
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, January 23, 1995                   TAG: 9501250030
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PANTHERS SET TO HIRE CAPERS TODAY

Dom Capers, the Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coach who helped build one of the NFL's best defenses, will be hired today as head coach of the expansion Carolina Panthers, The Charlotte Observer reported Sunday.

The Panthers have scheduled a news conference for 1 p.m. today.

Capers, 44, was the defensive coordinator for the Steelers, whose season ended when the San Diego Chargers beat them 17-13 in the AFC championship game.

Capers also is a coach who cost the Panthers $150,000 and two draft picks. He couldn't be reached for comment Sunday evening.

Carolina pursued Joe Gibbs, the former Washington Redskins coach, to become their first head coach. Gibbs, who directs a NASCAR team based in the Charlotte area, rejected the team's overtures.

In other football news:

James Madison University has hired Alex Wood, offensive coordinator at Wake Forest, as its new head football coach.

Wood, offensive coordinator at Wake Forest for the past two seasons, will be named the Dukes' new coach at a 1:30 p.m. news conference today. Contract terms have not yet been announced.

Wood, 39, succeeds Rip Scherer, who was hired by Memphis on Jan. 12. Wood, like Scherer, had never been a college head coach before getting the James Madison job.

by CNB