Thursday, March 6, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
SUN WIRE REPORTS
The cover of James Madison's basketball guide shows an exultant Lefty Driesell, his fist thrust in the air under the title "667 And Counting."
The victory count stopped Wednesday at 683 when the school fired the coach.
The day before, Driesell announced that the 1997-98 season would be his last, whether he reached the 700-victory milestone or not. School officials said that announcement caught them by surprise.
Not as surprised as Driesell at their reaction.
"An immediate change in leadership is essential to ensure future success for JMU basketball players, both on and off the court," the university said in a statement announcing that it would not renew Driesell's contract, which expires April 30.
Ronald Carrier, the school's president, indicated last fall that Driesell, 65, was welcome to stay as long as he desired as he chased his 700th victory.
"We were quite surprised that Mr. Driesell chose to make a public statement to the news media concerning his contract for the 1997-98 basketball season before having any discussion with the university concerning the status of his contract," Carrier said in a joint statement with athletic director Donald Lemish.
The statement said the basketball program has deteriorated and lost the support of fans. Driesell thought otherwise.
"I see no reason to dignify the statements by Dr. Carrier and Mr. Lemish by responding in kind," Driesell said in his own statement released by Chuck Driesell, his son and associate coach. The elder Driesell was out of town and not available.
"I am proud of my record at James Madison University and I am proud of the young men who have participated in the JMU basketball program and of their accomplishments both on and off the court, including in the classroom," the coach's statement said.
Driesell ranks 11th among Division I coaches in career victories (683-335) in 36 seasons.
In nine years at James Madison, Driesell was 159-111, winning the Colonial Athletic Association regular-season title five times. Only once in that span did the Dukes win the conference tournament and an NCAA Tournament bid. James Madison appeared in the NIT from 1990 through 1993, but never advanced beyond the first round.
* RICHMOND AXES DOOLEY: Richmond coach Bill Dooley was fired after failing to lead the Spiders to a winning record in any of his four seasons. Richmond was 13-15 this season and tied for seventh in the nine-team Colonial Athletic Association. "I can't say I'm shocked," Dooley said Wednesday. "I'm just disappointed that I could not take more advantage of this opportunity I was given four years ago." Dooley's teams were 43-69. His first team went 14-14, and the Spiders then posted consecutive 8-20 marks. With five starters returning, the Spiders had hoped to return to the CAA's upper division in 1996-97.
* LOPEZ TO RETURN: Felipe Lopez, three years removed from his heralded arrival at St. John's, plans to play another season for the Red Storm. "I want to accomplish something at St. John's and that's what I'm looking forward to," Lopez told the New York Post on Wednesday night after St. John's 76-68 overtime loss to Miami in the Big East tournament. Lopez, the subject of speculation that he might skip his senior year to enter the NBA draft, averaged 16 points and 6.9 rebounds this season, the guard's first under coach Fran Fraschilla.
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