ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605200130
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-8 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HIGH SCHOOLS
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
The search for boys' basketball coaches at William Fleming and Patrick Henry becomes more interesting by the day.
Calling it a difficult decision, Roland Lovelace decided just before this past week's deadline to apply for the vacancy at Fleming. Lovelace has been the girls' basketball coach at Fleming for 11 years and has a young team that figures to challenge Roanoke Valley District powers Cave Spring and Pulaski County for a Northwest Region tournament berth.
Lovelace also is Fleming's offensive coordinator in football. If he gets the boys' basketball job, Lovelace might have to give up both of his other positions.
His coaching experience in Roanoke makes Lovelace the front-runner for the Fleming boys' coaching job, although the list of candidates - most from outside Timesland - is long. He would follow Marshall Ashford, who declined to remain as head coach after stepping in at midseason when longtime coach Burrall Paye retired.
Lovelace also has an edge because Fleming officials like to fill openings from within, as they did when George Miller, an assistant principal, was hired as head football coach two years ago. Sherley Stuart, Fleming's athletic director, coached Lovelace at Lucy Addison High School.
Patrick Henry officials got an earlier start in their search and have interviewed an assortment of candidates with varied qualifications. One other difference between the PH and Fleming jobs is that coaches who are not currently employed as teachers or might not have full certification have been interviewed for the Patriots' job. The Colonels want only candidates who can join the Fleming staff.
Former Roanoke College coach Ed Green, who has made no secret of his desire to return to the Roanoke Valley, has been interviewed for the PH vacancy. He may be the strongest candidate of the 10 still on the list. In addition to his experience as a public school teacher, Green is certified to teach special education and he has a background in administration after serving as assistant principal at a Pennsylvania high school for two years.
It's hard to believe there would be a more qualified candidate to coach the Patriots. Green guided Roanoke College to the top of NCAA Division III and successfully recruited players from diverse backgrounds.
Green's problem might be a perception by some in the Roanoke school system that he is tainted by NCAA violations that occurred at Coastal Carolina when he was athletic director at the Conway, S.C., school in the early 1990s.
Green's leanings and interests always appeared to be more toward coaching than administration. He says the problems at Coastal Carolina happened without his knowledge and that he never was implicated in any violations.
E.C. Glass thought enough of the former Maroons coach two years ago that the Hilltoppers were ready to hire him until Green balked at teaching special education for personal reasons. The Lynchburg school has a good hiring record, as those making the decision in Roanoke ought to note.
On the other hand, it is mystifying that PH didn't interview Luray athletic director Rich Lyons, who has experience in Group AAA as a head coach at Albemarle and has been a high school athletic director. Sure, Lyons is well-traveled, but some of the candidates interviewed by PH aren't nearly as qualified to take over one of the state's premier programs.
Of course, the same could have been said of Woody Deans when he was handed the head coach's job with experience only as a junior high and junior varsity coach. All Deans did was win two Group AAA titles and take Timesland high school basketball to a new level through his promotional efforts.
The difference is that Deans had worked under Dick Kepley, a coach who might have been one of the sharpest I've met in many years of covering high school sports.
INSIDE TRACK: Fans of high school track and field will notice some differences this spring when the state meets are held, beginning May 25 with the Group A and and AA events.
For the first time, eight places instead of six will be used in scoring toward the team championship . The change gives schools with more depth a better chance of winning a state title. It will be tougher for a school with three or four good athletes.
This figures to work against the Patrick Henry boys at the Group AAA meet in Hampton, but it might help Staunton River at the Group AA boys' meet May 25 in Harrisonburg.
In another change, the running events finals at Friday's Northwest Region meet in Charlottesville will start at noon, an hour earlier than usual.
INJURY A HURDLE FOR BURNETTE: William Fleming junior Charles Burnette, off to a strong start in track, injured his left arm and might not be able to run the hurdles at the Northwest Region meet. Burnette suffered the injury during a hurdles race, but is expected to be back at full strength for football in the fall.
MORE VACANCIES:Add Shawsville to the list of Timesland schools looking for a boys' basketball coach.
Tracy Poff is expected to give up that job to take over the athletic director's duties and remain the girls' basketball coach for the Shawnees.
In addition to a boys' basketball coach, Patrick Henry is seeking coaches for volleyball and wrestling but not softball. Though longtime Patriots coach Lloyd Woods is retiring as a teacher, he will continue to direct the PH softball program.
LAST CALL: Baseball and softball coaches are reminded to fax their final-regular season statistics to The Roanoke Times' sports department at 981-3392 before 3 p.m. Monday. Please do not include any tournament games, but do include any playoffs for regular-season ties.
This will be the final week of statistics for this season. Final soccer scoring was published May 14.
The track honor roll will be published this week, then will not run until after the state meets, when the best three performances in each event will be published the same day the Timesland boys' and girls' track athletes of the year are announced.
Saturday's edition was the final weekly honor roll for the spring sports season.
LENGTH: Long : 107 linesby CNB