Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 31, 1994 TAG: 9403310078
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
VMI is mentioned on ESPN as having one of the top coaching openings in NCAA Division I basketball. Resumes and telephone calls start pouring in, and Babb, VMI's athletic director, has his pick of the nation's top coaches.
Sound far fetched? Well, VMI's vacancy was mentioned on SportsCenter this week . . .
"As if we weren't getting enough calls," Babb quipped. "Actually, it's been steady for 10 straight days. But that's good."
The institute's athletic offices have been hopping since March 21 when Joe Cantafio announced he was leaving to take the head coaching job at Furman.
Babb apparently found time Wednesday to meet with Emmett Davis, an assistant coach at the U.S. Naval Academy who is reported to be a top candidate.
Davis could not be reached for comment, but sources close to the situation confirmed he was on the VMI campus Wednesday and was expected to meet with the institute's search committee.
Last week, Davis would not indicate if he had applied for the job, saying he "would rather not confirm or deny."
Davis has been at Navy for eight years and serves as the recruiting coordinator for head coach Don DeVoe, formerly the coach at Virginia Tech and at Tennessee.
Babb said last week that VMI was looking to hire someone with a proven track record in recruiting and that special notice would be taken to candidates with experience at a military college. Babb would not say if Davis was that person, only that he was making headway in narrowing down a list of potential candidates.
This weekend, Babb likely will head to Charlotte, N.C., site of the men's Final Four and a hotbed for coaches looking to move up in the ranks.
One coach Babb could run into is Pete Strickland, an assistant at Old Dominion. Strickland coached for three years at VMI under Cantafio and and is reported to be a candidate for the current opening.
Strickland spoke to Babb last week and sent a resume. On Tuesday, he called Chip Smith, VMI's assistant athletic director, to reiterate his interest in the position.
Fran O'Hanlon, an assistant at Penn, also has been put on hold by Babb.
Babb is expected to go off campus next week to meet with more prospective coaches and then bring the strongest candidates back to Lexington for formal interviews by the search committee. Babb said he had no hiring timetable but was keeping in mind the April 15 signing date for basketball recruits.
"We've got to keep things moving with the recruiting process in full swing," he said. "But, right now, I'm happy with the quality and quantity of candidates."
Other coaches thought to on Babb's list include Bobby Stevens, an assistant at Winthrop (S.C.); Walt Ayers, the head coach at Bluefield College; and Dave Manzer, a former VMI assistant now at Miami of Ohio.
by CNB