In Reply to: Jimmy V to UCLA rumors was ... posted by wesclinbruin on April 04, 2024 at 15:21:49
Quoting several articles:
V reportedly wanted UCLA. UCLA seemed to want V. It was a match made in alphabet heaven. And it appeared fitting, given a friendship between Wooden and Valvano that dates back to Valvano's days as a counselor in a camp in the Pocono mountains where Wooden was a guest speaker. "Jimmy's wanted to be in L.A. all his life," said one friend just before Valvano and his wife, Pam, arrived in Los Angeles to meet with UCLA administrators and do some house-hunting. "He wants to be on the Walk of Fame and get his footprints in front of Mann's Chinese Theatre."
Valvano's bid to become a sort of Hollywooden ended on Saturday with UCLA's announcement that he had withdrawn his name from consideration for the vacancy. Yet by making a big play for the histrionic Valvano, the UCLA administration demonstrated that it is desperate to have a powerful basketball team again . . .
Valvano said in a statement that he came to his decision after meeting with UCLA officials and talking it over with his family. A Raleigh, N.C., newspaper reported that Valvano had a $500,000 buyout clause in his contract with North Carolina State, where he also is athletic director, but Valvano said the contract wasn't the reason he decided to stay with the Wolfpack.
"After meeting with the folks from UCLA and discussing the situation with my family, it is my decision to withdraw my name from consideration from the position," Valvano said. "It is a great job and the people I met with were wonderful, but I feel it is in my family's best interests to stay at North Carolina State. My oldest daughter is a freshman at N.C. State and my middle daughter is a sophomore in high school and I think it best for them that we stay where we are at this time."
Walt Hazzard, who helped UCLA win its first NCAA title in 1964, was fired on Wednesday, less than three weeks after completing his fourth season with the Bruins. UCLA Athletic Director Peter Dalis praised Valvano as a coach and said the search would continue, though he did not name other candidates.
"Jim is one of the best and first available coaches with whom we have had discussions about the head coaching position," Dalis said, "and we will continue to discuss the job with other candidates."