'Hoos Likely to Need Sene Against Jackets
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 01/11/2010
Jan. 11, 2010
2:18 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Tony Bennett used nine players Saturday against N.C. State in Raleigh, N.C. They did not include the tallest Cavalier, Assane Sene.

Sene, a 7-0 sophomore, is averaging 3.1 points and 5 rebounds and leads UVa with 14 blocked shots. Against the Wolfpack, however, Bennett went with a four-guard lineup for much of the second half, and Sene was the odd man out among the Wahoos' post players at the RBC Center.

"At times he's not quite there," Bennett said Monday afternoon on the ACC coaches' teleconference. "At times he is."

Virginia's other post players are 6-8 junior Mike Scott, 6-9 junior Will Sherrill and 6-9 senior Jerome Meyinsse. Scott played 30 minutes, Sherrill 20 and Meyinsse 18 in UVa's 70-62 victory over State.

The 233-pound Meyinsse is stronger than Sene, and Bennett thought Virginia needed a physical presence inside against the Wolfpack's 6-8, 247-pound Tracy Smith.

Meyinsse responded with one of his better efforts, totaling 6 points, 5 boards and 2 blocks.

Sene is unlikely to sit out a second straight game. The Cavaliers' next opponent, Georgia Tech, has three of the ACC's better post players in 6-9, 234-pound junior Gani Lawal, 6-10, 246-pound freshman Derrick Favors and, off the bench, 6-8, 235-pound senior Zachery Peacock.

The 'Hoos (1-0, 9-4) host the 20th-ranked Yellow Jackets (1-1, 12-3) at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Sene "might have to be ready with his size and being active and going against the interior presence that Georgia Tech has," Bennett said.

"We'll certainly prepare, and I always want our guys to be ready when they're called upon. And I think Assane certainly could have a role in this game."

Lawal averages 15.7 points and 9.4 rebounds. Favors' averages are 11.7 and 8.7, respectively, and Peacock's are 10.1 and 4.6.

On the bus ride home from Raleigh, the TV was on, and the Cavaliers watched Georgia Tech upset Duke. Lawal went 8 for 9 from the floor and finished with 21 points and 9 rebounds against the Blue Devils.

"And that pretty much ended the enjoyment of [Virginia's] victory," Bennett said, "once you saw how impressive [the Jackets] were.

"Certainly they're well-coached. They get on the glass, they're impressive on the inside, and we'll have to be ready to play. We're just trying to keep getting better. That's where we're at. Just trying to take steps in the right direction, and we were certainly fortunate at N.C. State ... We'll try to build on that and be ready to go."

Sene, 20, has started three games this season, but his playing time has decreased recently. He didn't begin playing basketball until he was 14, so he's playing catch-up in his development.

"I'm encouraged for his future," Bennett said. "But like I said, you have to as a coach say, 'What at the time do we feel is effective and what can help us out there?'"

Against N.C. State, Meyinsse was a better option, the coaching staff believed.

"Now Assane gives us some other things with his length that will certainly be called upon, whether it's Georgia Tech or down the road," Bennett said. "So he just has to keep working and keep developing.

"He's not a dominant low-post scorer, but he certainly can affect the game running the floor, on the defensive end, trying to get some rebounds. I think as he continues to become more consistent, that will help. This is a long season, so I certainly wouldn't want him to get discouraged because he didn't step on the floor."

-- Jeff White

 

Sene to play bigger role?
By Whitey Reid
Published: January 12, 2010
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Don’t write off Assane Sene.
That was the gist of what Virginia coach Tony Bennett had to say during his weekly teleconference on Monday.
The majority of questions that Bennett fielded during the 10-minute call pertained to Sene and why the Senegal native’s playing time has been up and down this season. The 7-foot sophomore didn’t play in the team’s victory at N.C. State on Saturday.
Bennett said Sene’s DNP was mainly a result of how well 6-foot-9 senior Jerome Meyinsse had been practicing, and also specific matchups with the Wolfpack.
“It’s just at times he’s not quite there, at times he is,” said Bennett, referring to Sene’s inconsistent minutes. “I’m encouraged for his future.
“But as a coach, you have to say, ‘What at the time do we feel is effective and what can help us out there?’”
Against N.C. State, a small-ball lineup down the stretch featuring Sylven Landesberg at the 4 spot was the answer. However, with Georgia Tech coming to town on Wednesday night, the thinking figures to be much different. The Yellow Jackets, who beat Duke on Saturday, have NBA-caliber size and talent in their frontcourt.
“My hope is that [Sene will] be ready to go,” Bennett said. “I think he might have to be ready with his size and being active in going against the interior presence that Georgia Tech has…
“I think Assane could certainly have a role in this game.”
As a freshman, Sene started 16 games and averaged 17.3 minutes. This season, after being suspended for the team’s first three games, Sene has averaged 15.3 minutes, including three starts.
“This is a long season,” Bennett said, “so I certainly wouldn’t want him to get discouraged because he didn’t step on the floor.”
Dunks
Bennett has named seniors Calvin Baker, Jerome Meyinsse and Solomon Tat tri-captains of the team for the remainder of the 2009-10 season. “Calvin, Jerome and Solomon have displayed good leadership to this point in the season and I look forward to them serving as our tri-captains,” Bennett said. “This is something I’ve thought about and I took time to observe the team. With the beginning of the ACC portion of our schedule I thought this was the appropriate time to appoint these players our captains.”... An interesting stat was brought to Bennett’s attention: Junior guard Jeff Jones has committed just two fouls in 223 minutes of playing time. “That’s impressive,” Bennett said. “I didn’t realize that. Hopefully, it’s not because they’re beating him so quick that he can’t get to them.”
 

Jones’ plays fuel Cavs
By Whitey Reid
Published: January 11, 2010
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In the upbeat aftermath of Virginia’s victory at N.C. State on Saturday in its ACC opener, Jeff Jones broke into a wide smile when he was reminded about an ugly missed dunk that he had early in his freshman year.
“I didn’t forget about that one,” said Jones, laughing.
Because of the infamous moment, many Virginia fans probably figured they’d never see another dunk attempt out of Jones.
But about midway through the first half of Saturday’s game, Jones, following an N.C. State turnover, got the ball all alone in the open court.
“We really don’t get a lot of fastbreaks,” Jones said, “so when I saw we had one, I kind of slowed up and was like, ‘Is this really happening?’”
From there, Jones said instincts took over.
“I just slammed it down,” said the 6-foot-4 junior. “I’m athletic. A lot of people don’t see it because we don’t have a lot of fastbreaks and stuff, but I can definitely do that.”
The play proved to be a precursor to one of Jones’ better games of the season. In the second half, he drilled a big 3-pointer following a timeout to cut N.C. State’s lead to 45-39, essentially keeping Virginia in the game.
Later, he received a nice pass from Sammy Zeglinski and drained another triple to cut the lead to 53-52.
“Jeff really made some big shots for us,” Zeglinski said. “He really shot the ball well. He’s shooting with confidence, too.”
After playing a total of only 17 minutes in the previous two games, Jones logged 18 minutes. He finished 3 of 3 from the field for eight points.
“It definitely felt good because the last two games I didn’t really get the minutes like that,” Jones said. “It felt good to get in there. I’m always ready when my name is called.”
Jones’ first-half dunk was one of three on the day for the Cavaliers — Jerome Meyinsse had a vicious two-handed tomahawk and Mike Scott threw down a nice one-hander along the baseline.
The aerial displays, coupled with other dunks by Cavalier players this season, have been a bit surprising. Virginia
hasn’t exactly played above the rim in seasons past. A lot of the credit for the newfound hops can go to first-year strength and conditioning coach Mike Curtis, who has put a big emphasis on improving the team’s jumping.
Jones was just happy to put his old dunk memory behind him.
“I was young,” he said, smiling, “and I learned from experience.”

Tech hopes to pack momentum for first ACC road swing
By Carroll Rogers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
7:48 p.m. Monday, January 11, 2010

Now that Georgia Tech has a pretty good idea of what it can do at home – Exhibit A: Saturday's win over then-No. 5 Duke – it's time for the Yellow Jackets to test their mettle on the road.

The 20th ranked Yellow Jackets will try to build on their momentum in games this week at Virginia on Wednesday and at North Carolina on Saturday.

Life on the road in the ACC is not for the faint of heart or the young at guard. And Tech uses a freshman in Mfon Udofia and a sophomore in Iman Shumpert interchangeably at the point. Freshman Brian Oliver is the first guard off the bench.

With eight games of ACC experience on the road, though, Shumpert has a pretty good idea what it's about and how important it is to have good guard play.

"You've got to be the guy that stays level-headed," Shumpert said. "You've got to be the guy that at the end of the game, when everything is going crazy ... Coach [Paul Hewitt] can't really grab everybody and settle them down. You got to know personnel. You've got to know what the other team likes to do. You've got to be the coach on the floor.

"If you're not level-headed, then your team is not going to be level-headed."

Udofia has had a taste of ACC competition playing home games against Florida State and now Duke. He's coming off a 13-point game against the Blue Devils in which he committed only one turnover in 34 minutes. He rebounded from shooting 1-for-16 from 3-point range over a four-game stretch to make 3-of-6 against Duke. That's a good sign for Tech.

But as Shumpert explains it, there's not much preparing Udofia can do ahead of time for this upcoming trip.

"I can give him all the hints I want, but you've got to play through it," Shumpert said. "It's crazy. It's fun. It's exciting. It's what he committed for. He'll learn."

Hewitt likes the experience Udofia and Tech's other freshmen Oliver, Derrick Favors, and Glen Rice Jr. got playing at Chattanooga, Charlotte and Georgia.

"Those three games, I think, are comparable, especially the Georgia game, in terms of what the road atmosphere was like and some of the things they heard from behind the bench," Hewitt said, laughing. "Their ears have been well warmed up."

Shumpert missed six games following arthroscopic knee surgery. Three games since his return, he's still looking for his offensive rhythm. He shot only 1-for-9 against Duke and committed seven turnovers to his three assists.

But Shumpert said his knee feels sound, his defense is fine and his stamina is improving. The rest, he believes, will come.

"Ball-handling, shooting, stuff like that, is just a rhythm thing," Shumpert said. "That'll come back."

On Monday, Hewitt went so far as to say Shumpert could be the key to Tech's season. Everybody knows what the Yellow Jackets have in the post in Gani Lawal and Favors, and with Zachery Peacock coming off the bench.

"He's the wild card in my mind," Hewitt said of Shumpert. "If he's playing really well, then we become a really tough team to match up with."

The guard play will be especially interesting in Charlottesville where Virginia coach Tony Bennett has the Cavaliers playing some four-guard offense. Hewitt was intrigued by it, comparing it to some recent Villanova teams, and by how Tech would defend it with much bigger size inside.

Lawal was something else, if not intrigued.

On his way into watching film with his teammates Monday, Lawal was told Virginia was playing four-guard sets with last year's ACC rookie of the year Sylven Landesberg at power forward instead of shooting guard.

"Hey, if they're starting four guards, pound it inside," he said, eyes wide. "Give me the ball. I'll take that."

 

Terps spoil Wright’s night
By Jay Jenkins
Published: January 12, 2010
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For the first 27 minutes Monday night, the crowd inside John Paul Jones Arena appeared focused merely on the Moni-Meter.
The game itself, which oddly served as the backdrop early on, finally took center stage over the final 13 minutes after Monica Wright had etched her place in program history as the all-time leading scorer.
It was a missed shot and a missing whistle as the final buzzer sounded, however, that ultimately left Virginia reeling from a 61-60 setback that spoiled Wright’s postgame celebration at John Paul Jones Arena.
After Virginia (11-5, 0-2 ACC) called a timeout as Wright raced into the frontcourt unguarded with 3.1 seconds left, Virginia designed a play to get the ball to the senior guard.
It worked as Wright took the entry pass from Jayna Hartig, but Maryland (13-3, 1-1) had three defenders collapse as Wright drove towards the basket.
Seeing the pressure and without time to pass off, Wright forced a leaning jumper as she collided with Maryland’s Lynetta Kizer.
The ball never reached the rim and official Dee Kantner never blew her whistle as Wright went to the floor hard.
“As soon as I got the ball I turned and there was like three people around me so…my first thought was to try and go, then I realized there was another person coming toward me,” Wright recounted. “So I was like, ‘Who can I dump it off to?’ There
wasn’t that many options with three seconds left. I tried to go up and draw the foul.
“It was a physical game and there is no telling what would have been called with 6 minutes left. I don’t really know.”
The missed shot ruined what could have been a memorable night for Wright — with 13:01 left in the second half, she nailed a 3-pointer from the wing to pass former guard Dawn Staley, setting the all-time scoring mark.
Many in attendance questioned the final timeout as Wright appeared to have a clear path to the basket. But it had been predetermined that the Cavaliers would set up their offense.
“I felt like that was the best decision and these guys agreed,” Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. “I didn’t know who would end up with the rebound or who would get the ball so I just decided to bring it to me.
“I don’t know if Moni could have kept going. I don’t know if she looked. I just think that the best shot was for us to bring it up and run a half-court play.”
Wright, who scored 20 points on 7-for-24 shooting from the field, agreed with Ryan.
“I did see in transition that their defense wasn’t set up,” she said, “but to play it safe and go off what we had decided before, it would have been a better bet just to call that timeout.”
In the first half after both teams scored, Maryland used a 10-0 run over a span of just 2:20 to take a double-digit lead. The scoring spree coincided with a rough start for Virginia — the Cavaliers missed their first five shots from the field.
Virginia eventually got into a groove offensively and closed out the half on a 9-4 run, which included a 3-pointer at the buzzer from Ariana Moorer, to tie the game up 32-all.
For the game, Virginia took 28 more shots than Maryland, but managed to shoot just 30.8 percent from the field (24 of 78) and made just four of its 18 shots from behind the 3-point line.
“I felt like it was a physical and hard-fought game,” Ryan said. “I didn’t think that we played very well offensively at times. When you force as many turnovers as we did (28) and you shoot 28 more shots than the other team you should win the game.”
Maryland, which shot 46 percent from the field (23 of 50), was paced by a 20-point performance from Lori Bjork. Kizer chipped in with 19 points and 14 rebounds.
The Cavaliers are off until Monday when they travel to Virginia Tech.
The contest will start at 5 p.m.
 

Maryland women topple Virginia, 61-60
By Gene Wang
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 12, 2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The Maryland women's basketball team took a significant step toward overcoming its road deficiencies with a dramatic 61-60 victory over No. 23 Virginia on Monday night at John Paul Jones Arena.

Senior guard Lori Bjork scored a season-high 20 points, and sophomore center Lynetta Kizer added 19 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for the Terrapins, who had lost three of four on the road and almost wasted a six-point lead in the closing minutes.

But in the final few seconds, Maryland surrounded Virginia senior guard Monica Wright (Forest Park) after she received the inbounds pass and forced a wild shot as time expired, spoiling a milestone night for the 2006 All-Met Player of the Year and this season's ACC preseason player of the year. Earlier in the second half, Wright had passed Dawn Staley as Virginia's all-time scoring leader.

As Wright lay on the court in disbelief, Maryland celebrated after an exhausting game in which it outshot Virginia 46 percent to 31 percent and won the three-point battle, making 41 percent (7 of 17) to the Cavaliers' 22 (4 for 18). Maryland won despite 28 turnovers to 13 for Virginia.

"We talked about coming into this game, there was no regrets," Maryland Coach Brenda Frese said. "We didn't want to have any regrets by the time the game ended. Just focusing on the little things, possession by possession. This team is still growing and I thought [the players] just did a tremendous job moving past the last game and moving forward for this game."

Frese was referring to a 73-45 loss to North Carolina State in Thursday's ACC opener in which the Terrapins (13-3, 1-1) fell behind early and had to play catch-up virtually all game. Against Virginia, Maryland was the aggressor, twice building eight-point leads in the first half and then opening the second half on a 9-0 run for a 41-32 advantage.

But the Cavaliers (11-5, 0-2) surged back and drew within one on Wright's three-pointer with 13 minutes 1 second remaining. Virginia then took its first lead of the game, 50-49, with 10:01 left after Chelsea Shine made the front end of a one-and-one.

Maryland scored 11 of the next 15 points and led 60-54 with 4:03 remaining. The Cavaliers answered with four consecutive points, and after the Terrapins' Dara Taylor (10 points, 11 assists) made 1 of 2 foul shots, they had a chance to tie when Telia McCall scored and was fouled while shooting. But she missed the bonus free throw, and Maryland collected the loose ball and called timeout as players from both teams dove to the court.

Diandra Tchatchouang received the ensuing inbounds pass and was fouled, but she missed both free throws. Wright (20 points) got the rebound off the second miss, dribbled in front of the Virginia bench and called timeout with three seconds left.

The inbounds pass went to Wright, who dribbled to the left baseline as Maryland converged and made the clinching defensive stand.

After the game, Virginia honored Wright with a ceremony commemorating her establishing the school's all-time scoring record, which now stands at 2,142 points. Staley's record was 2,135.

The Terrapins didn't stick around to watch, instead heading to their locker room to celebrate their eighth victory over Virginia in nine games. Maryland also won a rare game over Virginia in Charlottesville, where the Terrapins are 9-22 against their ACC rival.

"It is satisfying," Bjork, who made 6 of 10 three-pointers, said of the win. "Obviously we love playing in front of our home fans, but it's kind of an awesome feeling walking off the court and hearing the shower of boos because you got the best of them that game, and they're upset about it. That's always fun."

Al Groh could be interested in Dolphins’ opening, but says “Any speculation would be very premature.”
by Edgar Thompson
Friends and coaching peers since the 1960s, Al Groh and Bill Parcells talk all the time.

But Groh claims Parcells has yet to reach out to him about becoming the Miami Dolphins next defensive coordinator, replacing Paul Pasqualoni, who was fired Monday.

“I just actually found out about this 30 minutes ago,” Groh told The Palm Beach Post tonight.

But Groh said it’s not difficult for anyone to “put 2 and 2 together” and see Groh and Parcells together for a sixth time.

In 1968, Groh worked with Parcells as the defensive line coach of the plebe squad at Army. Groh was Parcells’ defensive coordinator in 1978 at Air Force.

Later, Groh coached linebackers for Parcells with the Giants in 1989-90 and the Jets in 1997-99. He also was the Patriots defensive coordinator under Parcells in 1993-96 and the Jets head coach in 2000 when Parcells was the team’s general manager.

Groh said no two men have impacted his coaching career like Parcells and Bill Belichick.

“I’m been fortunate enough to be associated with two guys who are going into the NFL Hall of Fame,” Groh said. “Great ties to those guys. Great appreciation for what they would do for me.”

Parcells might soon be asking Groh to do something for him and turn around a Dolphins’ defense that may have cost the team a spot in the playoffs.

In the last three weeks with a playoff spot on the line, Miami fell behind by double digits during the first half of losses to Tennessee, Houston and Pittsburgh.

The Dolphins defense allowed 390 points, third-most in the AFC, an NFL-high 140 points during the fourth quarter. Miami ranked 15th in the AFC in passing yards per play (13.3 yards) and forced just 21 turnovers.

The next time Groh’s cell phone rang, it could have been the Big Tuna himself.

“To say that we haven’t spoken would be untruthful because he and I speak over the course of the year,” Groh said. “Have I spoken with Bill? Sure I have.

“But about a number of things over a period of time.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Groh is close to becoming the new defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech. Groh recently was fired after nine seasons as head coach at his alma mater, the University of Virginia.

Groh’s interest in Georgia Tech could have played a part in the timing of Pasqualoni’s departure on Monday.

“Any speculation to that possibility would be very premature at this point,” Groh said. “I have a certain criteria in place for which I’m interested. It starts with the people that are involved. I’m open to anything that would fit that criteria.

“That doesn’t mean anything or everything.”

It clearly would mean coaching for Parcells.

Groh, 65, said he will be coaching somewhere in 2010.

“I’m very much looking forward to the next season and a number of seasons after that,” he said.

Miami Dolphins fire defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni
The Dolphins fired defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni and are expected to move quickly to replace him.
BY JEFF DARLINGTON

A few days before the season ended, Paul Pasqualoni said he knew a thorough evaluation of his performance as the Dolphins' defensive coordinator would take place once the season was over. He expected the assessment to take no less than two weeks.

It took no more than eight days. The team fired Pasqualoni on Monday.

``I want to thank Paul for his services to the team,'' coach Tony Sparano said in a statement. ``And I want to wish him the best.''

The Dolphins also said farewell to another member of the organization. Senior vice president Bryan Wiedmeier, who spent 29 seasons with the team, decided to become the Browns' executive vice president of business operations.

Wiedmeier's departure creates nostalgia while Pasqualoni's creates urgency.

Defensive coaches currently without jobs include former Browns coach Romeo Crennel and former Virginia coach Al Groh -- both with connections to Dolphins football boss Bill Parcells -- but Crennel and Groh are also linked to other vacancies.

Crennel, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens and has visited the Dolphins' facility at least twice in the past two years, is still expected to become the defensive coordinator in Kansas City despite the new opening in Miami, according to multiple national reports. Parcells' son-in-law, Scott Pioli, serves as the Chiefs' general manager.

Groh, who has coached with Parcells at three different NFL stops, is reportedly near a deal to become Georgia Tech's defensive coordinator. However, it remains very possible that Miami could make a late strike to hire Groh.

According to a report in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Groh has had preliminary conversations with Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, but Groh denied that a deal is close and said the conversations are still in the ``early stages.''

 

Al Groh's Return To the ACC Near?
Ben Gibson
Written on January 10, 2010

It appears Al Groh will not go quietly into the night.

The Virginia alum and former football coach of the Cavaliers has been linked by the Atlanta Journal Constitution to the defensive coordinator position at Georgia Tech.

Yes, despite being 65-years-old, it appears that Groh is not ready for charity golf tournaments and sitting back in the suite with Bill Parcells to reminisce about old times. He is far from calling it a career.

No surprise when you consider how things ended between Groh and his alma mater.

Groh never took the easy way out in this shaky relationship. The former New York Jets coach was willing to jettison his own son as offensive coordinator and throw others under the bus to save his job for one more year.

He was willing to burn redshirts for cheap wins and made more than a few enemies on the recruiting trails, all of which hurt the program in both the short and long term.

It was clear that Groh made no apologies for how things ended at Virginia, either. In his final press conference, he recited a poem called "The Man in the Glass". It was a poem that solidified his image in the minds of many jaded Virginia fans—a self-absorbed egomaniac.

Granted, Virginia did not exactly treat Groh well either. The boos and the empty seats helped make the decision for athletic director Craig Littlepage rather simple. The administration took less than 24 hours to drop the hammer on their coach of nine seasons.

Suffice it to say, there are fences that need mending.

Nevertheless, this new development is certainly surprising. I knew Groh would want a return to football eventually, but this is less than two months after his buyout.

It might do the man some good to sit back and ponder some of things that went wrong at his last stop. He probably needs a chance to recharge his batteries before the grind of another football season.

That may not happen now.

It is also surprising for Groh not to wait and see if an NFL job opens up. Let's be clear, the NFL is where Groh belongs. In the NFL, personalities do not matter. He does not need to worry about making friends or trying to recruit players.

Groh still has ties to NFL colleagues, and he has shown a great ability to shut down star players when given time to prepare. He constantly used anecdotes about his NFL days in interviews and press conferences, clearly showing his love of the game.

It would not be far-fetched to see that, with the right talent, Groh could take an NFL team and put their defense near the top of the heap rather quickly. He is a tireless worker and a tough-minded leader.

The college game is different though, and despite his credentials, Groh has never found much success in the ACC. His career record at Wake Forest and Virginia is 85-93.

Of course, perhaps the most surprising thing about all of this talk is the destination.

The Yellow Jackets are coming off an ACC Championship and certainly appear primed to make a run next year as well. Last year showed that, with a few breaks, Georgia Tech could go undefeated and bring respect back to the conference.

However, no matter how poorly things ended at Virginia, is he really going to take a job at a rival school in the same division of the ACC?

I know Tom O'Brien is famous for ditching the Boston College Eagles to coach the North Carolina State Wolfpack, but this is different. Groh played for Virginia, his son was the star quarterback on the 1995 ACC Championship team, he coached nine years at this program, and has constantly pledged his loyalty to the Cavaliers.

If Groh takes this job, the message he is sending seems crystal clear. He wants to show everyone that they were wrong in judging him as a failure. He will be hell bent on proving that he can create a championship-level defense with the right talent around him.

He could probably do this at a few places, but by picking Georgia Tech, he wants to rub it in the face of the entire conference. Of course, if he takes the job, then he actually has to do that—the last thing Groh's legacy needs is another mediocre stint.

If I were a Georgia Tech fan, I would be excited. Groh may not be a head coach, but he knows how to run defenses and his initial gameplans are pretty solid. You would be hard pressed to find many more coordinators out there with as much experience or familiarity with the conference.

Still, I cannot help but feel this could make an ugly situation even worse. Time may heal all wounds, but it seems clear that Virginia and Al Groh will not get over their divorce easily.

Groh will return to football, if not in Atlanta than somewhere. However, when he enters that new facility with a severance check and bitter memories in hand, I wonder if his new dream will be worth the price?

Groh says he'd consider an assistant post
The former UVa head coach said he is not going to retire.
By Doug Doughty

Without addressing speculation linking him to the defensive coordinator’s post at Georgia Tech, ousted Virginia football coach Al Groh said Monday night that he’s “absolutely not” retired.
“I’ve got all of the energy and ambition that I’ve ever had,” Groh, 65, told The Roanoke Times. “I’ve got a few things on the table. From the outset, I’ve been looking forward to 2010.”
Groh has not been a college assistant since 1988, when he was at the University of South Carolina, but would not be opposed to remaining at the college level.
“I talked to somebody this weekend who said, 'I assumed you would only be interested in being a head coach,’ “ Groh said, “but this is not about ego. I would have no qualms about being an assistant coach.”
Groh spent last week in Pasadena, Calif., as the invitation of his older son, Mike, who was a graduate assistant at Alabama this season. The Crimson Tide defeated Texas 37-21 in the BCS title game at the Rose Bowl.
“It was an awesome experience,” said Groh, who had not previously attended a college championship game. “My wife pointed out that everybody was dressed in orange or red. There was no corporate entity.”
Groh twice coached in the Super Bowl, including 1990, when he was on the New York Giants’ title team.
“For a son and a father to have a Super Bowl ring and a national-championship ring, that’s something nobody can take away from you,” Groh said.
Mike Groh served as the Cavaliers’ offensive coordinator for three seasons until he “resigned” to pursue other interests. Al Groh said Monday that he wanted it known “for the record” that he did not push for his son’s dismissal.
Groh said the most important considerations in a return to coaching would be “the people I would work for and the opportunity to smile in the way that comes from a high winning percentage.”
He is not holding himself to a timetable but understands that prospective bosses would like to fill their staffs in a timely manner. Groh told The Atlanta Journal Constitution that he had spoken to Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson but offered no details.
“Having been one, I’m sensitive to the perspective of a head coach,” Groh said Monday. “I wouldn’t want a job candidate to be discussing specifics in the media.”

Jeff Schultz
Is it Tech’s turn to lose a candidate (Groh to Dolphins)?
11:18 pm January 11, 2010, by Jeff Schultz

Former Virginia coach Al Groh suddenly has options other than Georgia Tech -- the Miami Dolphins.

Let me start this by saying that Georgia Tech is not quite in the same situation with Al Groh that Georgia was with Kirby Smart, in that even if this potential hire blows up in Paul Johnson’s face he could probably escape public humiliation.

But Techies: Don’t get too comfortable.

In timing too perfect to ignore, the Miami Dolphins have fired their defensive coordinator, Paul Pasqualoni. The Dolphins’ vice president of operations is Bill Parcells. Parcells is a long-time friend and frequent boss of Groh’s. How frequent? They worked together at Army. And Air Force. And the New York Giants. And the New England Patriots. And the New York Jets.

For all we know, they once bagged groceries at adjacent checkout lines.

There have been strong indications that Groh may be hired by Johnson, who fired defensive coordinator Dave Wommack last week. But after being fired as the head coach at Virginia, a return to the NFL seemed like the more logical career transition for the 65-year-old Groh than staying in college as a defensive coordinator. Now the NFL opportunity may be there, and it’s with Parcells.

Maybe I’m overthinking this. But it’s not like Groh is exactly shooting the possibility down.

Comments to the Palm Beach Post (double-speak award):

“Any speculation to that possibility would be very premature at this point. I have a certain criteria in place for which I’m interested. It starts with the people that are involved. I’m open to anything that would fit that criteria. … That doesn’t mean anything or everything.”

ESPN.com followed that up with this:

Former Virginia coach Al Groh told ESPN.com that he hasn’t been contacted by the Dolphins about the vacancy, but he’d welcome the opportunity to work with old boss Bill Parcells again.

Groh’s name immediately comes to mind as a replacement because of his relationship with Parcells.

(Groh on his long history with Parcells): “I’ve done it five times. Some people would say that I’m nuts. Some people would say that I’m fortunate. So, having it done it five times already, yeah, obviously, there’s a track record there.”

One thing Tech can take comfort in: This won’t be a financial decision. Groh is being paid $4.33 million over the next two more years by Virginia. This will come down to where he feels most comfortable. Maybe that is still Tech. (For the record, we’re not certain Johnson actually has offered him the job yet.)

But given the backdrop of the way things have unraveled in Athens, as well as the timing of the Dolphins’ opening, how comfortable are you right now?