Rocco headed Liberty's way
Golden, Prince also candidates for head coaching jobs
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
December 2, 2005

One of Danny Rocco's dreams was to become the head coach at the college level.
That dream will become reality this morning.

At 9 a.m. today in Lynchburg, on the campus of Liberty University, Rev. Jerry Falwell, the school's chancellor, will introduce Rocco as the new head football coach.

Rocco has coached Virginia's outside linebackers since 2001 and has been the program's associate head coach since 2002.

The departure of Rocco might not be the last for Groh's program, which finished the regular season at 6-5.

UVa offensive coordinator Ron Prince interviewed on Thursday in Manhattan, Kan., for the vacant head coaching position at Kansas State and defensive coordinator Al Golden has interviewed twice at Temple University to replace former coach Bobby Wallace, who went 19-71 during his tenure.

At Liberty, Rocco replaces Ken Karcher, who went 21-45 in six years. Falwell fired Karcher on Nov. 18.

The decision to take the job at Liberty did not come with ease for Rocco, who had been an assistant coach at UVa under Al Groh for the past five years. Rocco served as a low-level assistant coach under Groh in 2000 with the New York Jets.

Rocco, 45, said it ultimately came down to Liberty's "commitment" to producing a winning football program.

"I think any time you look at all of us assistant coaches who have aspirations to be a head coach, the formula may vary for different guys," said Rocco, who will get a five-year deal. "But, for me the major criteria was 'Do you have an opportunity to compete and to win in your conference.'

"[Liberty] is a I-AA program who is in the process of making a commitment to try to go to Division I and Dr. Falwell has a vision, basically a 10-year plan."

Terms of Rocco's agreement with Liberty are unknown, but he said he hopes to coach in Virginia's upcoming bowl game, which will likely be in San Francisco on Dec. 29.

"When I went in to talk to Coach Groh for guidance Wednesday afternoon ... I offered my services for the bowl game," Rocco said. "[Coach Groh said that was a] good thing, so I will most likely come back and work the bowl game."

Virginia's bowl fate will likely remain unknown until Sunday, but regardless of the locale, the timing is perfect for Rocco.

The NCAA has a "dead period" in recruiting from Dec. 19 to Jan. 1.

"It wouldn't really matter where I am at," Rocco said. "I can do my work on the phone and my staff at Liberty can do their work. I don't necessarily physically have to be there. I think that's what we will end up doing."

Liberty, coming of a 1-10 season, competes in Big South Conference, which has just five members in football - Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb and VMI.

"As we move forward, the first thing I think you have to look at is the ability to compete and win in your conference," Rocco said. "That's the thing that really intrigues me.

"The Big South Conference, I like the league. It is a good, solid league, but there really isn't a perennial champion in this league. I think we are going to be able to compete and I think we are going to be able to compete early and have the opportunity to compete for that championship - and that's what you want to be able to do."

Rocco said he would spend the next 10 days at Liberty, meeting with the team and forming a staff, which sources have said will likely include UVa graduate assistant Chad Wilt.

Prince, 36, was flown to Manhattan, Kan., on Thursday for a second interview with officials at Kansas State according to multiple sources. After lengthy discussions at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, it was reported that Prince returned to Charlottesville Thursday night.

Rocco told the Kansas City Star on Thursday that Prince was being courted by Kansas State and said it is just a matter of time before Virginia's offensive coordinator gets a head coaching job.

"I'll say this about him - whether it's Kansas State this year or Northwestern next year or Texas Tech the year after that, it's just a matter of time for him to get his chance," Rocco told the paper. "He'll have his day, and he'll do well."

Published reports have mentioned former Kansas State assistant Phil Bennett as another candidate to replace former coach Bill Snyder, who announced his retirement Nov. 15 after 17 years with the school and is currently part of the search committee.

The candidate pool for KSU's opening got smaller in the past 48 hours as South Florida coach Jim Leavitt, a former KSU assistant, signed a contract extension, and Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables said publicly that he would not pursue the KSU job.

Prince spent his childhood in Junction City, Kan., which is 30 minutes from Manhattan, and played part of his college football career at Dodge City (Kan.) Community College.

If hired as a head coach, Prince would become the fourth African-American coach currently at the NCAA I-A level.

Golden, 36, is one of the leading candidates for the opening at Temple and has been interviewed by the school twice in the past month.

Temple officials would not comment on the search on Thursday, but the school plans to announce a new coach in the next 10 days.

Temple Athletic Director Bill Bradshaw told the Philadelphia Daily News on Thursday that the candidate pool, which includes Wisconsin assistant Brian White and Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers coach Hue Jackson, has left the school with several qualified options.

"Since it appears likely that any of these [candidates] would be successful as our next head football coach, we are left with the challenge of selecting the right fit for Temple University," Bradshaw said. "We have established mutual interest with an impressive group of candidates."

Temple, a winless team this year, will join the Mid-American Conference (MAC) as a full-time member in 2007.

 

Cain offers more than stats for UVa
Cain registers 7 points, 3 rebounds, much hustle
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
December 2, 2005

Following the University of Virginia's
72-57 rout of Northwestern Wednesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, UVa's Jason Cain sat on a couch in the team's player lounge with a disgusted look on his face.

Cain's demeanor was surprising since he had just played his best game of the season. The junior forward's stats weren't great - three points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes - but his hustle and energy gave the Cavaliers some semblance of an inside presence for the first time in four games.

"In the first half I struggled," Cain said. "I didn't have the kind of half I wanted to. I couldn't get any worse than the first half. You can't get any worse than rock bottom."

Cain was probably being a little hard on himself. During his post-game press conference, Cavs coach Dave Leitao went out of his way to praise Cain - something he hadn't done previously.

"I thought Jason was very, very good," Leitao said. "He just kept coming back. I thought he played very good defense on [Vedran] Vukusic and he also rebounded the ball on both ends - especially on offense and keeping the ball alive."

In the first three games of the season, Cain had averaged 3.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. Against Northwestern, the 6-foot-10, 212-pounder made a concerted effort to hit the glass. "I just can't find my groove right now, so when that happens the best thing to do is rebound," he said.

And play some defense. An important moment in the game occurred when Cain drew a charge on Vukusic, Northwestern's top gun. It was the Croatian's fourth foul.

"Coach assigned me to [Vukusic]," Cain said. "I just tried to play hard and play tough defense on him. Taking charges is part of defense."

Getting Vukusic to pick up the offensive foul was key, according to Cavs point guard Sean Singletary.

"That was a big play right there," Singletary said, "but [Cain] also contributed with some hustle rebounds on the offensive and defensive glass, and with some energy. He had a big game. We hope he has many more like it."

Leitao is constantly in the ear of Cain - a player who he believes has the skills to put up better numbers than he has in his first two seasons. In the season-opener against Liberty, Leitao went berserk on Cain when he failed to box his man out just before the end of the half. "There's probably no guy I get on more in games and practices," Leitao said.

Like Tunji Soroye - another Cavs big man who Leitao is constantly riding - Cain said he doesn't take it personally.

"He's just trying to build mental toughness," Cain said. "I'm not as mentally strong as I thought I was. When he stops talking to me, that's probably when I really need to start worrying."

Cain launched his first 3-pointer of the season against Northwestern. Whether or not the Cavs want Cain taking a lot of those is for debate, but outside shooting is one of Cain's strengths.

Cain believes he needs to find his niche within each game in order to make his greatest contribution.

"I need to watch film with coach and see what's going on - not just through my eyes, but through the eyes of coach," Cain said.

Cain isn't angered when he hears that the Cavs' frontcourt is the weak link.

"I don't really care what other people say," Cain said. "There's always going to be critics out there."

DUNKS. Freshman post player Laurynas Mikalauskas came off the bench for the first time this season against Northwestern. The Blue Ridge product was in early foul trouble and played just eight minutes, a season low. ? Freshman walk-on Drew Shiembob got into the game in the first half because of the Cavs' foul trouble. Shiembob had a donut stat line, but Leitao was pleased with the Richmond native's performance. "I thought he gave us some energy, set some screens and did pretty good in his time," Leitao said. ? The Cavs' eight turnovers against the Wildcats were a season low - and a vast improvement from the Arizona game when they committed 24. ? The Cavs begin their ACC season at Georgia Tech on Sunday night.

 

Trio of U.Va. assistants in running for other jobs
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© December 2, 2005

It’s become an annual rite at the University of Virginia, members of Al Groh’s coaching staff leaving for other jobs.

This year, however, the turnover could be greater than usual, with three assistant coaches — including the team’s offensive and defensive coordinators — reportedly in the running to become head coaches at other schools.

Offensive coordinator Ron Prince, 36, has emerged as a leading candidate at Kansas State. Temple is looking at defensive coordinator Al Golden, 36, as a possible head coach. Danny Rocco, 45, who coaches outside linebackers, is a finalist at Liberty.

All three are charter members of Groh’s staff in their fifth season at Virginia.

Groh’s philosophy has been to hire young, energetic assistants willing to beat the bushes on the recruiting trail. The payoff has been a series of highly rated recruiting classes. The trade-off has been high turnover.

Five assistants have left since Groh took over in 2001, former offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave among them. Musgrave took a job with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. Three other assistants left for NFL jobs as well, while Kevin Ross left to join his father, Bobby, at Army.

Golden, who played at Penn State and for the New England Patriots for one season, has been the architect of Virginia’s 3-4 defense. In addition to serving as defensive coordinator, he coached defensive backs this season.

Prince came to Virginia as offensive line coach and kept that responsibility after becoming offensive coordinator following Musgrave’s departure after the 2002 season. He grew up in Junction City, Kan., not far from Kansas State.

Rocco coached under Groh at Wake Forest in 1986 and with the New York Jets in 2000. His brother Frank and father, Frank Sr., coached at Liberty.

The loss of so many coaches could hurt in recruiting, where building and maintaining relationships is important. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer has cited the stability of his staff as one of the keys to the Hokies’ success, both on the field and in recruiting.

Virginia finished the regular season 6-5 and is awaiting a bowl bid, most likely to the Music City Bowl in Nashville or the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco.

 

Liberty hires UVa assistant Rocco
Cavaliers assistants Al Golden and Ron Prince also have interviewed for head coaching jobs.
By Doug Doughty
981-3219
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia lost one of its top assistant football coaches Thursday amid fears that there will be more to follow.

Danny Rocco, the Cavaliers' assistant head coach, will be introduced today as the head coach at Division I-AA Liberty.

Offensive coordinator Ron Prince and defensive coordinator Al Golden have been interviewed for Division I-A openings at Kansas State and Temple, respectively.

Golden has close ties with another UVa assistant, Mark D'Onofrio, who could become a Temple target if Golden gets that job.

Rocco, who coaches outside linebackers at UVa, said he spoke twice with UVa head coach Al Groh before accepting the position and that Groh had interceded on his behalf with Liberty president Dr. Jerry Falwell.

"Dr. Falwell called and said, 'I just got off the phone with your agent,' " said Rocco, 45. "I told him, 'I don't have an agent.' But, I think that speaks to how supportive he's been."

Rocco's father, Frank, helped in football operations at Liberty for several years and a brother, Frank Jr., served on the Flames' staff before going to Lynchburg Christian Academy. Another brother, David, is the head coach at Staunton River High School.

"I'm not taking this job because of my family, although it certainly reads that way," said Rocco, who will receive a five-year contract. "But, I think the fact that Frank and dad were there adds credence to the decision. I think they would have told me if this was not a good idea."

Rocco said Liberty will open a new football support building in July and Falwell has talked about moving up to Division I-A in 10 years.

Rocco said he volunteered to help coach Virginia in its bowl game and Groh seemed inclined to accept his offer.

 

Cavaliers could lose as many as four coaches
Timing could be better as recruits arrive
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

When Virginia defensive coordinator Al Golden was being mentioned in connection with the new football staff at Notre Dame, I remember thinking his departure would have a devastating effect on the UVa’s program.

So now that Golden is one of four Cavalier coaching seen as casualties of this year’s coaching free-for-all, why am I thinking that their loss might not be so devastating?

Golden has spoken to Temple officials about the Owls’ head-coaching vacancy, according to a report in the Philadelphia Daily News; offensive coordinator Ron Prince is a Kansas State target, and assistant head coach Danny Rocco has been offered the job at Division I-AA Liberty.

"A cradle of coaches," Kansas City Star and ex-Roanoke reporter Blair Kerkhoff called it. "What was Virginia’s record, 6-5?"

If Golden is offered the Temple job and accepts it, there would be immediate speculation about UVa linebackers coach Mark D’Onofrio joining him. D’Onofrio and Golden were roommates at Penn State and D’Onofrio was seen as a likely Notre Dame hire on a Golden defensive staff.

Golden could offer D’Onofrio the position of defensive coordinator, an upgrade from his UVa spot. D’Onofrio has been on the UVa defensive staff for one year, but there is no other obvious candidate from the staff.

If it were only Golden leaving, Rocco would be the obvious replacement, but Rocco is probably the most likely to leave. If Golden and Rocco leave, then UVa head coach Al Groh will have a defensive coordinator’s job to offer somebody, presumably at a salary within sight of Golden’s $200,000 per year.

The loss of Golden and D’Onofrio might have been devastating last year, but looking at Virginia in the wake of a 6-5 season, I’m not sure how promising things look otherwise. Their presence didn’t allow the Cavaliers to scale new heights.

Two guys – two guys who don’t play – can’t make that much difference.

Of course, you need good recruiters to get good players, and Golden and D’Onofrio can recruit. When it appeared last year that they might go to Notre Dame, many people wondered if Virginia’s contacts in New Jersey – the Garden State – might dry up.

And, that’s where my thinking has changed. Groh has targeted New Jersey as fertile Virginia recruiting territory since he took the job in the winter of 2000-2001, but the results have been inconsistent.

For every Wali Lundy, who has rushed for 3,000 yards in his career, there has been a Ron Morton, a speedy wide receiver and eventually flunked out of school. Consider some of the other New Jersey players brought in by Groh and his staff: Scott Robinson, Gordie Sammis, Marvin Richardson, Lance Evans.

None of those five players have had an impact at Virginia and even a guy like Jermaine Dias, a starter at linebacker when healthy this season, is at a crossroads as to whether he’ll be an impact player. Other top schools have recruited these kids, so I’m not questioning the Golden/D’Onofrio evaluations, but it makes me wonder about the level of play in New Jersey.

Moreover, recruiting coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Groh recruits south Jersey and has been the point man for some of the UVa signees from that area, so, presumably, UVa would be able to maintain a presence in that area.

Groh put together his staff with an eye toward recruiting and all four of the coaches in question – Golden, D’Onofrio, Prince and Rocco – have a history as successful recruiters. It was Prince who snuck into Southside and plucked a pair of small-school standouts, Cedric Peerman and Vic Hall.

Rocco had central and Southwestern Virginia and was assigned the Peninsula District and surrounding area this year after recruiting coordinator Mike London took a job with the Houston Texans (think he might be available ?). Rocco’s loss would mean three recruiters in three years in a fertile recruiting area that Virginia Tech’s Jim Cavanaugh has prowled for 25 years.

(You know, there’s a guy in UVa’s community relations, working out of the Fontaine Research Park, who was the best recruiter the Cavaliers ever had, but people don’t like me to mention his name, which, by the way, rhymes with Gilmer).

If coaches leave, it’s not like Virginia won’t be able to fill their positions. Besides, with 17 players committed, the Cavaliers already have a pretty good start on their recruiting class, even if 1-2 players were to decommit, which would probably be the max.

It could make for some awkard moments this weekend, when Virginia is bringing a large group of prospects to campus.

A best-case scenario for Groh and the program would be for nobody to leave. These are good coaches and they’re a credit to the program, but this was not an outstanding team at the end of the year and it’s not going to become great overnight, no matter who’s doing the coaching.

U.Va. assistants may be moving on
dslater@dailypress.com 247-4641
December 2 2005

Virginia's football program is on the brink of losing its primary Hampton Roads recruiter for the second consecutive year.

Associate head coach Danny Rocco is a top candidate for Liberty University's head-coaching job, and the school has offered it to him, according to multiple statewide reports. Liberty will hold a press conference at 9 a.m. today to "discuss the future of the Flames' football program," according to a media release.

After last season, recruiting coordinator Mike London, a Bethel High graduate, left U.Va. to become the Houston Texans' defensive-line coach.

Rocco did not return a telephone message Thursday.

U.Va. offensive coordinator Ron Prince and defensive coordinator Al Golden are reportedly also candidates for head-coaching positions - Prince at Kansas State and Golden at Temple. Prince could not be reached by phone Thursday. Golden did not return a message. Virginia's offensive ranked fifth of 12 Atlantic Coast Conference teams this season, with 26 points per game. The defense ranked eight with 22.5 points per game.

Rocco arrived at U.Va. with head coach Al Groh in January 2001 and was the Cavaliers' recruiting coordinator from then until February 2002. After London left, he took over Hampton Roads, with the exception of Virginia Beach, which Bob Price recruits. Rocco faced the challenge of boosting U.Va.'s success in the area, especially on the Peninsula.

Virginia Tech has dominated Hampton Roads in recent years, with Jim Cavanaugh recruiting the Peninsula and Bryan Stinespring recruiting South Hampton Roads.

"It's an area that's always gonna be heavy-laden with talent," Rocco said before the season. "For that reason, it's an important area.

"Really, you're getting to the point now where everyone's down there hard. All the ACC's down there. There's no doubt about that. All the big-time schools go down there and try to steal a kid every year."

One such kid is Phoebus High senior wide receiver Brent Vinson. He has visited Tennessee this fall and said he plans to set up an official visit to Florida. He said he's also considering Virginia Tech and South Carolina. Vinson regularly talks with Rocco, and the coach attended Phoebus' basketball scrimmage Tuesday at Norfolk's Maury High, Vinson said.

"Whatever he's gotta do, I understand," said Vinson, adding that Rocco's possible departure won't drastically change his opinion of Virginia.

Rocco has connections to Liberty and the Lynchburg area. His father, Frank Sr., was Liberty's director of football operations from 2000 to 2001. One of Rocco's brothers, Frank Jr., was the Flames' offensive coordinator from 2000 to '03. He now coaches at Liberty Christian Academy, a local school affiliated with Liberty University. Another brother, David, coaches at Staunton River High in Moneta. Liberty, a Division I-AA team, went 1-9 this season and was 21-45 in six seasons under the fired Ken Karcher.

Since Groh came to U.Va., five of his assistants have left. Bill Musgrave, Andy Heck, Corwin Brown and London became NFL assistants. Kevin Ross joined his dad, Bobby, on Army's staff. Prince is a top candidate to replace retired Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, according to The Kansas City Star.

Among other reported candidates, Southern Methodist head coach Phil Bennett, a former Kansas State assistant, has not been contacted about the job. South Florida head coach Jim Leavitt and Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who The Star reported were candidates, have taken themselves out of consideration. Leavitt on Wednesday signed a contract extension through 2012.

If Kansas State hires Prince, he'll become Division I-A's fourth African-American head coach, joining Sylvester Croom of Mississippi State, Karl Dorrell at UCLA and Tyrone Willingham of Washington.

Prince knows Kansas well. He attended high school in Junction City, about 20 miles from Manhattan, where Kansas State is located. He also played at Dodge City Community College.

Golden was one of three candidates Temple interviewed this week, the Philadelphia Daily News reported Thursday. Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw told the newspaper he hopes to select a coach within the next 10 days.

Bobby Wallace quit as Temple's coach earlier this season. The Owls finished 0-11, last had a winning season in 1990 and last played in a bowl game in 1979. They were kicked out of the Big East and played this season as part-time members of the Mid-American Conference. They'll join the league as full members in 2007. Golden had the chance after last season to become Notre Dame's defensive coordinator, under first-year coach Charlie Weis. Golden has coached in Pennsylvania before - Temple is located in Philadelphia - when he was Penn State's recruiting coordinator in 2000. He also played at Penn State and grew up in Red Bank, N.J., which is 85 miles from Philadelphia.

Temple's other interviewees, according to the Daily News, were Wisconsin co-offensive coordinator Brian White and Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers coach Hue Jackson. Also in the running for the job, the newspaper reported, are Louisiana State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, Fresno State offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and former Marshall head coach Bob Pruett, who was out of coaching this season.

Tech fans gobble up ACC
Hokies' supporters remain devoted and eager to travel
Ned Barnett, Staff Writer

A Hokie isn't anything at all. It's a word made up by the author of an 1896 cheer -- "Hokie, Hokie, Hokie, Hi! Tech, Tech, VPI."
Hokies are altogether different. They're not made up. They show up.

No matter the game -- home, away or blowout -- Hokies fill the stands with maroon, orange and plenty of noise.

Saturday's ACC Football Championship Game between Virginia Tech and Florida State will determine the league's best football team. There's no way to establish who are the league's best fans. But in Tech's second season in the ACC, it's clear that Tech fans brought more than a new set of colors.

They buy up every seat in 65,115-seat Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va., and when the game is away they go there, too.
The clearest evidence came in September, when Hokies filled the normally half-empty bowl at Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium. It wasn't much of a game -- Tech won 45-0 -- but it doesn't take a thriller to bring out Hokies.

Bill Dooley, who coached football at North Carolina, Wake Forest and, for nine years, at Virginia Tech, said the fervor arises from the school's military history and its Corps of Cadets.

"One of the things they had to learn were all the fight songs and cheers. There was was lot of camaraderie and that carried over to the student body," he said.

That army of fans will be on the march in Jacksonville, he said.

"They'll come out of the woodwork. They'll be down there in droves," Dooley said. "It's amazing how well they support that program."

Ed Moore, a former president of the Raleigh-Durham Hokie Club, drives 3 1/2 hours from his Cary home to see Tech at home. He regularly hits the road when they're away but is glad Virginia Tech's entry into the ACC has brought games to his doorstep at Duke, UNC and N.C. State.

Moore, along with thousands of other Hokies, will be in Jacksonville to see Tech play a fading Florida State team and then make plans for a bowl trip. Some have asked him why he doesn't skip the championship game in favor of a bowl.

"People say, 'Why are you going down to Jacksonville?' Well, I say, 'The team is playing there, that's why I'm going,' " said Moore, 56.

There are various reasons the Hokies' attachment is so strong. Moore thinks it's rooted in a sense that the country school nestled in the hills of southwest Virginia too often is overlooked -- or maybe even looked down upon -- by the likes of its rival, the University of Virginia.

"We have that lunch-pail mentality and a chip on the shoulder," Moore said, but he's worried that too much winning might dilute that bond. "With all [the media] writing so much, it's hard not to feel too good about yourself."

Marshall Bates, the current president of the 300-member Raleigh-Durham Hokie Club, said winning has expanded an already solid fan base.

"We've had a lot of success. We've been to a bowl game the last 12 years, so every year people put it in their plans," he said.

At the core of Hokies loyalty is coach Frank Beamer. He played for Tech and has coached there 19 years. He personifies the Hokies' everyman image. He is praised for treating walk-ons the same as scholarship players and for taking care of assistant coaches, who rarely leave his staff.

"It's hard to beat a man like Frank Beamer," said businessman Wes Worsham, who has contributed millions of dollars to the football program. "He's a good coach, and all the kids love him. He's just a good person, and he looks out for his people."

Worsham never went to Tech (though his three daughters did), but he's a devoted fan. He made his first gift of more than $1 million when Tech was 2-8-1. He has seen support grow.

"We had more people at spring practice games than we used to have at the regular games," said Worsham, 73, who watches games from the sideline of the Lane Stadium field bearing his name.

Walt Davenport, 53, of Roanoke, Va., has followed the Hokies since the 1960s and remembers the lean years.

"You watch games on TV, and other stadiums are half full. Tech used to be like that 15 years ago," he said.

What turned it around?

"They've gotten better, the stadium has gotten bigger," he said. "I don't think the [support] was lukewarm. I think you always had true Hokie fans. It's just the base has gotten bigger."

 

Rocco leaves U.Va; are others on the way out?
Linebackers coach will take over at Liberty; Prince and Golden top lists elsewhere
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Dec 2, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - One of football coach Al Groh's assistants at the University of Virginia is gone. The status of three others remained unclear last night.

Danny Rocco will be introduced as Liberty University's football coach this morning in Lynchburg. Liberty hopes to move from Division I-AA to I-A in a decade, and Rocco has been charged with reviving a program in decline. The Flames finished 1-10 this season.

Rocco, 45, who coached the Cavaliers' outside linebackers, also held the title of associate head coach. Virginia's offensive coordinator, Ron Prince, is a candidate for a coaching job, too, as is defensive coordinator Al Golden.

Prince, 36, is a finalist at Kansas State, and he spent most of yesterday in Kansas. Golden, 36, has emerged as a leading candidate at Temple.

This is Groh's fifth season as coach at his alma mater, and Rocco, Prince and Golden have been with him since the beginning.

"When we all joined the staff here at Virginia," Rocco said, "Al said he wanted guys who wanted to be head coaches. And sure enough, when that opportunity came, he was right there for me."

Losing three veteran assistants probably would hurt U.Va. in the short term, Rocco acknowledged. "I think the only positive is they're all head-coaching opportunities," he said, "which in the long run will speak volumes about what Al Groh has done with this football program."

If Golden gets the job at Temple, another U.Va. assistant, Mark D'Onofrio, almost certainly will join him there. D'Onofrio, who played at Penn State with Golden, coaches Virginia's inside linebackers and coordinates its special teams.

Temple Athletic Director Bill Bradshaw, in a phone interview yesterday, said the school hoped to hire its next coach in the next 10 days. Bradshaw said his policy throughout the search for Bobby Wallace's successor has been to neither deny nor confirm the interest of any potential candidates. Head-coaching experience, however, won't be a requirement.

"We really remain open in many ways on the shape and the size and the age and the experience," Bradshaw said. "But we're very clear in needing someone who has the résumé and irrepressible energy and confidence to turn Temple football around."

Rocco's brothers, Frank Jr. and David, live in the Lynchburg area, as does their father, Frank Sr. Frank Jr. and Frank Sr., in fact, have worked in LU's football program. But family ties weren't why he accepted Liberty's offer, Danny Rocco said.

"I took the job because I believe Liberty University can compete and win the [Big South] championship," Rocco said, "because it's a solid league, but it's not a league that has a perennial champion."

Rocco was a captain at Wake Forest when Groh was its head coach. Rocco has coached under Groh at Wake, with the New York Jets and at U.Va.

"I've never taken a job anywhere without consulting with him, and I did the same thing this time," Rocco said. "He felt good about. He really felt there is a commitment [at Liberty]."

Late this month, U.Va. (6-5) will play in a bowl game, probably the Emerald in San Francisco. Rocco will spend the next couple weeks recruiting for Liberty and putting his new program together. He said he'll then rejoin the Cavaliers for their pre-bowl practices and coach in their postseason game.

 

Billy the Kid
Senior walk-on Billy Campbell provides on-court spark for team in need of veteran leadership, motivates starters in practice playing role of upcoming game's top player
Zach Rowen, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer

Billy Campbell does not usually get a lot of minutes, but when he does, he makes them count. In Tuesday night's win over Northwestern, he provided the Cavaliers with a spark off the bench as his clutch three-pointer allowed Virginia to regain momentum and take control of the game. It has been these types of big plays that have earned the senior from Atlanta not only the respect of his teammates but also more playing time.

"He gave us a spark," Virginia coach Dave Leitao said in reference to Campbell's shot. "That three was huge because it cut the deficit in half. It was an energy lift."

Despite coming up big in the clutch, Campbell is most recognized by his teammates for his hard work in practice. As the team's primary scout player, Campbell gives the starters a good model of how the upcoming opponents will play.

"He helps the guards out a lot in practice because he puts a lot of pressure on us," junior guard J.R. Reynolds said. "He does a tremendous job."

The most unique part of Campbell's situation, however, is not how he has managed to find success as a walk-on, but rather his consistent success as a student. Campbell turned down admission to Harvard in favor of Virginia. While at Virginia, he has continued to succeed in the classroom and has been named to the ACC Honor Roll in both his freshman and junior years.

"The only thing that he's not real smart about is that he turned down going to Harvard, but he ended up in a pretty good place," Leitao said with a smile. "He plays and practices with passion, and I think he does a really good job at living with a passion."

Campbell's intelligence is recognized by his teammates as well.

"Billy is definitely the smart guy on the team," Reynolds said.

The Cavaliers, however, will need more than just Campbell's smarts this Sunday when they face Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are coming off of a two-point loss to No. 13 Michigan State and will be looking for their first win in conference play.

Georgia Tech is led by sophomore guard Anthony Morrow and sophomore center Ra'sean Dickey. It will be Dickey, however, who the Cavaliers will have to worry about containing. With a 6-foot-9, 225-pound frame, Dickey will create a mismatch for the smaller Virginia frontcourt.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers will continue to rely on the consistent play of sophomore co-captain Sean Singletary and freshman Mamadi Diane, and perhaps look for Campbell's spark off the bench.

As seen in the Northwestern game, just one shot can shift the momentum from one team to another.

"Billy plays real hard," Reynolds said. "He gets hyped [when he hits a shot], and that gets everybody going."

 

Which conference is better?
Fans, players, coaches debate as championship games loom
By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/02/05

Sweet tea or unsweetened? Corn bread or a biscuit? Chess pie or sweet potato pie?

As a Southerner, you've got to make a choice.

Saturday night, you've got to make another. SEC or ACC? You can't watch both the SEC championship game and the ACC championship game without tape or TiVo, unless you've got two TVs. Georgia plays LSU for the SEC title at 6 p.m. on CBS. Virginia Tech plays Florida State for the ACC title at 8 on ABC.

While you're thinking it over, consider this question: Which means more? We're not talking national championship chase here, though No. 3 LSU still has a shot at that. No, we're talking ACC vs. SEC, who's king of Southern football this season?

The computers say one thing. The polls say something else. Head-to-head results say one thing. Other non-conference performance says something else. And the people affiliated with both leagues say about what you'd expect.

"I think the SEC is the best league out there," Georgia cornerback DeMario Minter said. "I call us the semipro league because we have everything. We have size, speed and talent, just everything."

"I would make the statement, and I would stand by it unequivocally, I believe the ACC is if not the strongest than one of the strongest from top to bottom," Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey said, and then he went a step further. "Our quality in our conference is very good, probably the best, in my opinion."

Polls

Give the edge to the SEC, but it's a slight one. Both leagues have one team in the top five, two in the top 10, five in the Top 25. But match them side by side and the SEC ranks higher: No. 3 LSU over No. 5 Virginia Tech, No. 9 Auburn over No. 10 Miami, No. 13 Georgia over No. 19 Boston College, No. 14 Alabama over No. 22 Clemson, No. 17 Florida over No. 24 Georgia Tech.

That's the Associated Press poll of sports writers and broadcasters; the USA Today coaches' poll isn't much different. Just move Florida and Clemson down one spot, to 18th and 23rd.

Computers

Whether you look at the Sagarin Ratings, Anderson & Hester, the Colley Matrix or Dr. Peter Wolfe's system, the results are the same. When the computer pollsters who contribute to the Bowl Championship Series produce conference rankings, the ACC beats the SEC this season, and it's not close. (Two of the computer pollsters, Kenneth Massey and Richard Billingsley, don't post conference rankings.)

The computer-generated conference rankings all rate the Big Ten best in the nation and the SEC fifth. Three of them rank the ACC second; Wolfe ranks the ACC third.

Head to head

The SEC owns a 3-2 lead going into the final match-up Dec. 30 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The SEC owns bragging rights in two of the three states that have teams in both leagues. The games, listed chronologically:

• Vanderbilt 24, Wake Forest 20

• Georgia Tech 23, Auburn 14

• Clemson 13, South Carolina 9

• Florida 34, Florida State 7

• Georgia 14, Georgia Tech 7

Non-conference games

Both leagues were 27-9, but the ACC had better results against Division I-A opponents and teams from other Bowl Championship Series leagues. The ACC led all conferences in number of games played against teams from other BCS leagues, though the Big Ten, Pac-10 and Big 12 all had higher winning percentages vs. BCS opponents.

Category SEC ACC

Overall 27-9 (.750) .27-9 (.750)

Div. I-A 20-9 (.690) 24-9 (.727)

BCS 4-5 (.444) 9-7 (.563)

Against BCS leagues

League Record Pct.

Big Ten 6-4 .600

Pac-10 3-2 .600

Big 12 4-3 .571

ACC 9-7 .563

SEC 4-5 .444

Big East 4-9 .308

Depth

The ACC will send eight of its 12 teams to bowls; the SEC will send six of its 12.

The ACC had the worst team in either league: Duke, which went winless against Division I-A opponents. Every other team in the ACC won at least three conference games, and each of those teams won at least one game against a team with an ACC record of .500 or better.

Four SEC teams — Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas and Kentucky — went 1-7 or 2-6 in league play. Add Vanderbilt and you get five SEC teams — almost half the conference — that went winless against teams that finished .500 or better in SEC play.
 

Prime sack time for Kerney
Falcon has done his best work vs. Carolina
By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/02/05

FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney can get a little out there from time to time, but he's not much into omens or mystic astrology. Yet when it comes to the rival Carolina Panthers, whom the Falcons face Sunday in Charlotte, the unnatural, at least according to him, tends to occur.

"To get sacks, I've learned that the stars have to be aligned," he said. "Why it is against Carolina, I don't know."

The 2004 Pro Bowl selection has 8 1/2 sacks in 12 games against the Panthers, more than he has against any other NFC South opponent. Last season he had three sacks against Carolina for minus-25 yards.

There is no special reason why, Kerney said. He swears he's had difficulty getting into the Panthers' backfield over the years. But at the right time, something might break down, the quarterback might run his way or he might finally land the move that allows him to achieve a defensive lineman's nirvana.

"I've beat other tackles a lot worse than I've beaten Carolina's tackles," said Kerney, who has 91 consecutive starts. "I think it's more of a case where we, as a team, rise up and play well. For me to get a sack, that means I'm getting coverage on the back end and my fellow linemen realize the importance of keeping the quarterback hemmed in and a little uncomfortable."

Kerney (5 1/2 sacks, 36 tackles, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries this season) is coming off a 1 1/2-sack performance in a 27-7 Thanksgiving Day victory over Detroit, and that success after a two-game fast has him frothing for more.

Getting pressure on Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme could prove just as effective as a sack. He has 12 interceptions this season.

Kerney faces a challenge against Carolina tackle Jordan Gross and an offense that does a solid job of protecting Delhomme. However, Kerney has help. Defensive tackle Rod Coleman (8 1/2 sacks) also broke his sack drought at Detroit and said Thursday that he and Kerney are "back in rhythm and we feel like we're rocking and rolling again."

The Falcons try to scheme to get both players into one-on-one situations as much as possible, sometimes by lining them up next to each other, other times by shifting one of them to the strong (tight end) side or weak side of the line. Coleman moves around more than Kerney, though Kerney periodically sets up at right end, where rookie Jonathan Babineaux is starting in place of Brady Smith (dislocated right toe).

Their versatility allows the Falcons to balance their inexperienced front, where every player on the two-deep chart except Coleman and Kerney have less than two full seasons of playing experience.

"If you have an inside threat and an outside threat, it's tougher to plan for a specific guy because the more attention you give to one guy, the less you give to another," coach Jim Mora said. "When you add Brady Smith to the mix, you have that three-pronged attack and that's very helpful. We miss Brady because he really complements Pat and Rod, and then you've got three prominent pass rushers."

Even without Smith, Coleman, who has one sack as a member of the Falcons against Carolina, said he and Kerney have an understood synergy.

"We get in certain situations, we don't have to say nothing," Coleman said. "I know he's just going to get upfield and come under, so I'll get into my guy, wait and just cover him. We basically play off each other."

Kerney said he is more concerned with other aspects of the Falcons' defense than sacking Delhomme. Inconsistencies stopping the run and occasional lapses on third down are areas that might be more crucial to Atlanta's success in Sunday's high-stakes affair.
 

Raiders' Ekejiuba Has Unusual NFL Journey
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- Playing football never crossed Isaiah Ekejiuba's mind.

He joined the soccer team as a boy in his native Nigeria. As a teenager living in the United States, he played basketball and competed as a sprinter and jumper in track and field. He had size and speed, but football was an American game he knew little about.

Then in the spring of 2002, an advertisement in the student newspaper at Virginia caught his eye: football tryouts. There began a most unlikely road to the NFL.

"A little backdoor into football," Ekejiuba said with his friendly smile, sitting in the Oakland Raiders' locker room before a recent practice. "My dad always used to watch football and I didn't really understand the concept. I just wanted to see what it was like.

"I was already studying electrical engineering. The thought of football was just something to do after classes."

Little did he know it's a sport that demands all your time - practice, weight training, team meals and meetings, weekend travel, study sessions.

Ekejiuba is now an NFL rookie, contributing on special teams for Oakland. Even he is surprised at his career route considering academics were always No. 1 in Ekejiuba's family.

Born in Benin, Nigeria, Ekejiuba came to the United States for good in 1995 for his late mother's job. His mom, Felicia, received her doctorate at Harvard. A sociologist and anthropologist, she worked for the United Nations heading the Africa section of the U.N. Development Fund for Women, whose purpose is striving to eliminate violence against women in third-world countries and helping them gain equality.

"She always pushed academics first before anything else," said Ekejiuba, who speaks the Nigerian dialect Ibo and is two classes shy of an electrical engineering degree he plans to finish soon.

So, when he started playing football, everyone in the family was understandably shocked.

"I couldn't believe it," said his older sister, also Felicia. "It wasn't like he had a background in that. My mother was kind of skeptical, too. Isaiah's like her baby. We all supported his decision. I knew if he put his mind to it and worked hard he would achieve whatever he wanted."

Ekejiuba joined the Cavaliers' football team as a walk-on receiver during the spring of his sophomore year at Virginia. He suited up for eight games in 2002 but didn't see any action until the following season. He shifted to defense and became a special teams standout in 2003, appearing in all 13 games. And as a senior last year, Ekejiuba earned a scholarship and received a team award as the school's top special teams player.

"I am so happy for him," said Corwin Brown, one of Ekejiuba's college coaches who now works for the New York Jets directing the defensive backs. "It was something. I kind of remember it. He came at me, a tall, gawky guy. He could run and he had good size. You couldn't help but think, 'How come he hasn't played and why is he just now coming out?' I thought, 'I don't care if he's never played before, if he could learn a couple things, he could be pretty good.'"

Ekejiuba signed with Arizona as a rookie free agent in April after the draft and spent training camp and the preseason with the Cardinals before they released him in late August. He joined the Raiders' practice squad Sept. 6, then got promoted to the 53-man roster last month to help Oakland's injury-depleted defense when safety Derrick Gibson went on injured reserve.

Ekejiuba made his NFL debut against the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 30. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, the 24-year-old Ekejiuba is a physical presence on special teams - too fast for some of the larger players to stop, and big enough to knock down the smaller ones.

"He's an absolute rare specimen," Raiders safety Jarrod Cooper said. "You don't find people like that very much. We saw him when he was in Arizona before he got here. I watched game tape every year from the last five years on people in the NFL and I was like, 'Who is this?' He just came in like a beast. About three weeks later, he was sitting in our meeting room. I wouldn't want to go up against him."

His college teammates called Ekejiuba "T.O." because his frame resembles that of embattled Eagles receiver Terrell Owens.

"We put him in the spot he could be most disruptive," Brown said. "He was a big kid and he could run. He started lifting, and if you look at him now, he's a worker. He worked hard at everything he did. He's not a kid who's going to give you a lot of back talk. You hope things work out for kids like that."

For Ekejiuba, football has been a positive outlet that helped him cope with the loss of his mother two years ago. He spoke to her on a Wednesday night and she told her son she was feeling fine, then died the next morning of an apparent heart attack.

That came after Ekejiuba and his four siblings already dealt with the death of their father, Benedict, from diabetes in 1996.

"It was a shock," Ekejiuba recalled. "It was actually crazy because my mom at that point was all we had keeping our family together. It was really tough on the family. My mom supported me with everything I did, which is why I feel like I'm so successful. I'm trying to pick up her work ethic. She never saw me even play college ball.

"I feel like she's always with me. Her positive attitude, that's why I feel I've come this far."

Her photo is on his cell phone and he looks at it in the locker room each day before heading to the field for work. And Ekejiuba has been learning more about her work by researching his mom on the Internet - "I'm getting an understanding just what she's done," he said.

Those who knew Ekejiuba in college were impressed by how he managed to get through all of his sadness without missing a beat as an athlete.

"It's one of those pleasant surprises," said Evan Marcus, the Virginia strength coach. "He played special teams here and did a great job, but you know chances of making it in NFL are slim. He wasn't an every-down player. To his credit, he kept working. The one thing I always think about when I think of Ike is he was a high-energy, positive, guy. He's one of nicer kids I've run into, and I've been doing this 15 years."

Ekejiuba is not one to campaign for more playing time. He's content for now.

"That's what I love doing - covering kicks and being on special teams. I feel very blessed to be in the position I'm in," he said. "It's been a very long road. When I look back to a couple years ago, I'm always amazed at how far I've come."
 

Virginia takes a ride on coaching carousel
Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
December 2, 2005

One of Al Groh’s assistant coaches has already been hired away this week. Two more are in the running for other positions.

Offensive coordinator Ron Prince and defensive coordinator Al Golden are candidates for the vacant Kansas State and Temple head coaching positions, respectively.

On Thursday, UVa associate head coach Danny Rocco accepted the head coaching job at Liberty University, though he will still help the Cavaliers as they prepare for their bowl game.

Groh was not available for comment.

According to multiple reports, Prince interviewed for the second time with Kansas State on Wednesday and has emerged as the leading candidate to replace the retired Bill Snyder. Prince, 36, has been UVa’s offensive coordinator for the last three seasons and an assistant in Charlottesville for five.

Prince has Midwestern roots. He was born in Omaha, Neb., graduated from Junction City (Kan.) High and played football Dodge City (Kan.) Community College, where he later began his coaching career.

According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Golden, Virginia’s defensive coordinator for the last five years, interviewed with Temple on Tuesday for the position vacated by Bobby Wallace and is a finalist. Temple also is considering Cincinnati Bengals assistant Hue Jackson and former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Brian White among others.

Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw said he expects a coach to be named within the next 10 days.

Golden, 36, a New Jersey native who played collegiately at Penn State, pursued the defensive coordinator position at Notre Dame under Charlie Weis last offseason before choosing to remain at UVa.

If Golden were to leave, Mark D’Onofrio, his college teammate at Penn State and UVa’s special teams/inside linebackers coach, would likely be a candidate to join his staff.