THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 27, 1995 TAG: 9501250158
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 19 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
THE NATIONAL COLLEGE coach of the year in football will be headlining the 49th annual Portsmouth Sports Club Jamboree.
Duke coach Fred Goldsmith, recipient of the 1994 Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year Award, has accepted an invitation to be the featured speaker at the March 8 jamboree.
``On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Sports Club, we feel we will have one of the finest jamborees ever,'' said program chairman Jimmy Williams. ``Certainly Coach Goldsmith is much in demand after the season the Duke team had and we are very pleased we were able to hold our jamboree at a date that he was able to work into his schedule.''
Usually the jamboree is held in February.
Duke had an 8-3 regular season and lost to Wisconsin in the Hall of Fame Bowl, 34-20, Jan. 2. The previous season, the Blue Devils were 3-8 and the turnaround was the biggest in the country.
In his first year at the helm of the Blue Devils, Goldsmith piloted Duke to a 7-0 start, a school record.
The Bobby Dodd Award carries a $5,000 scholarship, which will go to Duke's general fund. The award has been presented since 1976.
When he was notified of his selection, Goldsmith said: ``What a tremendous honor. I feel very humbled.''
A native of Coral Gables, Fla., and a college coach since starting as a graduate assistant at Florida in 1971, Goldsmith was head coach at Rice for five years before going to Duke. He had a one-year stint as head coach at Slippery Rock.
A 1967 graduate of Florida, Goldsmith had earlier college coaching jobs as an assistant at Arkansas, Florida A&M and the Air Force Academy.
He has been affiliated with nine bowl teams, including squads that played in the Orange, Cotton, Liberty, Holiday and Independence Bowls.
No stranger to the North Carolina area, he attended Western Carolina on a football scholarship in 1962 before transferring to Florida.
The 50-year-old Goldsmith and his wife of 28 years, Pam, have two daughters.
Williams said jamboree tickets will go on sale Monday. The tickets are $35.
Ticket chairman is Walt Jernigan, and he can be reached at 399-6525.
The jamboree will be held at the Holiday Inn-Portside starting with a 6:30 p.m. social hour.
The highlight of the program is the presentation of the Sportsman of the Year award. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Duke coach Fred Goldsmith received the 1994 Bobby Dodd National
Coach of the Year Award. In his first year at the helm of the Blue
Devils, Goldsmith piloted Duke to a school-record 7-0 start.
by CNB