DATE: Thursday, March 20, 1997              TAG: 9703200450

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   43 lines

CAPEL REPORTEDLY INTERVIEWS FOR JOB AS RUTGERS HEAD COACH

Old Dominion basketball coach Jeff Capel apparently interviewed for the vacant Rutgers job on Wednesday.

ESPN's Digger Phelps reported that Capel had interviewed with the Scarlet Knights, and a source close to the ODU program confirmed it. Capel hung up when reached at his Chesapeake home Wednesday night.

Rutgers athletic director Fred Gruninger was out of his office Wednesday and Rutgers officials said he was out of town. When reached at home at 10:20 p.m., Gruninger said he had just walked in the door, but he would not discuss whether he had met with Capel.

``You'll have to talk to Jeff,'' Gruninger said.

Monarchs athletic director Jim Jarrett refused to comment. ODU president James Koch also referred questions about Capel's involvement with the job to the coach.

``We regard Jeff Capel as a member of our family and we don't like members of our family to leave home, so we'd like to keep him,'' Koch said.

`` ... Other than what Digger Phelps said, I don't know a whole lot about this. I haven't talked to Jeff Capel since right before the Colonial final.''

Capel had said in an interview late Tuesday afternoon that he did not know his name had been mentioned in connection with the Rutgers job, and that he had not heard from the Big East school.

The Scarlet Knights fired Bob Wenzel March 6 after nine seasons, the last five of which produced losing records. Wenzel's record at the New Brunswick, N.J., school was 128-135.

Rutgers discussed the job Saturday with Drexel coach Bill Herrion, who called it an ``informal meeting.'' Other reported candidates are Skip Prosser of Xavier and Tom Penders of Texas.

Capel has been at Old Dominion three seasons, compiling a 61-36 record and leading the Monarchs to the NCAA tournament in 1995 and this season. His previous coaching stops include a year at North Carolina A&T and four years at Division II Fayetteville State, his alma mater. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Jeff Capel hung up refused to speak to a reporter Wednesday night.

He has a 61-36 record in 3 seasons with the Monarchs.

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