Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 25

section Lions, Page 2 NHL, Page? 3-4 Scoreboard, Page 7 Scores: 1-900-370-0990, Sports: 222-6660 (Calls to the score line are 75 per minute) i Phillies' Kruk to undergo radiation, expected out until mid-May. Page 6C. Wednesday, March 16, 1994 Detroit 4frce Pre IASEBA1L eromedi takes charge Central Michigan players carry coach Herb Deromedi off the field after a 20-3 victory over Michigan State in 1991. The Chippewas also upset the Spartans the following year. CMU football coach quits, becomes athletic director v.

4 lf- v5 0s BY JACK SAYLOR Free Press Sports Writer Herb Deromedi didn't want to leave coaching this soon. But CVntral Michigan gave him a choice: He could remain the school's football coach or become athletic director not both. Deromedi, 54, reluctantly gave up coaching to succeed Dave Keilitz as athletic director effective June 1, when Keilitz becomes executive director of the American Baseball Coaches Asso- ciation. "It means giving up something I really love," Deromedi said Tuesday, "but this is a challenge I want to meet. I was not really ready to get out of coaching.

"One of the hardest things I had to do was say good-bye to the football team." In 16 seasons, Deromedi became the all-time leader among Mid-American Conference coaches with 110 overall victories, 90 in the conference. One of his first tasks as athletic director will be to select his successor. The Chippewas start spring football practice Saturday, and assistant head coach Dick Flynn has been appointed interim coach to conduct the workouts. A national search will be conducted, and the school hopes to name a coach soon. But Deromedi said there is no timetable.

"It might be the same as when I See CMU, Page 2C Li ALAN KAMUDADetroit Free Press i4 Tigers need a pitcher, not power hitler Gant 31. Ax L. i PLANT CITY, Fla. In 1989, Ron Gant was struggling so much with the Atlanta Braves that they sent him back to the minors. Down to A-ball, in fact.

The Braves were convinced Gant couldn't play the infield. He made 31 errors in 1988 ROB Parker jpf Sib and 17 more in 75 games the next season. Plus, Gant had an ugly batting average of .117. So to improve at the plate and be transformed into an outfielder, Gant was sent to Sumter in the South Atlantic League. Gant has come a long way since that jr A-1 1 Iff I il Z' MICHAEL CAULFIELDAssociated Press Southern California coach Cheryl Miller greets senior forward Jualeah Woods.

The Trojans host Portland tonight in the NCAA tournament. USCs Miller shows winning touch as coach Trojans open NCAAs at 23-Jr By Julie yamamoto Associated Press LOS ANGELES In her first year as Southern Cal women's coach, Cheryl Miller has displayed the same kind of flamboyance she once showed as a player for the Trojans. She can be jiot or cold high-fiving players after a good play or glaring from the coach's box when someone makes a mistake or doesn't follow her directions. "I expect nothing but perfection," Miller saidjil expect nothing but the best." The seventh-ranked Trojans (23-3), whd'won the Pac-10 championship, play host to Portland (17-11) tonight in a first-round NCAA tournament game; Miller is hoping for a national championship. i It's no surprise that Miller has lofty goals.

Now 2 she was a four-time All-America at USC during the 1980s, led the Trojans to two NCAA championships, and played on a U.S. team that won an Olympic gold medal. Miller was hired shortly before the start of the season, after Marianne Stanley left during a salary dispute that ended in an unsuccessful (iiscrimination lawsuit. "I didn't come in to shake or separate the coaches' fraternity or sorority; that was not my intention whatsoever," Miller said. "I didn't come in to undermine anyone.

I came in to help a bad situation out" After four years as an assistant coach and seven years as a television broadcaster, Miller is still adjusting to being a head coach. It has also been ar) adjustment for her players. "They may not like me, but that's OK because they respect me," she said. "All I ask for is your respect. When I have your respect, everything else will follow." Senior Lisa Leslie, one of the country's best players, said she and her teammates respect Miller.

"You might not like your professor, but you still go to class," Leslie said. "We're here for business, and our business is basketball." Miller acknowledges the high stakes of coaching a Division I team, but she is idealistic when describing her vision of a successful athlete. "Someone who's gone out and given their very all," she said. "They're consistently good, and they fconsistently work hard." humbling experience. Few would argue he's now one of the top left-fielders in baseball.

His numbers last year are proof. Gant had a career season, hitting 36 homers with 117 RBIs. He also finished fifth in the National League most-valuable-player voting. Well, Gant was released Tuesday by the Braves. Not because he's not good, but because his right leg was broken in a dirt-bike accident shortly before spring training started.

Gant, 29, isn't expected to be ready to play until the All-Star break. The Braves' decision to dump Gant was not only a financial one, but a smart one. During the off-season, they signed Gant to a one-year, contract. There's little worse than paying See ROB PARKER, Page 6C Tigers release Leiter, Bolton as they exp ect by Gene Guidi Free Press Sports Writer LAKELAND, Fla. One by one, his teammates came to pitcher Mark Leiter's locker Tuesday morning, shook his hand and wished him well.

Just a few minutes before, Leiter had left manager Sparky Anderson's office, where he learned the Tigers had released him. The Tigers also cut left-hander Tom Bolton. "I'm not surprised this happened," Leiter said. "I saw Tom leaving just as I was coming in this morning and he said he kind of expected it, too. We both knew we didn't really seem to fit in their plans." This has been a tough camp for Leiter, 30, who recently disclosed that his 9-month-old son, Ryan, born with spinal muscular atrophy, was not expected to live much longer.

"Maybe it's because of what I've been through with Ryan, but right now being released is the least of my worries," said Leiter, a right-hander. "My arm feels fine, I've been throwing 92 See TIGERS, Page 6C MICHAEL CAULFIELDAssociated Press Cheryl Miller speaks to her USC players during a time-out. "They may not like me, but that's OK because they respect me," she said. Wolverines hope tides change TOURNAMENT Recent slump could spell wave of trouble Boilermakers were suddenly even. And then, after a win over Penn State, U-M surrendered at least a piece of the conference championship by losing at Northwestern a day before Purdue beat Illinois.

It has been an inglorious tumble. The Wolverines have gone from third in the country to third-fef in the Midwest Regional as they prepare for their NCAA tournament opener Thursday night in Wichita, against Pepperdine. "We're all disappointed; we're not See WOLVERINES, Page 5C BY GREG STODA Free Press Sports Writer The sky was blue and cloudless. The huge, oval football stadium and buildings beyond were bathed in sunshine. Jimmy King, having just completed a study-table session, walked across the room and stared at the blown-up photograph of the University of Michigan campus.

He pointed touching the sky and turned away in disgust. "When," asked the kid from Texas, "has there ever been a day like that in Ann Arbor?" Not for a long time. Connecticut's Donyell Marshall, junior forward; Duke's Grant Hill, senior forward; Louisville's Clifford Rozier, junior forward. Complete team on Page 7C. MSU UPDATE Pig wants to see hunger in his teammates' eyes.

Page 5C. All-America Teak Michigan guard Jalen Rose just missed making the Associated Press first team. Pistons fans shouldn't be surprised if all the first-teamers are available in the June draft. The AP's best of the best are: Purdue's Glenn Robinson, junior forward; California's Jason Kidd, sophomore point guard; King was talking about the weather, but he might as well have been talking about the Wolverines and their basketball life. Recent days have not been bright Two weeks ago, Michigan went to Wisconsin with a two-game lead in the loss column in the Big Ten race.

The Wolverines lost. They came home and lost to Purdue four days later, and the.