DATE: Tuesday, March 18, 1997               TAG: 9703180484

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   42 lines

LEFTY IS LOOKING INTO COACHING AT GA. STATE

Don't call Charles ``Lefty'' Driesell's coaching career over just yet.

After his nine-year stay at James Madison came to an abrupt end two weeks ago, nobody would have been surprised if the 65-year-old Norfolk native had decided to call it quits.

But now it appears he might carry on toward his 700th career victory.

Georgia State athletic director Orby Moss said last week that Driesell is on the ``short list'' to fill the school's coaching vacancy.

``I've talked to them and I would be interested in continuing to coach in the right situation,'' Driesell said before speaking at the 44th annual Virginia Beach Sports Club Jamboree on Monday evening. ``The right situation is kind of a long thing right now, you know . . . somewhere where you can win, somewhere where it would be a challenge.''

Driesell said that no other schools have approached him about coaching, but that Georgia State has considerable appeal aside from the fact that it is the only school with cards on the table.

``I have a daughter and three grandchildren living in Atlanta,'' said Driesell, who is 683-335 in 35 seasons at Davidson, Maryland and JMU. ``I know a lot about the school. They have a good program. They're the only ones who have approached me at this point, but nothing's really being talked about right now other than the fact that there is an interest there.''

After losing to Old Dominion in the Colonial Athletic Association final two weeks ago, Driesell said he would coach one more year at JMU. But school officials announced the next day that his contract would not be renewed despite the fact that school president Dr. Ronald E. Carrier had said earlier that Driesell ``would win his 700th game as James Madison's coach.''

The former Granby High coach didn't have much to say about how his situation was handled by JMU officials.

``I don't want to honor it with wasting my time talking about it,'' he said. ``But I'm really proud of what our kids did there. We averaged 18 wins a year, we were in the postseason five straight years . . . four in the NIT and one in the NCAA.'' ILLUSTRATION: Lefty Driesell

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu