THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 12, 1994 TAG: 9410120585
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
If it were up to him, Norfolk State athletic director Dick Price says he would remove the ``interim'' label from football coach Darnell Moore and officially name him head coach.
``He has my recommendation,'' Price said Tuesday. ``If you ask me, I'll support him.''
But it's not Price's decision to make. President Harrison B. Wilson will make the call, and all Price can do is make a recommendation.
Wilson was out of town Tuesday and could not be reached for comment.
At 3-2, the Spartans already have won as many games as they did each of the past two seasons. And Moore has done it with basically the same group of players.
``He's done a good job,'' Price said. ``The kids are happy, and we're getting a lot of positive response.''
Moore was named interim coach in May, after the resignation of Archie ``Gunslinger'' Cooley. Wilson said at the time that Moore was named an interim coach because the timing of Cooley's departure made it too late to conduct a thorough search for a successor.
Privately, though, school officials said Moore would get the job if he could turn the program around.
Moore says he doesn't want to speculate on whether he'll get the job.
``It's not anything I concern myself with,'' he said. ``That's something that will take care of itself one way or the other.''
SPARROW GOES NATIONAL: ESPN's ``SportsCenter'' showed highlights Monday night of Aaron Sparrow's 516-yard, seven-touchdown performance against Winston-Salem State on Saturday afternoon.
The network showed three of Sparrow's touchdown passes and his game-winning touchdown run with seven seconds remaining.
``When was the last time Norfolk State was on ESPN?'' said a delighted Price.
Never, as far as anyone can recall.
Sparrow, however, has been on the network before. He was featured on ESPN's ``Scholastic Sports America'' while a senior at Portsmouth's Wilson High.
BIG NUMBERS: Sparrow's 516 yards passing are not the most in NCAA Division II this year. Or even the most Saturday. On the same day, Alfred Montez of Western New Mexico set a Division II record with 616 yards passing in a 70-44 loss to West Texas A&M.
Sparrow's performance is the third-best this season. On Sept. 17, West Texas A&M quarterback Grady Benton threw for 538 yards against Howard Payne University.
MORE TV: Saturday's game at Hampton University will be shown on tape delay at 8 .p.m. Sunday on Home Team Sports. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Interim head coach Darnell Moore has the Spartans off to a 3-2
start.
by CNB