June 21, 2011

ODU to Hire Finwood
By Sean Ryan
CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founder

Old Dominion is expected to name Western Kentucky coach Chris Finwood as its head coach.

According to several sources, Finwood interviewed on Friday with ODU athletic director Wood Selig, who hired Finwood to coach the Hilltoppers before the 2006 season. The Virginian-Pilot was the first to report Finwood's hiring.

Finwood, a 1988 graduate of VMI  who also was the Keydets' head coach from 1992-94, spent six seasons at Western Kentucky and compiled a record of 190-154. The Hilltoppers reached the NCAA Tournament twice in the past four seasons under Finwood.

Finwood replaces interim coach Nate Goulet, who took over the Monarchs program when Jerry Meyers resigned several weeks before classes started last year. Goulet was named the CAA coach of the year after guiding the ODU to a 30-26 record and a second-place conference finish. Goulet interviewed for the head coaching position.

Neither Finwood nor Goulet responded to e-mail requests for interviews over the past few days.

Sources also indicated that Nick Boothe, an ODU graduate and longtime coach at Virginia Wesleyan College, was the other finalist for the position.

Finwood, a native of nearby Hampton, Va., also has served as an assistant at Auburn, VCU, Radford and VMI, where he got his start in coaching. He also is a member of the VMI Athletics Hall of Fame (2003).