THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 16, 1994 TAG: 9412160696
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
Willard Bailey will be introduced as Virginia Union's new football coach today at 4 p.m. at a news conference on campus, say sources at the Richmond school and within the CIAA.
Bailey, a Norfolk State alumnus and former Spartan football coach and athletic director, has been in Richmond since Wednesday and was not available for comment.
Virginia Union sports information director Paul Williams confirmed that a press conference has been called for today and that the new football coach will be introduced. But he declined to confirm who the new coach will be.
``You'll have to come to the press conference to find out,'' he said.
However, sources say Bailey and Virginia Union officials worked out the details of his contract Wednesday night and Thursday.
A press conference was originally scheduled for Wednesday at 3 p.m., though not announced. It was postponed until Thursday, then again until today.
``They hit a snag'' in the contract negotiations, said one source. ``But it looks like they've got things worked out.''
Bailey was a head coach for 21 years in the CIAA before resigning at Norfolk State following the 1992 season. He has a career record of 158-72-5 and won six CIAA championships.
Bailey, a Suffolk native who was a member of the NCAA football rules committee while at Norfolk State, experienced much of his success at Virginia Union from 1971 through 1983, when he was 106-32-4 and won five CIAA crowns.
Bailey said before departing Norfolk for Richmond on Wednesday that he would duplicate that success even though Virginia Union's program has been in disarray for much of three seasons.
The Panthers were 1-9 last season, 2-8-1 in 1993 and 3-5-1 in 1992. The team fired two head coaches early during the 1992 and 1994 seasons.
``If I wind up there, we will bring that program back,'' Bailey said. ``Virginia Union's football program should be successful.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Willard Bailey is expected to be named Virginia Union's new football
coach today.
by CNB