Big names top replacement rumors
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
March 15, 2005

When Virginia Athletics Director Craig Littlepage spoke of his basketball program’s future on Monday, he used only bright colors to paint the picture.

“We’re going to seek to hire the top coach available to be our next head basketball coach,” Littlepage said, then repeated his statement for emphasis. “I’m confident that we’re going to attract a coach that will help bring national prominence to our program.”

There are plenty of reasons to believe that Virginia will attempt to do just that.

For the first time ever, the UVa job is considered a great one and most of those reasons center around commitments, both financial and philosophical. Forget for a moment that Virginia plays in the ACC, the best basketball conference in the country. Also set aside the fact that UVa is annually selected as one of the top two public institutions in the nation.

What makes Virginia a better job than it was when Terry Holland, Jeff Jones and Pete Gillen accepted the challenge, is a stronger commitment.

The coaching world is buzzing over that commitment, which includes a brand new, state-of-the-art basketball arena that will seat 15,000 fans and features practice facilities for each of the men’s and women’s teams so that if there is a concert or conflicting attraction at the facility, practice schedules and court time will not be an issue.

Then there’s the money.

While Gillen was paid approximately $900,000 annually through the length of his contract, the new coach will find a more lucrative situation. Sources told The Daily Progress that Virginia is willing to open the vault in order to land the right coach.

Just who is the right coach? That topic will probably be the most discussed question in the state of Virginia over the next two to six weeks.

“All of the resources I have within the basketball and University communities will be utilized in the hiring of our next coach,” Littlepage said. “This is an attractive coaching opportunity for a top-performing candidate.”

Virginia is expected to make a strong run at current Kentucky coach Tubby Smith, but there are several other potential candidates that have been mentioned in the same breath. Former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery, who was interested in the UVa opening in 1990 and is currently coach of the Golden State Warriors, has been mentioned along with Texas coach Rick Barnes, Notre Dame coach Mike Brey and DePaul’s Dave Leitao.

Others considered potential candidates include former UVa player Rick Carlisle, currently coach of the Indiana Pacers, along with George Washington’s Karl Hobbs, Old Dominion’s Blaine Taylor (a former assistant under Montgomery at Stanford) and others.

If the Cavs cannot persuade Smith to leave Kentucky, there are strong sentiments toward Brey, who has led Notre Dame for the past five seasons.

Brey has had flirtations with other schools during his time in South Bend, including Ohio State, Illinois, UCLA and Kansas. According to sources, “Brey didn’t give Illinois or Ohio State the time of day,” and the Kansas and UCLA courtship didn’t get that serious.

However, the Virginia situation could be entirely different.

“The Virginia opening will make people at Notre Dame nervous,” the source said. “They realize that might be a dangerous situation because Virginia would be much more of a fit than those other schools that approached him.”

Brey is currently making an estimated $700,000 per year, although because Notre Dame is a private school the exact figure is not available. However, should Virginia pursue the Irish coach, there is a $1.5 million buyout of Brey’s contract. Notre Dame wrote the buyout into the contract to safeguard its position after former Irish coach Matt Doherty left for North Carolina after only one year.

While the Irish have failed to make the NCAA 65-team field the past two seasons, Brey did direct Notre Dame to three consecutive NCAA appearances in his first three seasons on the job, including a trip to the “Sweet 16” in the 2002-2003 season and a Big East Conference Championship. Brey is the only coach in Notre Dame history to lead the Irish to three straight 20-win seasons and NCAA bids in each of his first three years.

He formerly was an assistant to Mike Krzyzewski at Duke for eight seasons and was head coach at Delaware for five years.

Charlottesville's reactions mixed on Gillen
By Jerry Miller / Daily Progress staff writer
March 15, 2005

What are some of the memories you have of Pete Gillen?

Maybe his atrocious ACC road record? Or his lack of postseason appearances? How about his failure to keep his players out of trouble and at Virginia?

The quick timeouts and the sweaty collar?

All are viable memories of the 57-year-old Brooklyn native.

And while Gillen is the topic of watercooler debates, there are many Charlottesville citizens who will remember the beleaguered Gillen for his community contributions first - and then - his hardwood history.

“I saw him ringing the bell for the Salvation Army on Christmas Eve,” said Ken Staples, the owner of Staples Barber Shop. “Those are the things that are going to stick in my mind because I think Pete is an outstanding man and has been a good asset to Charlottesville and UVa. I’m sorry for him that it went the way it did.”

Barber Frank Sprouse agreed with Staples.

“Pete’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet,” said the 58-year-old Sprouse, who has cut Gillen’s hair at Staples for the last seven years. “I’ve never met a coach here, other than Terry Holland, that’s been nicer than Pete, and that’s saying a lot. That’s just his nature. If you’ve ever met him, it’s hard not to like him.”

Sprouse went even further.

“My idea about Virginia sports has been changing, and I’ve been here all my life,” he said. “I don’t have as much confidence in Virginia sports anymore because they change coaches every four or five years. To me, when they do that, it’s like starting over. I’m concerned they’ll never have a good athletic program because you always have to start at the bottom with each coaching change. You’re not going to get to the top unless you keep the coach for a while. I would have liked them to of kept Pete for longer and given the team a chance to win.”

Russ Hamilton isn’t a basketball fan. He just doesn’t care to watch much of the sport. Yet the 32-year-old General Manager of St. Maarten Café does know Gillen.

“Before I knew him as the basketball coach, I just knew him as Pete,” said Hamilton, a mainstay of the corner café for the last 10 years. “That’s how he carried himself, as another guy just trying to get something to eat. Most of the time, Pete just kind of sat by himself. I guess he was trying to relax.”

There are those quick-triggered fans that fire back and say Gillen shouldn’t be relaxing. They say Gillen should be thinking of ways - around the clock, mind you - of how to fix what appeared to be the unfixable.

“I think Coach Gillen had very high personal standards,” said David Tonini while downloading a tournament bracket outside of Starbuck’s. “He just has not been able to create a program in his seven years that could attract the type of athletes with the same standards. I mean you had guys that got DUI’s, assault charges and failed out of school. Pete Gillen is an upstanding guy but he’s made mistakes in recruiting the wrong people.”

UVa students probably have been the most critical of Gillen.

“I think it was guaranteed after the blowout loss at home against UNC,” said senior English major Jud Harmon. “Anytime it’s a home rivalry and you’re down 62-26 at halftime and everyone in the stands was there to see the other team, you know you’re in trouble. I was there watching UNC dunk all over us. It was funny because [Rashad] McCants didn’t even have a good game and we were still getting trounced.”

John Wesley, a junior systems engineering student, added: “It was almost like a negative home-court advantage. The players looked up into the seats and saw no one there. It must have deflated them to see that.”

Dr. Martin Schulman of the Crozet Veterinary Care Center noticed similarities between Gillen’s situation and former Notre Dame football coach Tyrone Willingham, who was fired for what school officials called “lack of progress.”

“This is a tough situation that brings you back to Willingham,” Schulman said. “He was intelligent and qualified and had better production than Gillen. They are two extremely qualified individuals.”

Schulman called Gillen “a victim of the new facility” in reference to the new John Paul Jones Arena that is being constructed across from University Hall. The new building is scheduled to open in 2006.

“National prominent sports programs require production and winning numbers,” Schulman said. “Replacing U-Hall has always been a long-range plan. When you have a 20- to 25-year plan, a mediocre coaching record will not support the corporate and financial aspects of business. These issues required financial support for the new facility.”

Blue Ridge boys’ basketball coach Bill Ramsey felt Gillen’s 10-year contract set unreasonably high expectations on Gillen from the get-go. He said those same lofty hopes could be a major influence on future decisions from not only the administration but also coaching and recruiting prospects.

“These unreasonably high expectations might be a reason that keeps [the administration] from getting the coach they want,” Ramsey said. “These disgruntled fans have got to be positive or it will turnoff some players and coaches from coming to UVa. Coaches and players read message boards. They hear things.

“But I think UVa should be able to attract a pretty big name guy. They play in the ACC, there’s the new arena, they can offer a lot of money and Virginia is one of the top one or two public schools in the nation. Coach Gillen was headed in the right direction in a lot of ways.”

Analysis: Terps' loss may have been turning point
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
March 15, 2005

Myriad things led to the decision Monday to remove Pete Gillen as basketball coach at Virginia after seven seasons. To pinpoint one exact moment in time is next to impossible.

Yet, the date of Jan. 31, 2002, does come to mind as a moment in which things were never the same again for Gillen and his program. And, upon further review, it proves to be a moment that in many ways serves as a microcosm of larger issues during the Gillen era.

That night, Virginia hosted No. 3 and eventual National Champion Maryland at University Hall. The Cavaliers entered the game ranked No. 8 in the nation with a 14-3 record. The Cavaliers had opened the year 9-0 and rose to a Gillen-high No. 4 in the national polls.

After a couple of early ACC losses tainted that unblemished start, the Cavaliers seemed to be in full recovery mode and led the Terps by nine with 3:22 remaining. The Terrapins, however, rallied for an improbable 91-87 victory and in the process exposed several of the weaknesses that came to define the latter part of Gillen’s tenure.

First, freshman guard Keith Jenifer got involved in a confrontation near the Maryland bench and that only revived the Terps’ fire despite the deficit. A year later, Jenifer and Virginia parted ways after the guard was indefinitely suspended after an altercation on the Corner.

Although assault charges were later dropped, Jenifer never played for Virginia again and later transferred. Jenifer was one of 14 players that left Gillen’s program with some form of eligibility remaining. He also may have been an example of poor recruiting choices made by Gillen and his staff. A few weeks after the incident, an unidentified Maryland assistant coach made the comment that Jenifer was an example of Virginia recruiting “low character” kids.

That addresses some personnel issues that hampered Gillen’s teams but the final 3:22 revealed basketball-specific issues within the program. Maryland’s comeback was aided by porous defense that allowed the Terps to sink 3-pointer after 3-pointer to claw back into the game. Defense was a constant issue during the Gillen era. It was not infrequent for teams to get open looks against the Cavaliers after only a couple of passes. Certainly stamped into many Virginia fans’ minds will be the vision of a player squaring up for a wide-open 3-point attempt or driving to the basket nearly unabated for a layup.

The final item of the meltdown was Virginia’s general lack of court sense, basketball IQ and even mental toughness. Despite Jenifer’s actions that only reinvigorated the Terps and the defenseless defense, Virginia still had a chance to win the game. Yet, turnovers and missed free throws fueled the comeback as much as anything else.

Chris Williams threw away a pass in the backcourt that was intercepted and converted into a dunk by Maryland’s Chris Wilcox. Williams and Travis Watson missed crucial free throws down the stretch, and when Maryland did actually snare the lead on one of those wide-open treys, the Cavs were clearly mentally wilted from the comeback and lacked the necessary toughness to stop it.

It was just one moment, but the Cavaliers never were the same again, ever. They were 51-52 overall after that game and 19-37 in the ACC. And, as described, it was a moment that definitely showed the deficiencies that plagued Gillen’s teams.

There are other moments that do stick out: A missed free throw by J.C. Mathis late in the 2001 NCAA first-round loss to Gonzaga, Majestic Mapp’s knee injury from which he never fully recovered, the departure of Roger Mason Jr. to the NBA, the arrests of Jermaine Harper and Jenifer, the two academic suspensions of forward Jason Clark, two losses in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals that likely cost Virginia two NCAA bids and countless others.

Still, hindsight is 20-20. In this case, it reveals that Gillen awoke on the morning of Jan. 31, 2002, with a program that he had rejuvenated and was on the national upswing. He then woke up Feb. 1, 2002, at the onset of a downward slide from which he and his teams never recovered.

Virginia will miss Gillen the man
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
March 15, 2005

When in the spotlight, Craig Littlepage is usually as composed an individual as anyone this columnist has known over the years.

But when announcing Monday that Pete Gillen would step down as Virginia’s basketball coach, it was clearly noticeable that Littlepage got a little emotional. As he spoke about what kind of man Gillen is, the UVa athletic director’s voice cracked and he paused for an instant to collect himself.

That’s how tough it was for Virginia to end its seven-year relationship with Gillen. While not everyone loved his coaching, most everyone loved the man, including this columnist in spite of what some readers may think.

Beyond the clipboard

It was about six weeks ago in Providence, a half hour or so after the Friars had hacked the Cavaliers up in another letdown for Virginia’s basketball team. All media that follow UVa hoops had listened to Gillen’s post-game press briefing and gone off to interview players.

Curious, I stuck around to see what happened next. Not to my surprise, Providence writers, many of whom covered Pete’s teams prior to his leaving for Virginia, surrounded Gillen. They still cared about the personable redhead from Brooklyn, self-described as a “Joe Bag-O-Donuts.” They went out of their way to spend a few moments with Coach.

I couldn’t help but notice a gentleman sitting back behind the crowd of reporters. He was in a wheelchair, obviously handicapped, but apparently a member of the media that cover Friars basketball. While hardly anyone else noticed him, Pete Gillen did.

“Hey, maybe we would have done better if Tommy [excuse me, but the fellow’s name escapes me] had done my scouting reports for me,” Gillen said, going out of his way to acknowledge the man in the wheelchair. Gillen then stopped everything and introduced me to the gentleman, to whom I was delighted to meet.

A good man

That’s who Pete Gillen is. Yes, he’s a basketball coach, but more importantly he’s a good man, a damned good man.

He’s the same guy that stood out in freezing weather and delivered pizzas along with Al Groh to students camped out in line to get tickets to Virginia basketball games during better times. He’s the same guy who sacrificed time to help organize the American Cancer Society golf tournament sponsored by Better Living each summer at Wintergreen.

He’s the same guy who showed up annually at Barracks Road Shopping Center to ring the bell for hours at the Salvation Army kettle at Christmas time, greeting the public and helping those less fortunate.

We could go on, but you get the picture. Gillen believed in his players even when most of us, fans and media, didn’t. They wore “Family” on their practice shorts for a reason. That’s how Pete felt about his guys as long as they were loyal to him. Heck, maybe even after some didn’t show the loyalty he deserved.

Some critics say Gillen couldn’t coach. Well, they were wrong. Just because his system didn’t work at Virginia doesn’t mean it won’t work somewhere else. It worked at Xavier and Providence and for here his first few years when UVa felt he was good enough of a future investment to reward him with a 10-year contract, something almost unheard of in the sports world.

His coaching style grated on some. They didn’t like his helter-skelter style of court chaos. His insistence upon burning time outs as if he had an endless supply made everyone nervous.

At one point in his career, Pete was the toast of the town. He could do no wrong. He beat Duke, he beat the Tar Heels. He put Virginia in the Top 10. He got to the NCAA in his third year.

Yes, there were good times before the not-so-good. Hopefully, Virginia fans will remember Gillen for both and not just the last two seasons.

But more importantly, hopefully fans will remember Pete Gillen for being a good man, a damned good man.

We should remember what Clarence the angel wrote to Jimmy Stewart’s character in “It’s a Wonderful Life:”

“No man is a failure who has friends.”

Pete Gillen is not a failure.

Time out: Gillen exits
UVa's coach steps down after 7 years
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
March 15, 2005

University of Virginia men’s basketball coach Pete Gillen stepped down Monday after seven seasons at the helm of the program.

Gillen compiled a record of 118-93, including a 14-15 mark this season. The Cavaliers ended their season - the second losing year under Gillen and first since his initial season in 1998-99 - with a 76-64 loss to Duke in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday.

Virginia Athletics Director Craig Littlepage announced the decision at a hastily called and brief address to the media Monday afternoon. He took no questions as he made some remarks about Gillen and the future of the program.

“There is not a classier person in the coaching profession anywhere than Pete Gillen. He has always handled the coaching responsibilities here with professionalism and humility and I sincerely want to thank him for the work that he has done trying to build our basketball program,” said an emotional Littlepage. “I also want to thank his coaching staff and his family for the contributions and the great impact they have made in our community.”

In his statement - which lasted about three minutes - Littlepage turned to the search for his replacement, which he said, will begin immediately.

“I’m very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. I know that this is an attractive position for a coach that wants to pursue excellence and win championships. We have all the ingredients to be able to do that. We have the ingredients for success,” Littlepage said. “We have a great institution. We play in a great league and we are going to build the best on-campus arena in the country. We will seek to hire the top coach available to be our next basketball coach. I’m confident that we will attract a coach that will bring national prominence to our program and I look forward to speaking to you in the next month to six weeks when I introduce the next head men’s basketball coach at the University of Virginia.”

As he left the news conference, Littlepage was asked why he would not be taking questions Monday.

“There are too many things in play right now and we are just trying to catch up on all of them,” Littlepage said.

Virginia will pay Gillen approximately $2 million as part of a buyout agreement. Gillen signed a 10-year contract in 2001 that paid him in excess of $900,000 annually but that contract was altered last April when the school opted to bring him back for this season after a two-week deliberation. In its Monday edition, the Washington Post incorrectly reported the figure to be $500,000 but Virginia’s release confirmed the $2 million compensation that was originally reported in The Daily Progress.

“I have said many times the University of Virginia is a special place and I still feel that way. I appreciate the opportunity given to me as the head coach and feel it is in the best interest of all that I step aside at this time,” Gillen said in a released statement. “I am proud of the hard work of the players and assistant coaches I’ve worked with at Virginia. I also appreciate the chance to have worked with President [John T. Casteen III] and Craig Littlepage. The University has always been a first-class operation and I wish them all the best.”

Gillen has drawn some interest from schools’ for their coaching vacancies, notably Siena, but sources indicated that Gillen may opt for a year away from coaching for personal reasons.

Littlepage met with the returning members of the basketball team early Monday morning to update them on the pending decision.

“He wanted to meet with us and let us know what was going on,” said sophomore Gary Forbes at University Hall on Monday, who added he is likely to return for his junior season. “It will obviously be different not to have coach around. I’ve been with him for two years now. We didn’t do as well as we could have the last two years. This is how the business is. It’s a cutthroat business.”

Rise and fall

Gillen took the Cavaliers to five postseason appearances (4 NIT, 1 NCAA). His tenure was marked by several peaks and then mostly valleys toward the end. In his first few seasons, Gillen rejuvenated the program after replacing former coach Jeff Jones in April 1998. By the end, however, Gillen’s program did not look all that different from his predecessor’s as dwindling attendance and a growing lack of enthusiasm were primary players in his demise.

While the inability to consistently reach the NCAA Tournament was perhaps the biggest overall flaw with Gillen’s Virginia career, his tenure will be marked by such things as near constant player attrition, poor recruiting decisions, habitually poor defensive efforts and the failure to consistently win away from home.

Another factor that is more than significant is the $129.8 million, 15,000-seat John Paul Jones Arena that will open in 2006. At one point, the facility looked like an integral part to Gillen’s future success but ultimately it became perhaps his greatest encumbrance. With all of the necessary money for the arena coming from private funds, the on-court product became a paramount concern in terms of fundraising.

Littlepage, foreshadowing the decision made Monday, discussed that point when he announced the arena’s premium-seating plan just two months ago.

“For this project to reach a successful conclusion, we’re going to need for everything to be on target. We’re going to need for everybody to be on board and we’re going to need the [men’s and women’s] teams’ performances to be on an upswing,” Littlepage said. “I think it would not be a stretch to say we don’t feel as though we’ve quite gotten to the point that we want to be, and it’s part of my job to make sure that we are poised and on an upward movement in our program going into the new arena. … We will be there. I guarantee that.”

At one point, it looked as if Gillen would be there as well.

His up-tempo style was almost a necessary ingredient in reinvigorating the program and its fan base. For a while, it worked.

In his initial season in 1998-99, Gillen had just six scholarship players and a host of walk-ons, including a former bartender from a Corner establishment. That squad managed an overachieving 14-16 record.

In his second season, the Cavaliers finished 19-12 and 9-7 in the ACC. After being snubbed by the NCAA Tournament, the Cavaliers lost to Georgetown in the first round of the NIT in triple overtime.

In what is debatably a minor or major footnote, rising sophomore Majestic Mapp tore the ACL in his right knee the following summer during a pickup basketball game in August 2000. Mapp, the only McDonald’s

All-American to sign with Gillen, never truly recovered from the surgery and missed two and a half seasons of action. The legend of Mapp’s talent spiraled out of control as he sat out and even when he returned, but certainly the lack of a point guard hampered the program in the middle of Gillen’s tenure.

The Cavaliers’ lone NCAA appearance under Gillen came in 2001, the high-water mark of the coach’s career at UVa. That season, the Cavaliers finished 20-9 and 9-7 in the ACC and had rousing home wins vs. North Carolina, Duke and Maryland. After earning a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s South Region, the season ended with a loss to No. 12 seed Gonzaga.

The calm before the storm

During that season, Virginia’s crawl back from obscurity seemed complete. There was unbridled enthusiasm around the program as Gillen’s fast-paced style found its niche. At that point in time, it was not uncommon for UVa students to camp out for weeks in order to secure the best seats at U-Hall.

That June, the school announced a $20 million anonymous gift that served as the impetus for the new arena. Three months later, Gillen was awarded the 10-year contract and things could have not looked brighter for the coach or the program. In hindsight, however, almost everything was downhill after that.

The Cavs opened the next season at 9-0 and rose to No. 4 in the Associated Press rankings by New Year’s Day. A month later, Virginia was still 14-2 when it suffered the most crippling loss in Gillen’s era. Leading eventual National Champion Maryland by nine with just more than two minutes to play, the Cavaliers squandered that lead and fell 91-87. It certainly could be argued that the Cavaliers and Gillen were never the same after that loss.

The Cavaliers lost 10 of their final 13 games that season and their campaign ended with a loss to South Carolina in the first round of the NIT.

After the 2001-02 season, junior guard Roger Mason Jr. - the team’s best player - opted to enter the NBA Draft while sophomore forward J.C. Mathis transferred to Michigan. They were just two of 14 players that left the program with some level of eligibility remaining under Gillen. Player turnover and attrition proved to be a tremendous detriment for Gillen in both perception and reality. While some were critical of how the moves reflected upon the program, there remained the obvious fact that many of Gillen’s teams were devoid of anything resembling upperclassmen leadership.

Defections played a critical role in what was the turning point season of Gillen’s tenure in 2002-03. Prior to the season, sophomore guard Jermaine Harper was arrested for a DUI in Albemarle County and classmate Keith Jenifer would be arrested midseason for an altercation on the Corner. Harper was suspended for five games and returned to finish the season. Jenifer, who ultimately had assault charges against him dropped, was indefinitely suspended and never played again at Virginia. Both guards transferred to other schools at the end of the season.

Under that backdrop, the Cavaliers struggled their way to a 16-16 season that ended with a loss to St. John’s in the second round of the NIT.

Waning support

Rumblings about Gillen’s job status began to surface the next season during the 2003-04 schedule. Senior guard Todd Billet perhaps single-handedly allowed Gillen to return - he made late-game baskets that propelled the Cavs through a stretch in which they defeated three of the nation’s top 15 teams. That somewhat salvaged UVa’s season as it finished 18-13 with a second round NIT loss to Villanova.

Two weeks after that loss to Villanova and some renegotiations to his contract, Littlepage announced Gillen would return in 2004-05.

For a while, it looked as if that decision was a sound one. With the addition of highly touted freshman point guard Sean Singletary, the Cavaliers opened this season 8-1. That included a victory over then-No. 10 Arizona and a rise to No. 19 in the AP rankings. The good feelings, however, would not last as the ACC season began. With what Gillen described as a flood of injuries and the loss of senior forward Jason Clark because of academics, the Cavs opened ACC play 0-5. They would finish the season losing 14 of their final 20 games.

In an example of how desperate things became toward the end, Gillen abandoned his preferred fast-paced style for a methodical style that was awkward for the talent he recruited.

When the season ended with the loss to Duke in the ACC Tournament on Friday, Gillen inferred that the end was close at hand.

“I don’t want to talk about that ... it will be addressed next week,” Gillen said Friday. “I’ll just say this ... Virginia deserves better than 14-15. I’ll take the blame for that, not the players.”

UVa taps Belin as assistant
Mike Groh to take over recruiting coordinator duties
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
March 15, 2005

Virginia assistant coach Danny Rocco knows all he needs to know about Levern Belin.

Rocco helped Belin get jobs on the coaching staffs at Boston College and Maryland. You can now add a coaching position at Virginia to that list.

UVa coach Al Groh announced on Monday that Belin would take over the duties of coaching the Cavaliers’ defensive line. The position was previously held by Mike London, who left the program to take a position with the Houston Texans in the NFL.

Groh also announced that Mike Groh, the program’s quarterback coach, would assume the duties as UVa’s recruiting coordinator, which was formerly held by London.

Thanks to a referral from Rocco, Belin launched his college-coaching career in 1991 as a graduate assistant working with the defensive backs at Boston College on former coach Tom Coughlin’s staff.

Eight years later, Belin was reunited with Rocco on the coaching staff at Maryland. Belin, 35, spent two seasons as defensive line coach at Maryland (1999-2000).

Rocco was first introduced to Belin when he and Groh recruited the North Carolina native to play at Wake Forest. Although Belin committed to play at Wake, Groh had left prior to Belin’s arrival for a coaching stint with the Atlanta Falcons.

Groh and Rocco became acquainted with Belin’s family after successfully recruiting the services of his brother - Warren - who is now the linebacker’s coach at Vanderbilt.

In addition to coaching at Boston College and Maryland, Belin has coached at Ball State, Boston University, Connecticut, East Tennessee State and Northern Illinois.

It was at Northern Illinois that Belin spent the 2004 season, coaching the interior defensive linemen. Northern Illinois went 9-3 and won the Silicon Valley Football Classic.

Belin has coached a number of future NFL players, including DE Keith McKenzie, a draft choice of the Green Bay Packers in 1997, and Kris Jenkins of the Carolina Panthers.

Virginia opens spring practice on April 1.

Time out for Gillen
Coach Pete Gillen leaves after 7 years and just 1 NCAA tournament trip at Virginia
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE - When he said he would not be taking any questions Monday, Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage may have known that he would have difficulty with the announcement that seven-year men's basketball coach Pete Gillen would "step down."

Littlepage became emotional during a two-minute, 25-second appearance before the media, almost breaking down as he alternately read from a prepared statement and ad-libbed. "There is not a classier person in the coaching profession - anywhere - than Pete Gillen," said Littlepage, formerly the men's head basketball coach at Pennsylvania and Rutgers. "He's always handled his responsibilities here with professionalism and humility."

Littlepage, who was in Indianapolis this past weekend with the NCAA Basketball Committee, had said he would not make an announcement until he met with Gillen this week. However, it appears that an agreement was reached before Gillen took his team to the ACC Tournament this past weekend in Washington.

UVa point guard Sean Singletary said he went to see Gillen on Sunday and that Gillen had told him he was resigning.

"I knew what was going on," said Singletary, an ACC all-freshman selection. "He wasn't beaten up, like you might have expected, but you could tell it was tough on him,

Virginia announced that Gillen would receive a buyout of approximately $2 million. He had six years remaining on a contract renegotiated after the 2001 season that was paying him $900,000 per year.

"I have said many times [that] the University of Virginia is a special place and I still feel that way," Gillen said in a statement released by the school. "I appreciate the opportunity to me as the head coach and feel it is in the best interest of all that I step aside at this time."

Numerous attempts to reach Gillen on his cellphone were unsuccessful.

Littlepage met with the players at 7:30 a.m. Monday and told them not to be surprised by anything they heard, Singletary said.

"We kind of knew it was coming," said J.R. Reynolds, a sophomore from Roanoke. "We just didn't know when. Mostly, I'm ready to move one. We've been hearing about this ever since I got here.

"I'm sure it was tough for him and it was tough for us, too, at times. You get tired of asking questions all the time about how much longer your coach is going to be your coach."

Gillen, 57, came to UVa in 1998 after nine seasons at Xavier and four at Providence, where his 1996-97 team reached the final eight of the NCAA tournament. He had gone to the NCAA tournament eight times before his arrival at Virginia, where he was 118-93.

The Cavaliers' only NCAA tournament appearance of the Gillen era was in 2000-01, when they were beaten by Gonzaga in the first round. That was followed by three consecutive NIT appearances before Virginia went 14-15 this year.

"The team did not reach the goals we thought were achievable entering the 2004-05 season," Littlepage said.

Virginia will open a new, 15,000-seat arena for the 2005-06 season and considerable fund raising remains before a $129-million bill can be paid. The "A" list of potential coaching targets includes Kentucky's Tubby Smith and Texas' Rick Barnes, both of whom have coached previously in Virginia, and Golden State Warriors head coach Mike Montgomery.

Montgomery was the head coach at Stanford when he interviewed for the Virginia job when Terry Holland retired in 1990. Montgomery removed his name from consideration when it appeared Barnes, then at Providence, would take the job. However, Barnes had an 11th-hour change of heart and the Cavaliers turned to Holland aide Jeff Jones.

"We are going to seek to hire the top coach available," Littlepage said. "We are confident we will be able to hire a coach who can bring national prominence to the program."

Littlepage said he expects the process to take 4-6 weeks, but when reporters followed him out the door, he stuck by his vow and did not elaborate.

"There's too many things right now that I'm trying to nail down," Littlepage said, "and there are too many questions I wouldn't be able to answer."

Wish you well in future, Pete
Commentary by Aaron McFarling
The Roanoke Times

Pete Gillen's firing Monday was both predictable and deserved.

But it is also sad. Another nice guy finished last, and that's never a reason to celebrate. This is no time to pile on. You know all about Gillen's record at Virginia, about the seven years with only one NCAA bid. It's time for a change, no doubt, but it's also time for a little compassion.

This coaching business can be rewarding, but it can also stink like week-old clams. Gillen now knows both sides of this profession all too well.

At Providence, he was once a win away from the Final Four. Just four years ago at UVa, he was one of 20 finalists for national coach of the year. But things went downhill here, sharply, loudly, and he's been walking the plank for the better part of two seasons now.

Even he knew that plank was only so long.

But we could all learn something from the way he handled this mess. He wasn't snippy or bitter. He didn't turn into a slimy excuse machine, didn't single out guys, didn't quit pouring his heart into every game.

Until the very end, he remembered how to laugh at himself. That's an all-too-rare characteristic among the slicksters who run our "amateur" college basketball teams. You think Bobby Knight could find humor in adversity? Or how about Temple "legend" John Chaney, who visits Blacksburg tonight? Intimidation tactics and death threats are simply hilarious, aren't they?

Perhaps frustrated fans didn't find Gillen's jokes amusing, but I'll take his approach over the alternative. And keep in mind that it wasn't always easy for Gillen to stay upbeat.

"I don't feel like making jokes," Gillen told Sports Illustrated in November, when the wolves really began to howl outside his office. "When everybody's criticizing you, you just decide to be polite and respectful, but that's it."

That would be a shame if it were accurate. But it wasn't. Gillen couldn't help himself. He stayed true to his inner Woody Allen even when things got most dreary.

"I'm just picking a bridge," he told reporters before the ACC Tournament. "I've got three bridges. I've got the Brooklyn Bridge, I've got the Golden Gate, and I got the Sagamore Bridge in Cape Cod because it's a nice place."

Somebody talk him down, and fast. He's still got plenty to offer, albeit somewhere else.

Sure, Gillen made a lot of money. But he earned that - yes, earned it - with his reclamation jobs at Xavier and Providence. That's how sports work: You get paid for what you've done, not what you're going to do.

The mistake was an administration guaranteeing 10 years worth of paychecks, a wild risk in today's climate of fickle boosters. Gillen accepted the contract extension, just as anybody else would. Now he leaves, humbled but hardly a thief.

When it comes to money, you get the feeling Gillen cared more about the amount dropped in the Salvation Army kettles than the balance in his bank account. Go online. Do a search. You'll find photos of a grinning Gillen standing outside a Michael's store in Charlottesville, charity bell in hand.

I'm guessing the photographic evidence was somebody else's idea, because Gillen's altruism isn't a PR ploy. It's sincere. And it's plentiful.

Dig deep enough and you'll find he's been an active part of the "I Have a Dream" Foundation, which advances the educational opportunities of underprivileged kids. And then there's his visits to elementary schools on behalf of the "Character Counts" program, which champions such characteristics as responsibility, fairness and respect.

The program's name is dead on, you know. Character does count. Or at least it should. That's why Gillen should leave here with his dignity fully intact, with a cast of thousands wishing him well.

U.Va. doesn't have luxury of rich tradition
BOB LIPPER
POINT OF VIEW
Mar 15, 2005

The March 1998 day Pete Gillen became the latest caretaker of Virginia's basketball program, he spoke glowingly of U.Va. as "a special place" and of the "great tradition" he'd presumably embellish in University Hall.

Stroll Mr. Jefferson's campus, gaze upon the Rotunda and the Lawn, inhale the school's academic clout, and even a pigheaded Hokie might appreciate Gillen's first reference. As for basketball tradition, let's check the list . . .

Barry Parkhill, the Yes-We-Can Breakthrough, 1972.

Wally Walker, the Mother of All ACC Weekends, 1976.

Ralph Sampson, the Rocket Ride and Afterglow, 1980-84.

And that's pretty much it.

This isn't meant to demean U.Va. hoops or suggest a product of substance can't be assembled in C'ville. Terry Holland threatened the ACC power structure during his 16-year run, and Jeff Jones had his highlights as well. The Cavs have visited a couple of Final Fours. They were NCAA tournament regulars until Jones lost the handle and Gillen came along. There's reason to believe at least a 60-watt bulb glimmers at the end of the tunnel.

But U.Va. basketball is no slam-dunk. That's reality. That means Craig Littlepage must choose wisely in lining up a shepherd to replace Gillen, who was dislodged yesterday after seven years on the job.

Maybe Littlepage surprises everyone with a marquee name. Maybe he goes the upwardly mobile route. But whomever he introduces one press conference from now - and make no mistake, this hire will mark a defining moment for Littlepage - the new guy better be very good, very solid and very creative.

Because there are only so many $2 million buyouts in one university's treasury.

And because he'll be bucking some very long-held trends and not just Tar Heels.

Here's the brutal truth: In the 52-year history of the ACC, only Clemson and Florida State have poorer records within the league than Virginia. The Cavs were 49-16 against ACC rivals during Sampson's four years on the varsity and finished atop the standings three times. Pre-Sampson, they were a dismal 117-259. Post-Sampson, they're 160-210.

They've resided in the second division 14 times over the past 22 years. For one fleeting moment, they were North Carolina, they were Duke - and their rooters have pined for that sort of status ever since. Better the Cavs should try to measure up against, say, Georgia Tech for openers. Better they first remember who they are and where they've been.

Again, this isn't a death sentence. U.Va. can sell the ACC, a picturesque campus and academic prestige (as, admittedly, can several of its ACC competitors), and its well-positioned geographically for recruiting success. There's no reason the Cavs can't be a playuh. But it's not a given. It's not their birthright.

Nor will the fancy arena sprouting across the street from U-Hall automatically transform the program. Sure, the new building will help. But U-Hall didn't prevent Holland (Sampson, Jeff Lamp, Bryant Stith), Jones (Cory Alexander, Junior Burrough, Courtney Alexander) or Gillen (Roger Mason Jr., Derrick Byars, J.R. Reynolds, Gary Forbes, Sean Singletary) from signing lusted-after schoolboys.

Ask Ohio State and South Carolina how much the Taj Mahals they've recently opened have elevated their products. Plus, their habitats are considerably less treacherous than the ACC.

Brutal league, the ACC. Consider N.C. State. Its past includes Everett Case, David Thompson, Jimmy V., two NCAA titles and 10 ACC championships - and the Pack has been killing itself for years trying to move into the neighborhood where UNCs and Dukes (and, at present, Wake Forests) dwell. If State, with its rich history, struggles to crack the upper echelon, where does that leave Virginia?

Answer: It leaves Virginia with a job opening. Snare the right person, and possibilities beckon. This is a pivotal intersection for one athletic director. And one slumbering basketball program.

Gillen resigns
By Dave Johnson
247-4649
Published March 14, 2005, 2:58 PM EST

Pete Gillen resigned as the University of Virginia's basketball coach Monday, ending a seven-year run that began with such hope but never reached the Promised Land.

The university has scheduled a 5 p.m. announcement, at which time Cavalier athletic director Craig Littlepage is scheduled to give a statement but not take questions. Littlepage did not return messages left with his office. Neither Gillen nor his attorney, Dennis Coleman of Boston, could be reached for comment.

According to a school source, the players learned the news during an early-morning team meeting. Gillen informed the three recruits he signed last fall as well.

"We had a long chat with the coach yesterday," said Mori Diane, the father of DeMatha guard Mamadi Diane. "He called to let us know he'd be resigning today, which was very thoughtful of him. But Mamadi's commitment remains to the University of Virginia."

Gillen's departure came less than 72 hours after the Cavaliers concluded a 14-15 season with a loss to Duke in the ACC tournament quarterfinals. It was Virginia's worst record since finishing 14-16 in 1998-99, Gillen's first season in Charlottesville. The Cavs went 4-12 in the ACC, the same mark they posted in '99, and tied for 10th place.

Gillen leaves with a record of 118-93, 45-67 in ACC games. He's one of two coaches in school history to finish above .500 in the conference in consecutive seasons, but his team won only 16 of 48 league games in his final three years.

Gillen went 4-12 in the postseason, including 2-7 in the ACC tournament. Virginia's lone NCAA appearance in Gillen's tenure was a one-and-done trip in 2001.

Reactions: Recruits not overly surprised
Pete Gillen's resignation doesn't surprise the members of his final recruiting class, who have some interesting days ahead.
BY DAVE JOHNSON
247-4649
Published March 15, 2005

Sam Warren lives 1,600 miles and two time zones away, and the goings-on in Charlottesville didn't scratch the local news. Yet he knew something was up.

The University of Virginia's basketball team, of which he'll become a member in about seven months, was struggling. And as the losses mounted, so did the speculation that head coach Pete Gillen would lose his job.

Speculation became reality Monday, when the university announced Gillen had resigned after seven seasons. Which leaves Warren, one of three high school players who signed letters-of-intent with the Cavaliers last fall, in limbo.

"I'm sad for Coach Gillen and his staff because those are great people and they're part of the reason why I (signed) with Virginia," said Warren, a 6-foot-10 center from Denver. "It is hard; I'm not going to lie. Coach Gillen is a great guy, and I'm as sorry as anybody that he's not going to be there."

Warren and his classmates have two options: Enroll as planned and play for the new coach, or asked to be released from their scholarships and take their chances. If the university does not grant a release and a player is determined to go elsewhere, he must sit out one season of competition.

Warren, who was also looking at Nebraska and Penn State, has no plans to go that route.

"Nothing has really changed; it's just unfortunate I can't play for Coach Gillen," he said. "Virginia's an awesome school. It has great people there, and Virginia has things other schools don't offer me. So I'm not changing schools. I'm staying with Virginia.

"I'll just be thankful for the opportunity that I have. I'm still going to work my tail off and do the best I can to make Virginia's basketball team the best they can be."

That's also what Mamadi Diane, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Potomac, Md., has planned.

"It's a great school, one of the best in the country," he said. "And the fact that it's ACC basketball, you get the best of both worlds. But I'm definitely disappointed I won't get to play for Coach Gillen.

"Going through the recruiting process, you deal with a lot of coaches who are shady. I definitely felt comfortable with the Virginia staff. They were a big reason why I signed. But I'm still committed to Virginia."

The third recruit in what turned out to be Gillen's final class was Laurynas Mikalauskas, a 6-foot-8 forward originally from Lithuania. He could not be reached for comment on Monday. Bill Ramsey, his coach at the Blue Ridge School outside Charlottesville, did not return telephone messages.

According to a team source, reaction among the players was mixed.

Many, most notably guards Sean Singletary and T.J. Bannister, were vocal supporters of their coach. Others had constant run-ins with him.

Gillen informed the players of his decision during a Monday morning meeting.

"I'd been hearing all year how if we didn't win the (ACC) tournament, it would be tough for coach to return next year," Singletary said. "So, yeah, I was expecting it. But it was very disappointing."

Singletary, who just completed an outstanding freshman season, reaffirmed his commitment to stay at Virginia.

"We're all sticking together," he said. "It's tough on the team as well. But we're sticking together and staying confident that the future will be brighter." «

 

Cavs should give Capel a good look
By CAULTON TUDOR, Staff Writer

Virginia basketball fans have been thinking -- and talking -- about connecting for a home run coaching hire since it became apparent weeks ago that Pete Gillen, who stepped down Monday as coach of the Cavaliers, was running out of timeouts.

Many of those fans want to settle for nothing short of Kentucky's Tubby Smith.

Others talk of Texas' Rick Barnes. Then there's the Mike Montgomery faction. Florida's Billy Donovan gets mentioned, as does Louisville's Rick Pitino, and on and on.

Once a national power during the Ralph Sampson era and a Final Four qualifier in 1981 and '84, the Cavs have participated in exactly one NCAA Tournament since 1997. That one appearance resulted in a first-round loss to Gonzaga in 2001. The Hoos were seeded fifth, the Zags 12th.

The last big season Virginia had was a run to the regional finals in 1995, when Jeff Jones had the look of a coach on the rise. But Jones was gone after his 1998 team went 11-19 overall and 3-13 in the ACC.

Enter Gillen.

It's little wonder Virginia fans are anxious for a sure-fire solution. That's what prolonged losing will do.

There's the business side of it, too.

Virginia is building a much-needed arena that's expected to open in June 2006. The school's sports information department says the projected cost is $129 million.

A nationally prominent coach would be a valuable insurance policy for such an investment. In essence, a half-empty new building would be just another University Hall with more bells, whistles and support beams. Tubby Smith might cost $2 million or $3 million per year, but what's a couple million or so a year for a coach when he works at a place on the fat side of $120 million?

Finally, there's the neighborhood. The Cavaliers aren't just hiring a new coach. They're hiring someone who could step up against Mike Krzyzewski, Gary Williams, Roy Williams, Paul Hewitt and Skip Prosser. There are not many places for a lightweight to hide on that block.

It makes sense that Virginia should aim high.

But since big money is just big money -- and all the big hitters definitely are making big money -- what if big money is not enough? Then you've got to get inventive.

Jeff Capel, maybe?

After only three seasons at Virginia Commonwealth, the 30-year-old Capel is too young to be rated a home run or maybe as a stand-up double.

Next problem: Capel played at Duke for Krzyzewski. Virginia fans hate Duke in hoops almost as much as they hated Duke in football when Steve Spurrier used to pick at George Welsh.

Third problem: VCU is to UVa as Charlotte is to UNC. Raiding an in-state "little brother" for a coach runs counter to Virginia's sense of regional supremacy.

But here's Exhibit A in the case for Capel: The guy can coach. What he didn't learn from his father and Krzyzewski, he learned from surviving difficult times at Duke in 1995 and parts of '96. He's lived through the lows, and he's experienced the highs. He can relate to players from either extreme.

Exhibit B: class. Of all the young coaches out there, no one has a better sense of responsibility to the profession than Capel. He doesn't throw tantrums, keeps his hands in his pockets most of the time and is more inclined to critique himself than those around him.

But get this: Incredible as this may sound, Capel keeps a chair on the bench for his own personal use. That's right, sports fans! There are long stretches during any given game when he isn't on his feet screaming at the referees. I know it sounds weird, even radical, but that's just how Capel rolls. It's as old school as John Wooden, and what did Wooden ever get done?

Is Virginia going to hire Capel? Probably not. Will some other school at some point in the future? Bank on it.

That school won't regret it, either.