Gaudio

Former Seton Hall coach George Blaney was interviewed for the Loyola College coaching job Thursday and joins current Army coach Dino Gaudio as the two leading candidates for the vacant position.Gaudio, 40, is expected to be interviewed in the next couple of days by Loyola athletic director Joe Boylan, who said yesterday he plans to have a new coach "wrapped up next week."Gaudio has a 36-72 record in four seasons at Army.Blaney, 57, was dismissed by Seton Hall on March 10 after the Pirates finished 10-18.

PARIS - It was one of the oddest, craziest, most topsy-turvy Grand Slam finals in history, a match in which Guillermo Coria, at 22 already among tennis' most gifted players, was within two games of painting one of the great masterpieces ever hung at the French Open. And then, with his first Grand Slam title within grasp, his quadriceps tightened, his calf began to feel as if it were in a vise and he lost the third set. By the second game of the fourth, his right leg was in a full cramp.

What is Dino Gaudio's notion of a difficult transition?Gaudio talks about how smooth it was, settling in as the basketball coach at Loyola College, where the administration was helpful and the players have worked hard. The spiel works, until you recall the scene he walked into.Gaudio came down from Army, but if the officer candidates at West Point really wanted to experience a combat zone, they could have played for Loyola the past three seasons. Former coach Brian Ellerbe was one of the best recruiters to work in Baltimore, but during his watch, at least seven quality players left the Greyhounds before their time was up.Ellerbe, who landed as the interim coach at Michigan, left Loyola over what were termed "mutual philosophical differences."

PARIS - It was all flowing now for Argentina's Guillermo Coria, finally, 90 minutes into this fascinating ribbon road of a semifinal at the French Open. The passing shots, the quick-footed returns, the swift sprints to the drop shots and that breathtaking topspin forehand that dipped right at the laces of No. 9 seed Tim Henman's shoes as he swarmed, once more, in vain to the net in search of a winning volley. From a set and a break down and on the way to a monumental upset, Coria, perhaps the world's best clay-court player, spun off 13 consecutive games, ran into a frightening Henman rally in the fourth set, then got a lethal grip on the match in the homestretch and fired his way into the men's final, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0, 7-5, yesterday.

Seeking long-term success and stability in its basketball program, Loyola College named Dino Gaudio coach yesterday in a decision athletic director Joe Boylan said will be considered by others "as a gamble for us and him."Gaudio, 40, comes to Loyola from Army where he had a 36-72 record in four years as head coach and lost 10 of 11 games to Navy.He will be introduced this morning at an 11 o'clock news conference at Reitz Arena.Gaudio's lone victory over Navy came in the first round of Patriot League tournament in 1996.

PARIS - And so Argentines everywhere had their prayers answered yesterday. Four of their compatriots are in the semifinals of the French Open. Three of the four are men. First, unseeded Gaston Gaudio, a modest man with a bold backhand, thoroughly broke down Lleyton Hewitt, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, in one hour, 55 minutes. Then, David Nalbandian, using controlled offense and carefully plotted defense, wore out the tiring three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6). That sends No. 8 seed Nalbandian and Gaudio against each other tomorrow, guaranteeing that at least one Argentine will reach the French final for the first time since Guillermo Vilas won the tournament in 1977.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Dino Gaudio knew better, but he wasn't about to make a major philosophical change for his debut as Loyola basketball coach.On his watch, the Greyhounds will run and press no matter how athletic the opposition might be.Last night, a talented Florida State squad often thrived against that style, as it posted an 89-72 victory over Loyola in the first round of the Preseason NIT."We wanted to press and take advantage of our athleticism," Gaudio said. "But they had the better athletes."

For the third time in the past six years, Loyola College announced its need for a new men's basketball coach yesterday, after Dino Gaudio resigned to take an assistant's position under Xavier coach Skip Prosser. Gaudio, 43, leaves with a 32-52 record in three seasons, including a 7-20 campaign in 1999-2000 that was marked by the departure of three key players."I have tremendous respect for the college and the administration," he said. "I feel, however, that the school will be best served in going in a new direction."

PARIS - It was one of the oddest, craziest, most topsy-turvy Grand Slam finals in history, a match in which Guillermo Coria, at 22 already among tennis' most gifted players, was within two games of painting one of the great masterpieces ever hung at the French Open. And then, with his first Grand Slam title within grasp, his quadriceps tightened, his calf began to feel as if it were in a vise and he lost the third set. By the second game of the fourth, his right leg was in a full cramp.

PARIS - It was all flowing now for Argentina's Guillermo Coria, finally, 90 minutes into this fascinating ribbon road of a semifinal at the French Open. The passing shots, the quick-footed returns, the swift sprints to the drop shots and that breathtaking topspin forehand that dipped right at the laces of No. 9 seed Tim Henman's shoes as he swarmed, once more, in vain to the net in search of a winning volley. From a set and a break down and on the way to a monumental upset, Coria, perhaps the world's best clay-court player, spun off 13 consecutive games, ran into a frightening Henman rally in the fourth set, then got a lethal grip on the match in the homestretch and fired his way into the men's final, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0, 7-5, yesterday.

PARIS - And so Argentines everywhere had their prayers answered yesterday. Four of their compatriots are in the semifinals of the French Open. Three of the four are men. First, unseeded Gaston Gaudio, a modest man with a bold backhand, thoroughly broke down Lleyton Hewitt, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, in one hour, 55 minutes. Then, David Nalbandian, using controlled offense and carefully plotted defense, wore out the tiring three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6). That sends No. 8 seed Nalbandian and Gaudio against each other tomorrow, guaranteeing that at least one Argentine will reach the French final for the first time since Guillermo Vilas won the tournament in 1977.

PARIS - Marat Safin leaned forward in an interview chair just far enough to get his face near a microphone, moving his lips languidly above a dashing goatee. There's no question about the number of blisters that pained him throughout a 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3 loss yesterday to Argentine David Nalbandian. He counted them for a room filled with reporters. Six on the left hand, five on the right. Not quite sushi grade, but raw enough to leave a few viewers cringing. "The hands, I don't care about actually anymore because I'm just a little bit frustrated.

Albany's Scott Hicks will be named Loyola College's head basketball coach at a news conference this afternoon, according to sources close to the Greyhounds' program. Hicks, 34, went through interviews for the position in Baltimore late last week. He was part of a candidate pool of Maryland assistant Jimmy Patsos, St. Joseph's assistant Matt Brady and Delaware assistant Sean Kearney. Patsos and Kearney both had been told of their continued candidacy as of Sunday night, whereas Brady had been eliminated when Loyola narrowed its search.

For the third time in the past six years, Loyola College announced its need for a new men's basketball coach yesterday, after Dino Gaudio resigned to take an assistant's position under Xavier coach Skip Prosser. Gaudio, 43, leaves with a 32-52 record in three seasons, including a 7-20 campaign in 1999-2000 that was marked by the departure of three key players."I have tremendous respect for the college and the administration," he said. "I feel, however, that the school will be best served in going in a new direction."

When the Loyola men's basketball team starts play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament today in Albany, N.Y., it does so as the league's ninth-place team, matched against eighth-seeded Canisius in a 4: 45 p.m. game. Still, third-year coach Dino Gaudio's enthusiasm seems infectious, in spite of the hurdles his team has tried to clear during a 7-20 season that includes a 4-14 MAAC mark. "We've always won the first-round game, then come within an eyelash of beating a pretty good team," said Gaudio, whose team nearly upset eventual NCAA qualifiers Iona and Niagara in successive MAAC tournaments.

At Mount St. Mary's, Jim Deegan is as timeless as men's basketball coach Jim Phelan. Deegan, in his 44th year at the school, is in charge of the men's and women's track and field and cross country teams on an interim basis. The women earned a second-place finish at the Northeast Conference indoor meet last weekend. When Mike Merritt left in January to go to Howard, Mount St. Mary's looked to Deegan, who had agreed to be an assistant to Merritt when the latter took over both programs in 1993.

The first name of Loyola College men's basketball coach Dino Gaudio was incorrect in some of yesterday's editions.The Sun regrets the errors.Pub Date: 11/14/98

Goalie Donna Boccuzzi, sweeper Laura Gaudio and midfielder Liz Kurpe played key roles as No. 9-ranked Centennial handed No. 13 Hammond its first loss of the season, 1-0, in overtime at Hammond yesterday.Boccuzzi, a junior, made nine saves, including two in the first 30 seconds of overtime. She also stopped a penalty stroke shot.Pub Date: 10/08/98

Loyola College suspended men's basketball star Jason Rowe yesterday, citing violations of its academic policy. The school announced the decision before the team's game against Manhattan, which it lost last night, 70-65, despite 16 points from Donovan Thomas and 15 from Damien Jenifer. "He's suspended for academic reasons," said Greyhounds coach Dino Gaudio, who declined to elaborate. Rowe couldn't be reached to comment. Loyola (5-8, 2-3 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) wouldn't say how long Rowe was suspended.

Their idyll of summer pickup games abruptly interrupted, those on the Loyola men's basketball team recently forsook the charms of a warm day to run drills at Reitz Arena under the tutelage of coach Dino Gaudio.Tomorrow, the Greyhounds are headed to France to play four games against club teams over an eight-day period. So players ran their drills with aplomb, smiling more often than not.Even a chronic ankle sprain couldn't douse the spirits of the team's star player, Jason Rowe, who sat out practice and instead operated the scoreboard in his temporary role of de facto team manager.