Even as she prepared the Virginia women's soccer team for the upcoming NCAA Tournament, Virginia Coach April Heinrichs denied rumors she is a serious candidate to replace Tony DiCicco, who unexpectedly announced his resignation as U.S. women's national team coach last week.
Heinrichs, who coaches the U.S. Under-16 national team, has been mentioned in several published reports as one of a handful of possible candidates for the job. While acknowledging the honor of being considered for the opening, Heinrichs affirmed her commitment to the No. 16 Cavaliers (12-8-0), who were awarded a first-round bye in the Tournament by the NCAA Sunday night.
"My honest feeling is, I'm living the best of both worlds here," Heinrichs said. "I get to coach the [Under-16] national team and I'm doing it when it's convenient for me, and it's not taking away from my duties at the University of Virginia."
Clive Charles, the men's and women's soccer coach at Portland and assistant coach with the U.S. men's national team, has emerged as a strong candidate for the job. DiCicco's assistants with the U.S. team, Jay Hoffman and Lauren Gregg -- Heinrichs' predecessor at Virginia -- also have been mentioned as possibilities.
But Heinrichs, who served as an assistant with the 1996 Olympic team, said she is happy with her current coaching positions.
"Virginia is where I want to be," she said. "I can go into an IKEA and buy a cabinet or I can make it by hand. That's what we're doing here -- hand-making the cabinet."
Heinrichs does not have time to think about job offers right now anyway. The Cavs will kick off the NCAA Tournament at 2 p.m. Sunday at Klöckner Stadium, against the winner of Wednesday's first round game between James Madison and Pennsylvania.
The Cavaliers play one of the toughest schedules in the country, but they finished only four games over .500 and bowed out in the first round of the ACC Tournament Thursday night against No. 8 Clemson. Nevertheless, the NCAA tapped them as one of the 16 teams in the 48-team field to receive a first-round bye.
"I sense from people not associated with our team that they're surprised we got a bye," Heinrichs said. "But when you look at the teams we've beaten, it's amazing."
"Every game could be the last for me," fifth-year defender Carryn Weigand said. "In past years, we'd be looking at the draw and wondering where we'll end up, but not this year. We don't care who we get -- we just have to beat the hell out of them."
Three Cavaliers will take the field Sunday with a 1999 All-ACC award in their figurative back pocket: Fourth-year striker Angela Hucles and second-year center midfielder Lori Lindsey were named to the first team last week. Weigand earned a spot on the second team, the first such honor of her Cavalier career.
Heinrichs lauded the play of Hucles and Weigand, Virginia's co-captains, but reserved her strongest praise for Lindsey.
"Lori Lindsey is an All-American candidate, unequivocally," she said. She has been consistently one of the most dangerous players on the field in each game"
Read More
Leo Afonso is ascending the ranks of club soccer — and he is not done yet
By Ben Istvan | 8 hours agoVirginia's former talisman recently made waves in professional soccer with a dreamlike 17-day stretch.
Virginia softball fumbles last home game of the season to Virginia Tech
By Eleanor Lynch | YesterdayThe Hokies shut out the Cavaliers, who continue to show immense struggles at the plate.
Hoos in the NBA Playoffs
By Oliver Blair | YesterdayThe NBA Playoffs are tipping off imminently, and many of Virginia’s former heroes will be chasing the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
