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July 6, 2000 SportsLine.com wire reports |
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Perry Clark, who led Tulane to seven postseason tournaments in 11 years, was picked Thursday as the new coach at Miami, where a renewed program is just getting used to NCAA berths.
"I came here because of the success it has had in recent years," Clark
said at a news conference at the UM campus. "I see the opportunity in a
program that has reached a certain level but is not maxed out."
Miami athletic director Paul Dee and the school's Board of Trustees gave
final approval Thursday to hiring Clark as Leonard Hamilton's successor.
Hamilton left Miami last month to for the NBA's Washington Wizards.
"All we ask is that he get the kids through college and win games," search
committee chairman Ed Williamson said.
Clark, 48, was expected to sign a five-year contract worth $750,000 a year,
but school officials didn't release the contract terms.
Hamilton, a friend of Clark's who was instrumental in his hiring, coached
the Hurricanes to six straight winning seasons and three straight trips to the
NCAA Tournament, reaching the round of 16 for the first time this year.
Expectations are higher than ever for the Hurricanes despite low attendance
and the lack of an on-campus home. The Ryder Center, a 7,000-seat campus arena,
won't be built until 2002 at the earliest, Williamson said.
"All coaches feel pressure, but the pressure is self-imposed," Clark said.
"What I want is for us to be an NCAA Tournament team."
Clark, a finalist for the Georgia Tech and Illinois jobs earlier this year,
took over a renewed Tulane program in 1988, when it came back from a
point-shaving scandal.
Within four years, he led the Green Wave to a 22-9 record, a national
ranking and the NCAA tournament. Tulane made three NCAA and four NIT
appearances under Clark, a former assistant under Bobby Cremins at Georgia
Tech.
Clark said leaving Tulane "was a hard thing for me. The program was like a
child I raised."
Hamilton's Miami teams earned the reputation of being strong defensively,
and Clark told the players in a morning meeting he will preach defense as well.
"We have the ability and athleticism to play solid defense," Clark said,
"but the biggest thing right now is making the players comfortable and getting
on the same page."
Clark came in just in time for the summer recruiting period that starts
Saturday. Next season's recruiting class includes McDonald's All-American
Darius Rice.
Clark beat out finalists Gary Waters of Kent, Seth Greenberg of South
Florida and Miami interim coach Dwight Freeman.
Delaware's Mike Brey and Creighton's Dana Altman withdrew their names after
meeting with Dee. In all, Dee spoke with eight possible replacements, including
former Hurricanes star Rick Barry and Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino.
New Miami coach Perry Clark says he wants to take the team back to the NCAA Tournament.(AP)
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2000, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
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Audio: Perry Clark says Miami will continue to play great defense Real | Windows Media Audio: Clark says it wasn't easy leaving Tulane Audio: Clark on why he accepted head post at Miami |
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