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May 2, 2001-- Terry Holland, athletics director at the University of Virginia for the past six years, announced today that he will leave that position on June 1 to become a special assistant to President John T. Casteen III. In his new role, Holland will represent U.Va. athletics to external constituencies, especially in planning for a facility to replace University Hall. He also will be involved with the University's sports-marketing efforts. Casteen said senior associate athletics director Craig Littlepage will serve as interim athletics director while the University conducts a national search to fill the position. "The achievements of our athletics programs under Terry's leadership have been remarkable," Casteen said. "When he returned to the University in 1995, I challenged him to develop top-10 programs. Not only have several U.Va. teams played at the national-championship level, but our athletics program overall has had its highest Sears Cup rankings for the past three years. At the same time, our student-athletes continue to graduate at high rates, and fundraising for scholarships and facilities has never been stronger." Holland said in announcing the transition to athletics staff, "It became apparent to me more than a year ago, when the stadium project was winding down, that overseeing a major fundraising project and managing the 'hands-on' needs of the athletics department were not compatible, at least in terms of my expectations and abilities. "If a new arena was a realistic possibility, then I would want to be even more heavily involved than I was in the stadium project. In my opinion, this would require having someone else clearly in charge of daily athletics operations. This move allows me to focus on a project that is very dear to my heart." Two years ago, the Board of Visitors approved initial planning for a facility to replace University Hall. That project, which the University's master plan conceives as a multi-use building on Massie Road near the intersection with Emmet Street, is on U.Va.'s six-year capital projects list submitted to the state last month. Private fundraising is expected to begin this summer, Casteen said. Referring to budget freezes in recent years and forecasts of financial deficits, Holland said, "While this is a precarious time for intercollegiate athletics as a whole, it is also a time of great opportunity for a department such as ours to continue its rise to prominence. I have every confidence that we will meet all challenges, and I look forward to my new role in that effort." As men’s basketball coach at U.Va. from 1974 to 1990, Holland led the Cavaliers to national prominence with more wins than any coach in school history. Named Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year in 1981 and 1982, he twice finished as runner-up for national coach of the year honors. In 1990 he left Virginia for his alma mater, Davidson College in North Carolina, where he served five years as athletics director. He had begun his coaching career there after graduating in 1964, first as an assistant to well-known basketball coach Lefty Driesell and then as head coach from 1969 to 1974. Contact: Louise Dudley, (804) 924-1400 |
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