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New coach Fernandez optimistic

Jose Fernandez's leadership "in very difficult times'' is praised.

By ANTONYA ENGLISH

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 15, 2000

TAMPA -- His goal was to become a head coach at the Division I level by age 35.

Through a series of circumstances beyond his control, Jose Fernandez is six years ahead of schedule.

Fernandez was named the women's basketball coach at the University of South Florida on Thursday, following the announcement that coach Jerry Ann Winters had been fired.

The 29-year-old Miami native had been serving as acting head coach since Winters was suspended on Oct. 25.

Fernandez, who was hired in April as recruiting coordinator, will be given a two-year contract, athletic director Paul Griffin said.

"He will be given the full opportunity and support of the university and all of the resources necessary to be successful and to build a successful foundation for our women's basketball program," Griffin said. "We've been very pleased and impressed with his leadership in very difficult times so far."

Fernandez said he had mixed emotions about his promotion.

"I feel terribly for Coach Winters," Fernandez said. "I feel for her, but at the same time it's a great opportunity for myself and the program. It's not an opportunity that you want given to you in the manner it was given, but right now it's an opportunity of a lifetime. I have to make the best of it and I have this season and next season to do that. I'm pretty confident in myself, the kids I have here and the staff that we can turn the program around. The future is bright, that's for sure."

Fernandez will oversee a staff of collegiate-level coaching rookies. Neither he nor assistant coaches Harry Elifson and Sadiaa Jones have Division I head-coaching experience. Fernandez has been a men's and women's assistant at Division II Barry University and coached at the high school level for five years. In three years at Lourdes Academy, Fernandez led his girls teams to an 83-16 record and the Class 5A state championship in 1998.

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