July 13, 1999

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - Virginia athletic director Terry Holland has discussed the possibility of becoming Minnesota's next head basketball coach, according to published reports.

"Minnesota athletic director Mark Dienhart and I have talked on several occasions about his search process," Holland told the Daily Progress of Charlottesville. "One of the many options we discussed was whether I was interested in a return to coaching. My answer was that it would take a lot more time to think through for both of us than I believe Mark has right now."

Dienhart said Saturday that he hoped to hire a successor for Clem Haskins by Thursday, the start of the summer recruiting period. Another option is to hire an interim coach who likely would be replaced after next season. If Minnesota sticks to the Thursday deadline, Holland apparently would not be a factor.

The Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported Monday that three other coaches are being considered for the job: Gonzaga's Dan Monson, Wake Forest's Dave Odom and Northwestern's Kevin O'Neill. Dienhart confirmed that Monson and Odom are candidates.

University of Minnesota spokesman Marc Ryan, citing standard procedure, would neither confirm nor deny whether talks took place with any of the candidates.

Holland, Virginia's winningest coach before retiring in 1990, has been the Cavaliers' athletic director since 1995. As Virginia's coach from 1974-90, Holland led the Cavaliers to a 326-173 record that included two Final Four appearances, nine NCAA tournaments and Virginia's only ACC tournament championship.

Haskins coached the Gophers for 13 years before the school bought out his contract for $1.5 million this summer after the program was enmeshed in numerous charges of academic fraud.

Odom is in Portugal and is expected to let Dienhart know soon if he is interested, according to the Star Tribune. Monson and Dienhart have talked on the phone, and Dienhart wants the coach to visit, the newspaper said.