ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 17, 1997 TAG: 9704170068
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX THE ROANOKE TIMES
After six seasons with the Radford men's basketball program, Dick Bender has decided to join his old sidekick, Royce Walton.
Indiana State University hired a Radford University basketball coach but not the one it had its eye on recently.
Indiana State was involved with two different Radford basketball coaches this spring before settling on one of them this week. Dick Bender, the top assistant coach on the men's basketball staff at Radford the past six years, has accepted a position on the staff of new Sycamores men's basketball coach Royce Walton.
Several weeks ago, it appeared as though Highlanders coach Ron Bradley might have been the coach heading to Terre Haute, Ind. Bradley and Walton were the finalists for the job left vacant when Sherman Dillard left to replace the fired Lefty Driesell at James Madison University.
Walton was hired the day before the Final Four. Shortly before Indiana State announced its intentions, Bradley had withdrawn his name from consideration.
Bender worked for Walton when the latter was head coach at Division III DePauw (Ind.) University.
Retained from Dillard's staff by Walton this week was assistant Greg Lansing.
Bender's departure leaves Bill Lilly as the only full-time assistant at Radford. When Lilly was elevated from restricted earnings coach this past year, that position was never filled. Sources at Radford say it will be prior to next season.
According to sources, the leading contenders for Radford's two assistant jobs include former Radford players Chris Hawkins, Doug Day, Steve Barber and Don Burgess.
LENGTH: Short : 42 linesby CNB