U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Jul 6, 2006

IN THE MIX: Candidates to become the men's lacrosse coach at Duke include Marc Van Arsdale, Dom Starsia's top assistant at Virginia. Van Arsdale's interview is this week at Duke, which is seeking a replacement for Mike Pressler.

Pressler resigned under pressure in April in the wake of heavily publicized criminal allegations involving some of his players.

Van Arsdale, 42, has had two stints at U.Va. After six seasons as a Virginia assistant, Van Arsdale left after the 1996 season to become head coach at Pennsylvania, where he compiled a 27-39 record. He rejoined Starsia's staff after the 2001 season as offensive coordinator and has helped the Cavaliers win two NCAA titles since his return.

Virginia finished 17-0 this season and had the nation's top offense.

"Marc is so experienced and mature and smart, period," Starsia said yesterday. "He just brings a level of poise to the sideline that is unprecedented for an assistant coach. I am absolutely blessed to have him with me.

"I turn the offensive end over to him. I don't know what we're doing half the time. I don't care. I just know it's in good hands. I think Marc is generally recognized as a unique person in this sport. He certainly is not a typical assistant coach."

Other candidates for the Duke job include head coaches John Danowski (Hofstra), Rick Sowell (St. John's) and Kevin Corrigan (Notre Dame).

WAITING GAME: Of the 24 football recruits who signed with U.Va. in February, seven failed to clear admissions: defensive linemen Gavin Smith and Asa Chapman, offensive lineman Billy Cuffee, wideout Ras-I Dowling, defensive back DeAndre Filer, linebacker Almondo Sewell and quarterback O.C. Wardlow. Smith is expected to enroll at another university, but some of the others may try to gain admittance to U.Va. next year.

Whether sixth-year coach Al Groh's incoming class will include George Johnson Jr. remains uncertain. Johnson, a 6-4, 215-pound linebacker from Glassboro, N.J., is one of the Cavaliers' most highly regarded recruits. He's awaiting the results of his latest SAT.

His father said yesterday the family is confident that Johnson will get the necessary score and enroll at U.Va. for the 2006-07 academic year.

"We're not looking at any place but there," George Johnson Sr. said.

The elder Johnson said a deadline is looming. His son needs to be cleared in time to enroll in the summer-school session that starts next Thursday at U.Va.

DONE DEAL: U.Va. is expected to announce soon that Bill Courtney will join basketball coach Dave Leitao's staff as an assistant. Courtney, a 1988 graduate of Robert E. Lee High in Springfield, is a former George Mason University assistant who's currently on the staff at Providence.

Leitao needs to replace Gene Cross, who left in May to become an assistant at Notre Dame. Courtney is likely to begin recruiting for U.Va. later this month.

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC: In a brief telephone interview Tuesday, Leitao stopped short of saying that recruit Solomon Tat, the 6-5 swingman from Nigeria, has been cleared to play for U.Va. this season.

"We're not completely there," Leitao said.

Tat arrived in Charlottesville this week, however, and will take part in a summer program for incoming freshmen at U.Va. that begins today. He's listed in U.Va.'s on-line student directory.

Tat, who attended high school in Georgia, has been dealing with visa and eligibility issues. But those apparently are close to being resolved, in part because Tat recently married a U.S. citizen.

A STEP BACK: In the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup competition for the 2005-06 school year, Virginia finished 26th, with 586 points.

U.Va. placed 13th in 2004-05 and has finished as high as eighth. Until 2001-02, in fact, Virginia had never failed to finish among the top 25 schools in Division I.

Schools earn Directors' Cup points based on their performances in NCAA tournaments. The competition dates to the 1993-94 school year.

A change in the Directors' Cup scoring system hurt Virginia this school year. The Cavaliers won the NCAA title in men's lacrosse, an achievement previously worth 100 points. Lacrosse is one of several sports now worth a maximum of 50 points.

U.Va. finished fourth among ACC schools in the Directors' Cup race. North Carolina placed fourth overall, Duke eighth and Florida State 17th. After Virginia came Maryland (27th overall), N.C. State (34th), Clemson (39th), Miami (42nd), Wake Forest (44th), Virginia Tech (45th), Georgia Tech (50th) and Boston College (51st). - Jeff White
 

Tulane coach linked to vacancy
Dickerson cited by sources as a possible candidate for assistant opening
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
July 6, 2006

Providence’s Bill Courtney could still be one of the frontrunners for the assistant’s position on Virginia coach Dave Leitao’s staff - some say the decision could be announced as soon as today.

But maybe now we know the identity of one of those mystery candidates.

On Wednesday, two sources linked Tulane coach Dave Dickerson to the vacancy on Leitao’s staff.

Dickerson, who couldn’t be reached for comment, was an assistant coach at Maryland for nine years under Gary Williams before taking over as the head man at Tulane this season.

Tulane Athletic Director Rick Dickson scoffed at the idea of Dickerson leaving.

“There’s nothing to that all,” Dickson told the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. “Dave would have brought that to my attention before he left recruiting.”

On the surface, the fact that Dickerson would want to give up a head-coaching gig at a Conference USA program to become an assistant is a bit curious.

However, Hurricane Katrina has put the entire state of Tulane athletics into limbo.

In the wake of the tragedy, the school, located in New Orleans, was forced to suspend eight sports.

Tulane was given a five-year waiver by the NCAA and Conference USA to get back up to 16 sports. If the program doesn’t, it would lose its Division I status.

Last season was no walk in the park for Dickerson’s squad.

Because of Katrina, Tulane had to play its first three games at Texas A&M. The Green Wave finished 12-17.

Suffice to say, recruiting athletes to the school has become a tall order.

All of this may have Dickerson, who has no real ties to the area - he grew up in Olar, S.C. - looking at other opportunities.

Dickerson was recently linked to the head-coaching opening at the College of Charleston before former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins was hired.

The move by Dickerson wouldn’t be unprecedented. In May, University of New Orleans head coach Monte Towe left to join Sidney Lowe’s staff at North Carolina State.

The spot on Leitao’s staff has been open since May 25 when Gene Cross left for Notre Dame.

On Tuesday, The Daily Progress learned that former Virginia player Jason Williford - thought to be a leading candidate for the position - was no longer in the running.

Leitao could not be reached for comment.

 

Sanford suspended following incident
UVa Football Roundup
From staff reports / Charlottesville Daily Progress
July 6, 2006

Virginia walk-on quarterback Joe Sanford was suspended from the football team by coach Al Groh for one year, family sources confirmed on Wednesday.

Sanford’s suspension stems from an incident on Sunday morning. Charlottesville police said Sanford was charged with being drunk in public.

A police report said Sanford was disorderly and uncooperative, according to Sgt. Stephen Upman.

Sanford, a 2004 graduate of Monticello, finished his high school career ranked second all-time in passing in Central Virginia with 4,310 yards and was second-team all-state in VHSL Group AA as a senior.

Sanford joined Virginia’s team prior to the 2005 season but did not play and was redshirted.

EIGHT MORE RECRUITS IN LIMBO: A majority of recruits who inked letters of intent to play football at Virginia arrived in Charlottesville on Wednesday for orientation.

Seven of the 24 signees, however, failed to clear admissions and another, linebacker George Johnson, is still waiting to hear.

Johnson, who is from Glassboro, N.J., said last week on The Best Seat in the House, a show which airs during the week on 1070-AM, that he only needs a 400 on the verbal portion of the test to qualify.

Johnson has said publicly that he would enroll in prep school, if needed, to ensure that he could play at UVa.

The players that failed to clear admissions are as follows: Orange County defensive lineman Asa Chapman, offensive lineman Billy Cuffee, wideout Ras-I Dowling, defensive back DeAndre Filer, linebacker Almondo Sewell, defensive lineman Gavin Smith and quarterback O.C. Wardlow.

 

'Didn't see it coming'
Disappointed Herrion looks back on College of Charleston career
BY GENE SAPAKOFF
The Post and Courier

Tom Herrion stepped out of his Chevy Tahoe and into an early lunch crowd at Mount Pleasant's Dog & Duck restaurant.

"Let's get a booth," he said, "somewhere in the back."

Herrion ordered a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with potato salad.

A lot has happened since the 38-year-old Oxford, Mass., native was fired as College of Charleston head basketball coach on June 13. Gregg Marshall took the job and returned to Winthrop a day later. Bobby Cremins, the former South Carolina point guard and Georgia Tech head coach, was introduced Monday as Herrion's successor.

"I'm going to be a head coach again. I'm confident about that," Herrion said. "But that's not end-all, be-all for me. I was an assistant coach for a long time so if that's the route I have to go back to, fine. But I have great confidence that I will be a head coach again."

The yearly records slipped gradually from 25 wins in 2003 to 17 last season and home attendance hit a 13-year low, but Herrion's four-year mark of 80-38 looks good on a resume. His $787,000 contract buyout called for an initial $550,000 payment due June 30.

The check arrived in the mail on Friday.

"It was bittersweet, under the circumstances," Herrion said. "People who know me know I'm not about money."

Given a chance to have his say, Herrion in his first interview since his dismissal also addressed:

-- The timing of his firing, technically "without cause."

"I was blindsided. Didn't see it coming. Clearly wasn't expecting it."

-- His 80-38 record.

"We're proud of that - most wins in the Southern

Conference over the last four years. And yet we're disappointed we didn't have even more success. Being a head coach here was a great opportunity at a young age and I appreciate that."

Bad grades

-- Only two wins in four Southern Conference Tournaments:

"Very disappointing. Probably my biggest failure as a coach. We just did not perform well. I wish I had a clear solution to that but I don't."

-- Widespread criticism of his people skills.

"Well, I hear that 'connection' thing, yet I was applauded numerous times for my connection with the students via my e-mails to them before games. They made T-shirts to wear in the stands. In terms of our fans, my wife and I have opened our home on various occasions to the Cougar Club. I don't know if any other coaches at the College have done that. I never said 'no' to anything as far as speaking. Ask the kids at The Boys Club if we don't have people skills, or the people at Special Olympics or hospitals.

"As you reflect, you know, the only thing I can deduct is that this just wasn't a good fit. And it ties in with following a legend (John Kresse). That was a challenge I knew existed and never backed away from, but that was an obstacle."

-- Why he didn't do more to fix the "connection thing."

"I've always been the same person. But I think people equate your personality as a coach on the court and characterize that as who you are. That has been the most misleading thing about me. It's funny, but everybody thought my emotion was cute at halftime of our win in the Great Alaska Shootout championship game when I yanked my jacket off. Now when your team struggles a little bit, your personality is perceived differently."

-- His occasional use of salty language on the sideline, often directed at players in a style similar to that of many other major college coaches but not at all like Kresse:

"It's nothing I'm proud of and nothing intentional. You might use different words or a different style but the one thing I can say is, I am who I am. I was like this when I got here and I've been this way for four years."

-- Grade-point averages and a team GPA below 2.00 for the spring semester:

"I'll be the first one to admit we had a bad spring in the classroom. We put our own corrective measures in and we did a lot better in the first summer session."

-- Academic eligibility questions, a clean streak the school has maintained in basketball since the late Jeff Bolton was ineligible for a semester during the John Kresse years:

"One player, we've had concerns about his eligibility for the fall. Everyone else is on pace to be eligible and, more importantly, making progress toward their degree. I've never had a player ineligible during the academic year. Never."

-- Progress toward graduation, the key to the NCAA's new Academic Progress Rate and a sore spot for some Cougar fans who know two of the most prominent players from Kresse's NCAA-status teams - Thad Delaney and Marion Busby - cannot have their jerseys retired because they have not graduated, and the departure of potentially key players such as J.R. Hairston and Tavon Nelson:

"The irony is, my first real recruiting class hasn't even graduated yet. I came in and we only took two junior college players that first year. But this (senior) class with Dontaye (Draper) is my first class, and he's on time and on target to graduate next May. We've had some players leave but they have, or will, move on to Division I four-year schools. Every single player who has left has left the College of Charleston eligible to play."

Facilities 101

-- The arrest last season of players Drew Hall and Ryan Scott after a fight on King Street (charges were dropped) and whether or not he would have handled the situation differently after not suspending the players for parts of any games:

"That's an easy target. My answer is, I understand people were frustrated and confused about how we responded but in every single situation that has impacted our program, I have communicated from the get-go with the administration. And what about the responsibility I have on the other end of the phone to Drew Hall's mom and dad and Ryan Scott's mom asking if we're rushing to judgment?"

-- His relationship with Kresse, who took the program from NAIA status to four NCAA Tournament titles before missing postseason play his final three years as head coach:

"I thought it was very good. I clearly had a great deal of respect for Coach Kresse. I used him as a resource as much as he wanted to be used, and I thought he did a good job of keeping his distance. I have always recognized, and will continue to recognize, what he did for the program."

-- Scheduling, particularly the unusually weak 2005-2006 schedule:

"I'm the only coach in the school's history who has played an all (NCAA) Division I schedule. You're preaching to the choir. We had every intention of wanting a consistently tough, all-Division I schedule. We tried to arrange it last year and it just didn't work out. We had verbally agreed on a 2-for-1 series with South Carolina starting this coming year."

-- Charleston's relatively poor basketball facilities and its questionable remodeling timetable, which concerned Marshall and Coastal Carolina head coach Buzz Peterson, a Charleston head coach candidate who withdrew his name from consideration before Cremins was hired:

"I never made mention of that as an excuse or allowed anyone on my staff to use that as an excuse. We overcame various obstacles, but clearly the facilities are outdated and became dysfunctional for us as a staff."

Regrets

-- Turnover of assistant coaches and Peterson's claim that Coastal Carolina assistant coaches, as a staff, will make $60,000 more this year than Charleston coaches made last year:

"I was blessed with great coaches. We had some turnover, some of it financially driven and some because of upward mobility. It would have been nice to have had the same staff for three or four years, but we dealt with it. What Buzz said speaks volumes and was a little eye-opening."

-- Critics who prefer regulations on player hairstyles and dress, which some major college programs have and others do not:

"Bernard Jackson wore his hair in dreadlocks and I'm a better man for having the chance to coach that young man for three years. Or maybe a kid who wears his hair in corn rows ... It's just a different generation now. If that's my biggest fault, then so be it."

-- The 2006-2007 team, led by returnees Draper, Josh Jackson, David Lawrence and Jermaine Johnson and projected as a Southern Conference title favorite:

"We were all so excited - myself, the staff, the players. We had worked so hard to get to this next season. That's why the timing of all this was such a surprise."

-- His biggest regret:

"It took me a while to adjust our philosophy recruiting-wise in allowing our players to have a better chance within the classroom within a school, to its credit, that has become a very demanding school. I guess I'm guilty of bringing in some young men who weren't the brightest people on campus but I have no regrets about that. Maybe I would say our inability to perform well in the conference tournament."

The millionaire

-- His favorite achievement:

"I ran a clean program - never had an NCAA violation. We were ranked in the top 25 and won a postseason basketball game. I'm most proud of watching my players grow and to have the reaction of my current and former players and staff members who have reached out to me and my family as this thing kind of unfolded, well, it's been overwhelming, to be honest."

-- The $787,000 buyout shrewdly negotiated by Herrion's agent, Boston-based Dennis Coleman, who got the $550,000 lump sum up front and the right for Herrion to "double dip" - keep the rest of the money even if he lands another head coaching job - instead of Herrion getting a $250,000 check each of the next four years:

"Again, it's bittersweet."

Herrion, his wife Leslie and six-month-old son Robert will remain in their home in Mount Pleasant's I'On neighborhood until he bites on a full-time job offer. Today, he is off to Indianapolis to work the annual Nike Camp, helping with the invited college players who serve as counselors.

"No one can ever say we didn't work hard at the College of Charleston, or that we didn't work our brains out," Herrion said. "We did it the right way. I can put my head on my pillow at night knowing we did it the right way."

With that, Herrion grabbed the check from the waitress and refused to hand it over.

"Relax," he said. "I'm the Lowcountry's newest millionaire."

 

After $7,500 ace and new job, golfer's wedding was icing on cake
By MARK WOGENRICH
The Allentown Morning Call
Published on: 07/05/06

Allentown, Pa. — The day before his wedding, Jeremy Weaver gathered with his groomsmen for the traditional round of golf. The group went to Iron Lakes in Allentown, which two years ago began an in-house hole-in-one promotion: Buy a $2 ticket at the par-3 6th, make the ace, win $5,000.

Since no one had ever made the winning hole in one, Iron Lakes increased the prize to $7,500 this year. The promotion runs Thursdays through Mondays during the golf season.

Playing with his best man, Josh Harper, Weaver had a pretty good round going by the time he reached No. 6. He nearly aced the par-3 second hole, missing by 18 inches.

Weaver had had some extra practice time recently, having been laid off two weeks before the wedding. The self-described golf addict enjoyed the chance to play, but his bills were beginning to pile up.

Upon reaching the sixth hole, a 152-yard par 3 across a lake, Weaver paid the $2 and took aim with a 6 iron. He knew the shot was on line but figured it would come up a little short. It didn't.

The Iron Lakes employee monitoring the hole peered through his binoculars. One bounce and in, he said. Hole in one.

A disbelieving Weaver didn't even bother heading to the seventh tee. He and Harper retired to the clubhouse bar, where a celebration began while they waited for the $7,500 prize.

About an hour into the party, Weaver's cell phone rang. It was a manager from a company with whom he had recently interviewed. Offering a job. In fact, Weaver called it his "dream job," a position in pharmaceutical sales.

So in little more than an hour, Weaver, who turns 25 next week, had won enough money to pay for the honeymoon and been offered a job to help pay for the future.

"I called my wife (Kate) as soon as it happened, and she didn't believe me," Weaver said. "Then I called my mom. She didn't believe me, either."

The honeymoon will have to wait, though. Kate currently is teaching summer school, and Weaver starts his new job Friday. But when they do go, here's a gentle bit of advice for the new Mrs. Weaver.

Let Jeremy bring his clubs.