Monday, April 6, 1998 | 11:43 a.m.
Royce Chadwick, the leading candidate to become the new UNLV women's head basketball coach, has rejected offers from the university and decided to remain at Stephen F. Austin, Chadwick said today.
"I have officially withdrawn from consideration," Chadwick said in a telephone interview. "I visited with (UNLV director of Athletics Charles Cavagnaro) and we discussed several options (but) after thinking about my situation ... we decided that it would be in our best interests to stay here in Texas at Stephen F. Austin."
Chadwick, who has posted an .829 winning percentage in four seasons as the Ladyjacks' head coach, said the decision to take himself out of consideration for the UNLV post was based strictly on personal reasons.
"I wish UNLV the best," Chadwick said. "I think it's a great job, I think they've got great people and it's a great city -- (UNLV) has a lot of super things working for (them). You've got unlimited potential and I think you're going to have a great program.
"But I've got a 10 year old and a 7 year old and they're entrenched in their schools. I like Stephen F. Austin and I liked the opportunities at UNLV but it's not just me that can pick up an go. I've got to consider everybody in my family."
While disappointed that Chadwick had withdrawn, Cavagnaro said Chadwick's decision would not hamper the university's goal of naming a new head coach this week.
"He certainly was a great candidate but I wouldn't want to comment much further than that because our process is still ongoing," Cavagnaro said. "We felt like he had a nice visit and he certainly is a very impressive coach."
Chadwick, 40, has a 102-21 record in four seasons at Stephen F. Austin and a 330-109 overall mark in 14 years as a head coach, including a three-year stint at Sam Houston. The Ladyjacks were 25-4 this season under Chadwick, won the Southland Conference regular-season championship and conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. All four of Chadwick's teams at SFA have qualified for postseason play.
Chadwick was at the top of a list of three finalists for the UNLV position. It now appears as if the job will go to one of the other two finalists determined by a search committee formed by Cavagnaro: Western Illinois head coach Regina Miller or University of Washington assistant Sunny Smallwood.
Miller, a member of Old Dominion's 1984 NCAA Final Four team, has been the head coach at Western Illinois for seven seasons. The Westerwinds were 8-18 this season after winning the Mid-Continent Conference regular-season championship and conference tournament and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament two years ago.
Smallwood, 36, became an assistant coach in charge of recruiting at Washington in 1993 after serving as a Washington State assistant for three years. Her only head coaching experience came during a seven-year stint at Boise High School in Idaho.
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