Three NCAA Men's basketball coaches honored for literacy efforts by GTE and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

INDIANAPOLIS - Duke University's Coach Mike Krzyzewski leads the list of three men's basketball coaches being honored by GTE and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) for their efforts to help improve literacy. The other two coaches are Charlie Brock of Springfield College and Fran Franschilla of the University of New Mexico.

Krzyzewski will receive the "GTE Reads with the NABC Literacy Champion Award," while Brock and Fraschilla will receive "Pioneer Awards" for their roles in creating the NABC "Dream to Read" program in 1998.

The Dream to Read program is being retitled "GTE Reads with the NABC" with GTE as the major sponsor of the program. It will be launched in the fall of 2000.

Dream to Read features NCAA coaches and players from more than 200 colleges and universities across the country who visit at-risk students in grades K-6 to emphasize the importance of reading.

GTE and the NABC's goals for the program are to:

Krzyzewski, a past president of the NABC, has completed his 20^th season as head coach of the Duke Blue Devils, including winning back-to-back NCAA national championships in 1991 and 1992. During his tenure, all but two Duke players who played four seasons have graduated on time.

Brock, who has also coached for 20 years, has just finished his second season as head coach of Springfield College in Springfield, Mass. He was named coach of the year in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) this year. He is assistant chairperson of the Academics Committee and director of the NABC "Dream to Read" program.

Fraschilla helped found the "Dream to Read" program with Brock. He began coaching in 1979, and the 1999-2000 season was Fraschilla's first season at the University of New Mexico in Alberqueque. He has been chairman of the NABC Committee on Academics since 1994.

With 1999 revenues of more than $25 billion, GTE is a leading telecommunications provider with one of the industry's broadest arrays of products and services. In the United States, GTE provides local service in 28 states and wireless service in 18 states, as well as nationwide long-distance, directory and internetworking services ranging from dial-up Internet access for residential and small-business consumers to Web-based applications for Fortune 500 companies. Outside the United States, the company serves customers on five continents.

GTE's community and philanthropic programs target excellence in education, particularly math, science, technology and literacy. GTE also supports job training, delivery of health and human services, and the arts. The company's newest program is GTE Reads, a public charity designed to create public awareness, increase fundraising and support organizations dedicated to improving America's literacy levels. GTE customers can contribute to GTE Reads by checking off a box on their bill. Others can contribute through GTE Superpages.com (http://www.superpages.com).

The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) currently claims nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. Since its inception in 1927, the NABC has worked to further the best interests of the game of basketball as well as the players and coaches who participate in the sport. The NABC holds its annual convention each spring at the host city of the Final Four. The NABC Convention serves as an opportunity for the basketball coaching community to address the issues surrounding the sport as well as share ideas to further enhance the game. For more information, visit the NABC Website at www.nabc.com.

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