University of Virginia Athletics Director Terry Holland has not yet made a decision on whether he will accept the head coaching vacancy on the Gophers men’s basketball team. But the chances of him pacing the Williams Arena sidelines this fall are growing increasingly slim.
Holland told the Daily Progress of Charlottesville, Va., that he is, “intrigued by (the offer), but I see nothing that says this is what Terry Holland should do.
“I’d say that it’s a long shot that I’d leave, but I’m not going to flat out tell (Minnesota) no,” Holland told the paper. “But I do hope they find somebody else.”
If he were to accept the University’s offer, Holland would come into a Gophers program that faces heavy sanctions from the NCAA, pending an ongoing investigation of academic fraud.
Holland turned down a 1989 head coaching offer from the University of Kentucky, which faced similar charges of academic fraud. At the time of the offer, Holland said he would “prefer to know what the sanctions would be” before making a decision on such a position.
The University’s own investigation into the basketball program is not expected to be completed until September, and the NCAA investigation is scheduled to conclude next spring.
Holland has not said he is waiting to hear more about possible NCAA sanctions on the Gophers program, but that he is taking more time at this juncture to explore the chances of attracting top assistants if he came to Minnesota.
“If somebody I wanted called and said they wanted to be my assistant coach, that this is an overwhelming opportunity, then I might see that as a sign,” Holland told the Daily Progress.
If Holland, currently the leading candidate for the position, should decline the offer, the University has reportedly contacted a trio of other candidates.
Jim Crews of Evansville, Dan Monson of Gonzaga and Dave Odom of Wake Forest have all been mentioned as possible future coaches, though University contact with each has been minimal to this point.
— This article contains information from the Associated Press.