Despite last place ranking, Cavs push on
New coach Leitao brings added intensity to preseason practice,
prepares Virginia to face tough ACC competition
Jeremy Root, Cavalier Daily Gameday Editor
There wasn't much drama at the ACC's 44th annual Operation Basketball
Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. Duke was selected as the unanimous
choice to take home the ACC regular season title, as the Blue
Devils garnered all 87 votes from the media.
It was the fifth time in the past six years and the 11th overall
that Duke was chosen as the pre-season favorite.
"They have a great deal of talent -- talent that has enjoyed a
great deal of success," Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser said.
Chief among their talent are seniors J.J. Redick, the reigning
ACC Player of the Year, and Shelden Williams, the returning
National Defensive Player of the Year. Both were unanimous
Pre-Season All-ACC selections, and Redick edged out Williams for
Pre-Season ACC Player of the Year honors. Craig Smith (Boston
College), Guillermo Diaz (Miami) and Justin Gray (Wake Forest)
joined the Duke duo as selections on the All-ACC team.
ACC newcomer, Boston College, whose team had a 20-game win
streak last winter and returns four starters from that squad,
was voted No. 2, and Wake Forest was predicted to finish third.
It was a rough welcome to the conference for Virginia's
first-year coach, Dave Leitao. His Cavaliers were selected to
finish last place in the league.
"You just got to go out and try to cover as many bases as you
can and get the team focused and ready and hopefully motivated
enough night-in, night-out to perform at the highest level,"
Leitao said. "You're talking about a league, by virtue of its
performance and condition, that is arguably the best, so you
have to be at your best."
Leitao will rely heavily on point guard Sean Singletary, an
All-ACC Freshmen Team selection in 2005 and the only Cavalier to
start every game. Singletary averaged 10.5 points, 3.9 assists
and 3.0 rebounds last season and ranked sixth in the ACC with a
1.61 assist/turnover ratio and ninth in the league in assists
and steals per game.
"When you're trying to have a message brought across to the
group, one of the people that can best understand it is your
point guard," Leitao said of the relationship with Singletary.
"Not only lead by example because of talent but lead by example
because of work ethic. That part has been very good thus far."
Part of the message Singletary has had to bring to his teammates
is one of a tough practice schedule that includes intense
workouts that sometimes begin at 6 a.m. in the morning.
"The change in practice has definitely been a shock to some
people, but they're getting a feel for it," Singletary said. "It
keeps me on top of my game; it keeps me disciplined. I'm not the
fastest guy by far, but I'm always in the front because I just
push myself."
It will be a very different season for the 2005-2006 Cavaliers
with the departure of the controversial Elton Brown and the
arrival of the no-nonsense approach of Leitao. There are already
clear positive changes in this year's team, especially with
respect to team unity.
"Everybody is more unified -- there's no arguing, there's no
complaining," junior J.R. Reynolds said. "Everybody knows we got
a job we got to get done."
A lifelong Wahoo basketball fan looking for some faith
Mickey Cloud, Cavalier Daily Sports Columnist
My roommate and GameDay editor, Joey Mancini, went to the men's basketball media
day two weeks ago and came back gushing. He saw the control new coach Dave
Leitao has on the team and the faith the players have in the program. Players
talked candidly about themselves, the new program and the off-season training
regimens, where the team wakes up every day at 6 a.m. to practice and work out.
Joey came back with stories upon stories that sucked me right back into
believing in the inevitable rise of Virginia basketball.
And it's not that I shouldn't believe -- I want to, I really do. It's just that
I've been down this road before. I lived through the good times and the bad,
and, with a new season, new coach and new program upon us, I need to reflect on
my Virginia past before I can look to the future.
Growing up a college basketball fan in North Carolina, there was only one
decision to make. North Carolina or Duke? Yeah, you could side with State or
Wake Forest, but you wouldn't be taken seriously, like an annoying younger
sibling. So growing up a Virginia fan? You wouldn't even be considered a family
member.
But, despite that fact, I had no choice but to become a Wahoo fan. Both my
parents were at the University back when basketball mattered. So, instead of
hearing bedtime stories about Peter Rabbit, I got stories about Ralph, Parkhill
and Holland. Okay, I lied. I got Peter Rabbit, but, more importantly, I got
Ralph.
I spent the majority of my childhood answering to unusually demanding kids about
why I didn't like either UNC or Duke. I defended Jeff Jones like Isiah Thomas
defends all of his personnel moves: over and over again. And yet, I never
wavered. I believed in the inevitable rise to greatness the 1992 NIT
Championship ensured. That overtime thriller is one of my first memories of
watching the Cavaliers, and, invariably, I was hooked. I could only imagine how
it would get once we made the NCAAs.
I remember exactly where I was when I learned Virginia had beaten No. 1 seed
Kansas in 1995 to reach the Elite Eight: the Charlotte-Douglas Airport. Sure, I
found out by reading USA Today because I wasn't allowed to stay up to watch the
game, but boy was I proud when I found out. I stuck out my chest, pulled the
brim of my Chase Matheney-autographed Virginia hat down and ruled as the King of
Gate C.
The inevitable rise never came, however. I entered middle school on the down
years of the Jeff Jones era, forced to endure snail-paced basketball that did
not work, all while having my nose rubbed in Carolina and Duke blue.
But then there came hope: high school and a new Gillenium. Pete Gillen was able
to utilize athletes like Adam Hall, Chris Williams and Donald Hand. They flew
down the court, forced turnovers and scored in bunches. I even had Keith Friel
to idolize.
The times, they were a'changing. We got THAT class: Travis Watson, Roger Mason,
Jr. and Majestic Mapp. All of sudden, we were beating Duke at home and Carolina
on the road. I remember the biggest Tar Heel fan I knew remarking in awe,
"Travis Watson is a bear." And he was my bear. I brought back the Matheney hat.
And then March 2001 happened. I had a feeling Gonzaga would be the best No. 12
seed ever. But it was okay, I had faith. Being from North Carolina, I was able
to follow the score on TV at school. When the producers finally switched to the
game, I watched as Mason, Jr. drove the length of the court and short-armed a
kiss off the glass. The thud I heard was my heart. I was Andy Dufresne, standing
in the courtroom, receiving two life sentences for murdering two people I didn't
kill.
I endured the rest of the Gillen era, a roller coaster unto itself. The highs
got rarer, the double-digit road losses to Clemson more frequent. I began to
slip. The Bob Knight-esque tirades over losses became fewer and even my arrival
at the University couldn't change my gloomy outlook. I had become the typical
supportive yet apathetic basketball fan.
So where does this leave me today? Back to defending my choice of Virginia over
any North Carolina school. Back to yearning for the belief that the inevitable
rise to greatness still is inevitable.
Coach Leitao, please help. Bring back our belief in Virginia basketball. I've
got the Matheney hat waiting.
MONEYBALL: AL GROH
U.Va.'s Al Groh locked down a new deal in August
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 26, 2005
CHARLOTTESVILLE - A portion of the University of Virginia fan base may be
grumbling about the football team's slide into mediocrity this season, but U.Va.
officials remain firmly behind fifth-year coach Al Groh, who received a new
contract in August.
Should U.Va. dismiss Groh, however, it could cost the school dearly.
The Times-Dispatch recently received copies of the contracts for Groh and new
men's basketball coach Dave Leitao from U.Va. in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act. The contracts reveal that the university has considerably more
money invested in Groh than in Leitao.
Not only is Groh's annual compensation nearly twice that of Leitao, but U.Va.
might have to spend about $10 million if it one day chooses to fire Groh, whose
money essentially is guaranteed.
Buying out Leitao, by comparison, likely would cost U.Va. closer to $2 million.
U.Va. previously had provided to the news media only summaries of the
compensation packages for its coaches, including Leitao's predecessor, Pete
Gillen. These summaries did not include information about what U.Va. would owe a
coach whom it dismissed.
In August, U.Va. gave Groh, 61, a new five-year contract. It superseded his
original deal, on which he had three seasons left.
His first contract at U.Va. paid him an average of $765,000 annually, and Groh's
guaranteed compensation was to have been about $900,000 this year. His new deal
runs through Dec.31, 2010, but includes a rollover provision that could keep the
contract's length at five years.
It also makes Groh one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.
Groh, a 1967 graduate of U.Va., is guaranteed $1.7 million this year - $240,000
in base salary and $1.46 million in additional compensation. Groh is eligible
for a 5 percent cost-of-living increase each year. Groh's annual package could
be worth around $2.17 million by the 2010 season.
In Leitao's and Groh's contracts reasons are listed for which each could be
fired "for cause." These include violations of NCAA rules and misconduct by the
coach that brings "contempt or ridicule" upon U.Va. or its athletic department.
More often, college coaches are dismissed because they haven't won enough games.
Should U.Va. decide to fire Leitao "without cause," the school would owe him
twice his annual compensation, though the buyout could later be reduced if
Leitao were to find another basketball-related job in the two years that
followed.
Groh's deal, meanwhile, is more similar to the one that sources said Gillen once
had.
Gillen, who had six seasons left on a contract worth about $900,000 annually,
received a buyout of about $2 million when he stepped down under pressure in
March. U.Va. might have had to pay him the full value of his contract, more than
$5 million, had the school not been able to rework Gillen's deal, sources have
told the T-D.
Virginia came close to firing Gillen after the 2003-04 season, those sources
said, but he agreed to renegotiate his contract and reduce his buyout.
If U.Va. were to fire Groh for reasons not specified in his contract, the school
would owe him an amount equal to his annual base compensation - projected to be
close to $2 million in 2008 - multiplied by the "number of full and fractional
years" left on his deal. The buyout could be reduced if Groh were to take
another football-related job.
A buyout in the $10 million range - about $2 million multiplied by five (years)
- would be considered a "worst-case scenario" for U.Va., Athletic Director Craig
Littlepage said in a recent interview.
"Certainly I don't want to be viewed as speculating that that sort of thing is
contemplated," Littlepage said. "Usually if things ever got to that point, you
probably wouldn't see a university and the employee [with many years left on the
contract]. It's probably something that's been ongoing for a number of years,
and you're dealing with it on an annual basis as far as your evaluations, etc."
U.Va. expects this to be Groh's last coaching job before he retires. Groh's
staff includes his older son, Michael, a U.Va. alumnus who coaches the team's
quarterbacks. Groh's younger son, Matthew, is a student in U.Va.'s law school.
In April, U.Va. hired Leitao, who'd spent the previous three seasons as coach at
DePaul University. Leitao received a five-year contract that guarantees him
$925,000 his first year - a base salary of $215,000 and additional compensation
of $710,000 for fundraising work, product endorsements and radio and TV
appearances.
Leitao, 45, also is eligible for a 5 percent cost-of-living increase each year,
which means that by the 2009-10 season his contract could be worth more than
$1.12 million annually. One year will be added to Leitao's contract in April
2006, and U.Va. will have the option of adding an additional year each
succeeding April.
This is Groh's fifth season as U.Va.'s coach after replacing George Welsh.The
Cavaliers are 34-24 under Groh. Each of his past three teams won at least eight
games and advanced to a minor bowl. U.Va., which upset then-No.4 Florida State
on Oct.15, is 4-3 after losing at North Carolina last weekend.
Extra incentives
GROH
ACC coach of year
$25,000
National coach of year
$25,000
ACC title game appearance
$100,000
Non-BCS bowl with payout more than $1 million
$75,000
BCS appearance
$150,000
Win BCS game
$50,000
BCS national title-game appearance
$400,000
Win BCS national-title game
$100,000
Final ranking (16-20)
$125,000
Final ranking (11-15)
$150,000
Final ranking (6-10)
$225,000
Final ranking (1-5)
$275,000
LEITAO
ACC coach of year
$20,000
National coach of year
$25,000
ACC regular-season title
$25,000
ACC tournament title
$50,000
NCAA tournament
$40,000
NCAA Sweet 16
$60,000
NCAA regional final
$75,000
NCAA Final Four
$100,000
NCAA title
$150,000
Top-25 finish in national poll
$10,000
Top-20 finish
$15,000
Top-10 finish
$25,000
Top-5 finish
$40,000
More provisions
U.Va. paid DePaul $500,000 to buy out Leitao's deal at the Chicago school. If
Leitao were to leave before April 18, 2010, he might have to repay some or all
of that money.
If Leitao were to take another job before April 17, 2010, he would owe $1
million to U.Va. Should Leitao complete the first five full years of his
contract, the figure would be reduced by $100,000 at the end of each succeeding
year until the buyout reached $500,000, where it would remain.
Leitao gets 16 season tickets to U.Va. regular-season home games during the
2005-06 men's basketball season. Starting in 2006-07, when the 15,000-seat John
Paul Jones Arena opens, he'll get 20 season tickets. Leitao will get 16 tickets
to the ACC men's basketball tournament for personal use. He also gets six season
tickets for U.Va. home football games.
Groh gets 10 season tickets for U.Va. home football games and eight season
tickets for regular-season home games in men's basketball. He gets four tickets
for the ACC men's basketball tournament for personal use and six tickets for use
by his assistant coaches and other football staffers.
U.Va. provides Groh a luxury suite at Scott Stadium for use by his family and
guests during home football games.
Leitao and Groh are provided two late-model cars apiece. U.Va. will pay the
annual dues at an athletic club or country club in the Charlottesville area for
each coach, too.
-- Jeff White
Owls may look again to Navy to resurrect football
Doug Doughty
The Roanoke Times
The most success that Temple's football program has enjoyed in the post-World
War II era was when a formal Naval Academy coach, Wayne Hardin, compiled an
80-52-3 record over a 13-year span, 1970-82.
Now, another former Navy coach is being mentioned in connection with the
opening.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week that the name of recent College
Football Hall of Fame inductee George Welsh, who resurrected programs at Navy
and Virginia, has surfaced in connection with the Temple position that is soon
to come open.
Eighth-year Owls' coach Bobby Wallace has said he will not return in 2005.
"I haven't heard from Temple," said Welsh, who retired at UVa following the 2000
season but has said he is not opposed to a return to coaching, even as an
assistant.
The Inquirer said Welsh did not want to talk about any openings until Virginia
(4-3) finishes its season, but that may have been a misunderstanding.
"There was a bad phone connection," said Welsh, who turned 72 this summer.
"That's not what I meant."
Welsh said he is involved in several projects he would like to see to
conclusion, including the Master Coaches' Survey, a weekly college football poll
that involves former coaches like Welsh, Bo Schembechler, Barry Switzer and Don
Nehlen.
Welsh also has been involved in talks about writing a book.
"But, not about me," he said.
Getting well
Current UVa coach Al Groh said on a Sunday teleconference that the Cavaliers
hope to have sophomore outside linebacker Jermaine Dias back at practice
Thursday and by no later than next Monday in anticipation of a Nov. 5 game with
Temple.
Dias has missed the past four games with a sprained foot and teams have been
picking on replacement Mark Miller ("I'm sure you can see that," Groh said).
Miller started the first four games of the season at inside linebacker, then
moved outside linebacker when Ahmad Brooks returned to the inside.
"I think Mark has done an admirable job, considering he was just recruited for
the position three weeks ago," Groh said, "but we like our players at that
position to be in the 245-255 range. Mark right now is playing in the low 220s."
Dias (6-1, 235) started the first two games before suffering a sprained foot
Sept. 24 against Duke. He will have been sidelined six weeks if he plays against
Temple, but "sometimes a sprain can be worse than a break," Groh said.
Local update
Tight end John Phillips, a 2005 signee from Bath County High School, started for
the Cavaliers on Saturday at North Carolina. Sophomore Tom Santi has been lining
up at fullback and Phillips could see increased playing time if he can provide
some much-needed blocking help. ... Groh said that freshman outside linebacker
Aaron Clark from Rockbridge County, missed the trip as the result of internal
bleeding.
n Ex-Virginia safety Jermaine Hardy, on the UVa sidelines Saturday at North
Carolina, said he has joined the Carolina Panthers' practice squad after being
waived by Arizona late in the preseason. ... Hardy, a graduate of William
Fleming, said that former UVa teammate Dennis Haley from Salem is with the
Baltimore Ravens' practice squad.
Recruiting
Groh called his weekly radio show Monday night from the road, where he was
scouting a player "who is on a list of the five best players we are recruiting,"
he said. That player, whom he did not identify by name, was 6-foot-5, 300-pound
Jared Odrick, a defensive lineman from Lebanon, Pa.
Connections
Freshman forward Kelly Quinn, the third-leading scorer for Virginia's
fifth-ranked women's soccer team, is the younger sister of Notre Dame
quarterback Brady Quinn from Dublin, Ohio. Four of Brady Quinn's six touchdown
passes Saturday were to Maurice Stovall, whose younger sister, Enonge, is a
freshman on the UVa women's basketball team.
n Tara McKnight, a walk-on member of the Virginia women's basketball team, is
the daughter of Tom McKnight, an ex-UVa golfer who has won more than $500,000 in
his first full season on the Champions Tour. Tara McKnight said her father's
rejection of a 2004 offer to coach the Cavalier men's golf team "was the hardest
decision he ever had to make."
In the swim
Virginia swimming coach Mark Bernardino said that freshman Kate Beedie from
North Cross decided during captains' practice that she did not want to pursue
swimming competitively. Beedie, a walk-on, holds the Timesland record in the
100-yard backstroke and was a two-time All-Timesland selection.
One of UVa's top men's recruits, Tony Colella from Austin, Texas, lived in
Roanoke as a pre-teen and began his competitive swimming career with the Forest
Hills summer team.