ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 4, 1996 TAG: 9612040047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: COLLEGE PARK, MD.
SOURCE: Associated Press
Ron Vanderlinden, an assistant coach who helped revive moribund football programs at Colorado and Northwestern, was hired Tuesday to rebuild at Maryland.
Vanderlinden, the defensive coordinator at Northwestern since 1992, will be introduced today as the Terrapins' head coach.
``He clearly was our top choice,'' athletic director Debbie Yow told The Associated Press on Tuesday. ``I was happy and pleased once we got into serious discussions.''
Vanderlinden, 40, received a five-year contract with an annual base salary of $130,000. He replaces Mark Duffner, who was dismissed this past week after compiling a 20-35 record in five years at Maryland.
Yow had planned to interview several candidates, but focused her attention on Vanderlinden after the coach reiterated his interest in the job.
``Ron called Sunday night and told me he was ready to begin serious negotiations. We spent all Monday talking about the job,'' said Yow, who completed the deal Tuesday afternoon.
Vanderlinden inherits a team that went 5-6 this season after a 2-0 start. The Terps' 6-5 record in 1995 was their only winning season since their last bowl appearance in 1990.
On the day she fired Duffner, Yow said: ``To be candid, going 6-5 and 5-6 are not acceptable records for us. We think we can win seven or eight games regularly and be a bowl contender on a regular basis.''
Vanderlinden was an attractive candidate because he helped turn around struggling programs at Colorado and Northwestern.
``The thing that mattered most to me was his involvement in two major rebuilding jobs,'' Yow said. ``He's a great fit for us. This is not a guy who will whine about academic standards. This is a guy who will get the job done.''
As Northwestern's defensive coordinator, Vanderlinden also tutored the Wildcats' inside linebackers and coached the punt-return unit.
Vanderlinden came to Northwestern after coaching Colorado's defensive line for nine years. Colorado shared the 1990 national championship with Georgia Tech, won three Big Eight Conference titles and earned berths in six bowl games during his tenure.
Northwestern, long a patsy in the Big Ten, won the conference title last season and played in the Rose Bowl. The Wildcats led the nation in scoring defense last year under Vanderlinden's direction.
``Ron worked at two schools with very good academic programs and what were bottom-of-the-barrel football programs,'' Yow said. ``He was at the center of building both those football teams into winners.''
Other candidates for the Maryland job included Colorado State head coach Sonny Lubick, Florida State assistant Chuck Amato and Penn State assistant Jerry Sandusky.
According to Yow, Vanderlinden was also being pursued by Minnesota, Tulane, Southern Methodist and Oregon State.
Before coming to Colorado, Vanderlinden served as the offensive line coach at Ball State between 1981 and 1982. He also worked as a graduate assistant at Michigan and Bowling Green after graduating from Albion College in Michigan in 1978.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 linesby CNB