Two coaches have been contacted about the Minnesota women’s basketball coaching vacancy, while another confirmed she has not been contacted.

Sharon Fanning, head coach at Mississippi State, told the Daily she has not been contacted yet by Minnesota athletic director Chris Voelz but would be “very open to talking with anyone.”

Xavier associate athletic director Dawn Rogers told the Star Tribune that Minnesota asked her about speaking with head coach Melanie Balcomb. Balcomb could not be reached for comment.

Brenda Oldfield, head coach at Ball State University, has also emerged as a candidate for the position. The Pioneer Press reported Ball State athletic director Andrea Seger has been contacted by the Gophers to talk with Oldfield, who is on vacation and could not be reached.

– Anthony Maggio,
Staff Reporter

Robinson gets award

Minnesota’s J Robinson was named the 2001 Head Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

Robinson guided the Gophers to the program’s first NCAA wrestling championship, an accomplishment made possible by a record 10 All-Americans.

Minnesota finished the 2000-01 season as the number one ranked dual team with a 19-1 record.

In his 15-year tenure at Minnesota, Robinson has a 219-81-3 overall record. He has coached 32 wrestlers to 56 All-America titles and 11 grapplers to 17 Big Ten individual titles.

Robinson will be honored at the NWCA Convention in Chicago on August 11 and at the 2002 NCAA championships banquet in Albany, N.Y.

Mankad defeated at NCAA’s

Minnesota sophomore Harsh Mankad was defeated by LSU’s Ajay Ramaswami in the first round of the NCAA men’s singles championship last Thursday.

On Friday morning, Mankad and Gopher teammate Jorge Duenas paired up to upset No. 8 Jean-Noel Grinda and Jean Julian Royer of UCLA in the first round of championship doubles competition.

Mankad and Duenas lost to No. 7 Virginia Commonwealth in the next round to end the Gophers run in the national tournament.