ready?"
Barnes was 108-76 in six seasons at the Rhode Island school and took the Friars to the NCAA Tournament three times and the NIT twice. Providence was 20-10 and won the Big East Conference tournament this year. The Friars' season ended Thursday with a 76-70 NCAA Tournament loss to Alabama.
Clemson finished the regular season 15-14 and lost to Duke in the second round of the ACC tournament. The Tigers beat West Virginia 96-79 in the second round of the NIT on Monday night and will play Vanderbilt tonight.
Western Kentucky's Ralph Willard is expected to be hired as Providence's coach within a week, The Providence Journal-Bulletin reported Tuesday, citing unidentified sources.
by CNB