DATE: Thursday, March 27, 1997              TAG: 9703270628

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER 
                                            LENGTH:   56 lines

CAPEL OUT OF RUNNING FOR RUTGERS COACHING JOB ODU COACH HAD INTERVIEWED FOR JOB OVER THE WEEKEND.

Old Dominion basketball coach Jeff Capel is out of the running for the Rutgers job.

Capel was told by officials at Rutgers Wednesday he was no longer being considered for the job, according to sources. Capel had interviewed with Rutgers officials at the New Brunswick, N.J., campus Saturday.

Texas coach Tom Penders, the frontrunner for the Scarlet Knights' position, pulled his name from consideration on Wednesday. Rutgers officials turned their attention to negotiations with Drexel coach Bill Herrion.

But a Memphis television station reported that Capel had talked to athletic director R.C. Johnson about the vacant Memphis job on Wednesday. The Memphis search began Jan. 30 when coach Larry Finch was forced to resign.

However, the Commercial-Appeal in Memphis is reporting that New Orleans head coach and former ODU assistant Tic Price is the school's top choice. But a $391,000 buyout clause in Price's contract with New Orleans has created a snag.

Price led New Orleans to a 22-7 record, Sun Belt Conference regular-season title and an NIT berth this season. Price, who moved from assistant to head coach when Tommy Joe Eagles died of a heart attack in July 1994, is 63-27 in three seasons with the Privateers, including an NCAA tournament berth last year.

He was a candidate for the Monarchs' job when Capel got it three years ago.

The Tigers' search has included Tulsa's Steve Robinson and Colorado's Ricardo Patton, who both withdrew from consideration.

Another reported candidate for the Memphis job is Tennessee-Chattanooga's Mack McCarthy, who led his team to the Sweet 16 this year.

Capel and his assistant coaches traveled to Indianapolis Wednesday to attend the men's Final Four. Attempts to reach Capel in his hotel Wednesday night were unsuccessful. Capel has not returned messages from media members in more than a week.

In other coaching news:

Former Old Dominion assistant Art Perry will be named the new coach at American University today, according to a source in the American athletic department.

Perry is currently the coach at Delaware State, where he guided the Hornets to a 7-20 record this season.

Delaware State played Illinois, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dayton and Georgetown.

Among the candidates Perry, an American alumnus, beat was was Dayton assistant Pete Strickland, another former ODU assistant.

St. Bonaventure coach Jim Baron announced Wednesday he has removed himself from the list of candidates for the George Mason position. MEMO: The Associated Press and New York Daily News contributed to this

report. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

Jeff Capel...

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