The more I think about it the more I know deep down inside that Al Groh is going to be replaced sometime this calendar year. The real question is whether he will get the ax during the season, or Thanksgiving weekend after our not so favorite cousins from Blacksburg come to town and beat the living snot out of us another time. And most likely in front of 30,000+ Hokies. Groh’s record against Frank Beamer while here at UVA is already an appalling 1-7. Another Thanksgiving weekend down the toilet.
First, let’s set the way back machine to the year 2000 which was the last time the Hoos were looking for a regime change. At the time I wanted either Mark Richt or Jerry Sandusky. In 2000 Richt was directing the high flying offense for Bobby Bowden’s Florida State Seminoles as their offensive coordinator. Most thought Richt was destined to become a head coach for the first time at a national powerhouse certainly by the Fall of 2001. Jerry Sandusky was a two time winning Assistant Coach of the Year in 1986 and 1999 that had been at Penn State running the defense for his college coach Joe Paterno.
My top choice was Richt because he was younger than Sandusky and also I was a quarterback growing up and preferred a wide open high scoring team style of play as opposed to a defensive mined attack like Groh has run unsuccessfully here for years. So when Al Groh was hired by John Casteen (someone I admire a great deal) I was shocked and bummed that Mark Richt did not get the gig here. So, the next time I saw President Casteen I asked him point blank why the job did not go to Richt. After reminding John who I was talking about he told me exactly why there was no offer to Coach Richt. He told me that Richt interviewed well, and was a great young man but when Casteen asked ask him at the end of the interview how are you going to graduate players Richt said that was important but it was not his job it was Casteen’s. Richt went on that year to become head coach at The University of Georgia and in nine years is 83-23 (.783) and has a 6-2 and is 30-4 in true road games.
This brings me to my point. Virginia is not an easy place to win. Jameel Sewell was eligible both on an NCAA level and at the ACC minimums but not up to snuff for UVA’s standard. Most serious Hoos fans, myself included would rather be 8-4 or even 7-5 and have kids on the team that are well rounded student athletes. Guys that we can be proud of as human beings and not be a team that wins at all cost like Alabama Football or anywhere John Calipari has coached in basketball. The culture is different here than College Park or Blacksburg and I am fine with losing a few games a year as long as our coach understands the culture of The University of Virginia and does not waste his time worrying about what the hell people wear to games and who has "orange fever". Groh’s work ethic is not to be disputed, but do you know anyone that works 18 hours a day that has made so much damn money for so little long term progress? His integrity as a man and his devotion to his family are also not be be disputed. Sometimes, that’s not enough.
My top choices to be Virginia’s next coach are:
1- Mike London- University of Richmond. Coach London understands the culture here and won a National Championship at Richmond in his very first year! He knows all the so called players in every nook and cranny of Virginia. He is also from the Tidewater region of Virginia which is best producer of talent in the state.
2- Derek Dooley- Louisiana Tech. Great guy who played here for George Welsh. His father was the legendary coach and athletic director at Georgia Vince Dooley. Derek has been immersed in college football since he was in the womb. Dooley is a player’s coach and absolutely understands the culture here.
3- Turner Gill- University of Buffalo. Played quarterback for Tom Osborne at Nebraska and has always been a great student of the game. Gill was the first african american to start at QB for Nebraska and would be a perfect fit here in Charlottesville.
4- Mickey Matthews- James Madison University. Mickey won a National Championship at JMU in 2004 and understands football. Watch his kids play the game and you see the passion for the game at every single position. He does more with less every single year. Football is football and he is a wonderful coach and a fabulous evaluator of talent
5- My wildcard is John Shuman who is the post-graduate head coach at Fork Union Military School. Coach Shuman knows football, know how to mold young men into leaders and knows every single quality high school program in the nation. His ability to find talent is almost magical. Especially in the Commonwealth of Virginia.