DATE: Tuesday, June 24, 1997                TAG: 9706240468

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   50 lines

WHEN THE AX FELL, IT HIT TWARDZIK QUITE HARD

It was no surprise. Dave Twardzik knew he was going to be fired by the Golden State Warriors before the season ended.

Still, it was difficult to cope with when the ax fell earlier this month. The Warriors didn't even announce that Twardzik had been terminated after two seasons. It was acknowledged offhandedly in response to a reporter's question at the news conference introducing new coach P.J. Carlesimo.

``I never thought I would be in this position,'' Twardzik said when reached at his California home. ``You never go into the job expecting this.''

The former Old Dominion All-American and Virginia Squire has spent 24 years in professional basketball. He had never been fired before.

Twardzik is confident he will reach a quarter-century of employment in professional basketball.

``I've talked to four different teams already,'' Twardzik said. ``I just have to wait and see what each individual team's timetable is.

``Two of the teams, there's no real sense of urgency to do anything. One, there's a little more sense of urgency, but nothing that needs to be done yesterday. The fourth is pretty solid; I can do something there if I want to now. I probably won't do anything until after the draft.''

The NBA draft is Wednesday in Charlotte.

Twardzik would not identify the four teams or specify what kind of jobs he's discussing. He reportedly is a candidate for the vacant general manager's job in Milwaukee.

Twardzik has worked in the NBA in marketing and as a broadcaster, assistant coach, scout, director of scouting, director of player personnel and general manager. He said he could do any of those jobs again and be content.

``It could be taking a step back, but that doesn't bother me,'' Twardzik said. ``I'm not ego-driven where I have to have this title or be making X dollars. It doesn't matter as long as I enjoy what I'm doing.''

If he does not land somewhere else in the league, Twardzik said he will move his family either to Oregon or Hampton Roads and ``get in the real world. I've escaped it for 24 years.''

Twardzik has a vacation home at the Outer Banks and recently visited friends in Norfolk. His daughter, Monica, is at Old Dominion, working on a graduate degree in physical therapy.

But he hopes to be working for another NBA team by the end of July.

``It's nice to know after this long in the league I do have some options,'' Twardzik said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

Former ODU star Dave Twardzik is talking to four NBA teams about a

job: ``I do have some options.''

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