THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 17, 1994 TAG: 9410170149
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ED MILLER
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
Give him the job.
Darnell Moore deserves an upgrade from interim coach to permanent hire - to the extent that anything in college athletics is permanent, of course.
Moore inherited a team with no running game and little defense and has them on track for a winning season, the first in three years at Norfolk State.
But even if he doesn't win another game, Moore will have earned his keep. He's brought discipline and a winning attitude to a program that had neither when he took over in May.
``As soon as I heard Coach Moore was getting the job I knew right then we were going to be a winning ballclub,'' said wide receiver Darius Blount, echoing the sentiments of many players.
Things have been quiet off the field at Norfolk State this year. No one has been suspended. No one has quit the team and blasted the coach. There have been no clashes between rival groups of players.
On the field, Moore has delivered what his predecessor, Archie Cooley, only promised: an all-but-unstoppable passing attack. Aaron Sparrow, who spent a year in football exile under Cooley, has thrown for 2,015 yards in six games, and should own every school passing record by season's end.
The exciting brand of football promised last season in radio and television ads, on billboards and on the sides of buses, has arrived this year, without the fanfare.
At the same time, the Spartans have been fundamentally sound. Plagued by mental mistakes and penalties last season, Norfolk State has cut both drastically. It was Hampton, after all, that was penalized 18 times in Saturday's ``Battle of the Bay.''
Moore is not a resume builder. He's a Chesapeake native who's likely to be around a long time. He has the local connections and reputation to be an effective recruiter.
The last thing Norfolk State needs is a fourth coach in four years. If they haven't already, Norfolk State officials should forget about a postseason search.
Give Moore the job. by CNB