14A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, April 3, 1997

Rutgers steals Rider's coach

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - Kevin Bannon,
who rebuilt Rider's basketball program and took
the Broncs to two NCAA tournament appear-
ances in eight years, was named Rutgers' coach
last night.
The 39-year-old Bannon will be introduced
during a news conference this morning, the uni-
versity said in a release yesterday.
Neither Bannon nor Rutgers athletic director
Fred Gruninger returned telephone messages left
by The Associated Press at their homes.
Bannon beat out Pat Kennedy of Florida State,
Danny Nee of Nebraska and Tim Welsh of Iona in
getting the position with the Big East Conference
school that was passed on by a couple of better-
known coaches.
Eddie Fogler of South Carolina and Tom
Penders of Texas were wooed by Rutgers and
backed away, while Bill Herrion -of Drexel
shocked the Scarlet Knights on Friday by turning
down an offer to become coach.
That caused Gruninger and university presi-
dent Francis Lawrence to scramble to line up can-
didates during the Final Four last weekend at
Indianapolis.
Nee was interviewed on Monday, Bannon and

Kennedy on Tuesday and Welsh yesterday.
Bannon, a New Jersey native who attended St.
Peter's College in Jersey City, was offered the job
of replacing Bob Wenzel later in the evening.
Wenzel was fired on March 6 after the Scarlet
Knights fifth straight losing season.
Contract terms were not immediately available
although he reportedly will receive a package
worth $400,000 annually, including a $150,000
salary.
Bannon posted a 131-103 record at Rider, tak-
ing the Broncs to the NCAA tournament in 1993
and '94 as champions of the Northeast
Conference.
Rider, 14-14 this year, lost the conference
championship game in 1995 and '96. It was elim-
inated by eventual champion Long Island
University in the NEC semifinals this year.
Bannon started his college head coaching
career at Trenton State, now the College of New
Jersey. He led the Lions to a 145-48 record,
including a 30-2 mark in 1989 when they lost the
Division III national championship game.
Don Hartium, Bannon's longtime assistant, is
expected to take over the Rider program, sources
close to the school said.

BRONCOS
Continued from Page 10A
fourth, fifth and sixth inning
securing the win. Mika and Gentile
both hit triples in the fourth, but
only Mika came around to score.
Jessica Lang hit a one-out, sacrifice
fly, scoring Mika.
But Kosanke failed to bring
Gentile home, stranding her on third
with a two-out pop-up.
Cathy Davie gave the Wolverines
the lead for good in the fifth, whe
she belted her fourth home run
the season, a 226-foot blast that
bounced off the top of the right field
fence.
It scored Conrad, who led off the
inning with a walk.
The Broncos settled down after
replacing pitcher Angie Rosich with
Kim Jinks following Davie's home
run.
Jinks, who only pitched three
innings this season before yesterda*
allowed one run over 2 2/3 innings
of work.

ROB GILMORE/Daily
The Broncos were never out of the Wolverines' reach, as Michigan swept yesterday's doubleheader.


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coverage of Michigan's spring
sports, read Daily Sports

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