Cavs to face 1-6 Fordham
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
December 7, 2005

So far this season, the University of Virginia basketball team has performed how most people thought it would. UVa (3-2) has defeated Liberty, Richmond and Northwestern, and has lost on the road at Arizona and Georgia Tech.
Tonight, the Cavaliers face Fordham in a game most Cavs' fans probably have penciled into the win column. The Rams, who hail from the Atlantic-10, are 1-6 and are riding a four-game losing streak.

However, coming off an ugly 63-54 loss to the Yellow Jackets on Sunday night in which his team shot an abysmal 27 percent, Cavs coach Dave Leitao is prepping for the Rams as if they were the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, circa 1991.

"When I saw them on the schedule, it really concerned me," said Leitao of Fordham, "because they play a very aggressive [style] and come after you.

"Except for two games, all of their games were really close and could have gone either way. It concerns me no matter what their record is because of their style of play and their aggression."

The Rams, who are coached by former N.C. State guard Derrick Whittenburg, surprised many by posting an 8-8 record in the A-10 last season. The team, which went 13-16 overall, only had four scholarship players.

In the offseason, Whittenburg was rewarded with a contract extension through 2010. This was supposed to have been the year where Fordham took another step forward. However, the Rams have lost to St. Francis, Siena, Iona and (most recently) Holy Cross in double overtime.

Fordham is led by senior guard Jermaine Anderson, the team captain, who is averaging 15.5 points. Bryant Dunston, a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward, who was named the top freshman in the A-10 last season, is another player the Cavs will have to keep an eye on.

"They attack you on offense and really get in the passing lanes and force you to make plays," Leitao said. "They play the opposite of us a little bit. We try and protect ourselves a little bit, where they come at you more and try and force action."

Leitao still sounded perturbed about the Georgia Tech loss - as he should have been. In the first half, the Cavs had just eight field goals - and none were 3-pointers. Five of them came from Jason Cain; freshmen Laurynas Mikalauskas and Mamadi Diane had one each; and T.J. Bannister, who was making his season debut, scored the other.

The Cavs' starting backcourt of Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds put on a brick-laying demonstration for the ages, finishing the game a combined 4 of 30 from the field.

"Looking at the tape and talking to those two guys and the team, our shot selection within the first 20 minutes was as bad as it can get," Leitao said. "I think all five guys who happened to be on the court - we didn't do a very good job for the better part of the game of getting the highest quality shot."

Leitao said Singletary and Reynolds - as they will be prone to do this year - were trying to do too much.

"If those two understand how to better put their role into what we're trying to do on offense, that will hopefully alleviate a lot of the issues that we had," Leitao said.

After tonight, players have their exams to worry about. The Cavs will have 10 days off before their next game at Gonzaga.

"Obviously you'd rather win than not win going into finals, but I don't think that's a rallying cry and motivation," Leitao said. "I think based on where we were on Sunday, we have enough motivation to try and get back and play a better 40 minutes of basketball than we did the last time out."

DUNKS. Fordham leads the season series 2-0, but the schools haven't met since 1950 when the Rams defeated the Cavs, 73-44. The last meeting in Charlottesville occurred in 1924 - a

37-24 Rams win.

Leitao said he wasn't sure if Bannister (sports hernia) would play. "I'll play that one by ear," he said. "He needs more practice time to get into rhythm. He's probably healthy enough to play in games right now, but he's not quite there in terms of the basketball end of it, and the speed of the game and those kinds of things. I don't just want to put him in there knowing he's probably not ready to perform well, which can affect our confidence or his."?

Leitao said junior forward Donte Minter (knee) would once again be a game-time decision. Minter has yet to appear in a game for the Cavaliers this season.

 

Golden named Temple coach
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
December 7, 2005

Don't tell Al Golden about Temple's past futility in football.
He doesn't need a reminder that the Owls have not won a game since November of 2004 or a road game in almost 800 days.

What's history is just that according to Golden and the 36-year-old coach wants only to talk about the future.

And that's why Golden was willing to accept a six-year contract totaling $3.45 million from Temple to become the school's head coach.

"I don't care what's transpired in the past," Golden told Temple's players who went to Tuesday's press conference in Philadelphia. "When we meet, we're going to start a new era, you guys are going to start with a clean slate."

Virginia coach Al Groh will be starting with a clean slate as well.

Golden, UVa's defensive coordinator since 2001, was the third Cavalier assistant coach to leave the program in a five-day period.

Former associate head coach Danny Rocco officially took over the program at Liberty University on Friday and offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Ron Prince was introduced on Monday as the next head coach at Kansas State.

Groh said this weekend that he made referrals on behalf of all three coaches and supported their moves respectively.

While Prince inherits a team that won five games and Rocco takes over a program that went 1-10, Golden gets Temple on the heels of its first winless season since 1959.

Things could get better for Temple in the next two years. After being kicked out of the Big East Conference, the Owls were accepted in the Mid-American Conference.

They will play an unofficial six-game MAC schedule in 2006, before becoming a full football member in 2007. The Owls will compete in the East Division, which includes Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami (Ohio) and Ohio.

"I'm excited about leading this program as we transition into the Mid-American Conference," Golden said. "I'm confident in the commitment to excellence that currently exists at Temple University. We have the best university, the best city and the best facilities in the MAC.

"The future looks bright on North Broad Street."

Groh seems to agree.

"His coming to Temple is a real plus for the Owl program," Groh said in a released statement. "Golden is a very engaging, energetic coach. He has contributed a great deal to our program, which hopefully gives him a good model on how to do things right."

Prior to coming to UVa in 2001, Golden was an assistant at his alma mater Penn State (2000) and at Boston College (1997-99). While he coached linebackers at both schools, he was also the recruiting coordinator during his time at Penn State.

GOING BOWLING?. While Rocco is expected to return to Charlottesville on Dec. 19 to help with preparations for the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn., on Dec. 30, Golden and Prince might not join him.

When asked on Monday during his introductory press conference about his availability, Prince was uncertain.

"As far as the bowl game, we've had some discussions about that," Prince said.

"My focus is clearly on recruiting at Kansas State and if something could be worked out maybe the latter days of preparation, but that's not going to be my focus right now."

Sources have said that Groh has not ruled out having new coordinators in place prior to the game.

If Golden does not return, Groh could also elect to be the team's defensive coordinator.

If that sounds odd, it probably shouldn't. It has worked at other schools - just ask Southern Cal fans.

USC's Pete Carroll is the head coach and defensive coordinator for the nation's top-ranked team.

MAKING THE CALL. Prince enjoyed a chuckle with reporters at his press conference on Monday when he was asked who called the plays at Virginia.

"I did call the plays," Prince said. "As I tell Coach Groh, I only called the ones that worked."

Don't expect Prince to be calling them next year at KSU.

"One of the mistakes that a young coach can make in this situation is try to be some super coordinator," Prince said. "It's pretty validating, it's challenging putting game plans together on a daily basis, but that's a pretty consuming job. To do a good job as a leader of an organization I want to hire good people and delegate and allow them to do their job and be excellent - the same opportunity I had."

OPEN-DOOR POLICY. The departure of Golden, Prince and Rocco leaves only two coaches - Mike Groh and Bob Price - from the elder Groh's original staff created in 2001.

Three of the members of the original staff left to become assistants in the NFL - Corwin Brown, Bill Musgrave and Mike London.

Former assistant coach Kevin Ross jumped at the chance to go to Army and coach under his father Bobby Ross.

 

Staff losses leave Groh at crossroads
BOB LIPPER
POINT OF VIEW Dec 7, 2005

Our question of the day comes from an S.W. in Charlottesville, who writes, "If Al Groh keeps signing all these hotshot recruits and landing players on the all-ACC squad and pipelining draft picks to the NFL and has scads of head-coaches-in-waiting on his staff, how come he loses five games a year?"

Relevant point, S.W., and it's particularly appropriate with this week's news that Virginia's football offices suddenly have more vacancies than a Baghdad hotel.

The domino-effect departures of Danny Rocco, Ron Prince and Al Golden are understandable (from their end) but disquieting (from U.Va.'s). They obviously wanted to be head coaches, and there were head-coaching jobs to be had. Ambition meets opportunity with a salary bump thrown in. It's the American way.

Rocco to Jerry Falwell U. is about territorial and school ties. Prince to Kansas State of the Big 12 is a no-brainer. Golden to Temple is at first blush a hare-brainer. Tell me the dispossessed Owls will have a better shot in the Mid-American Conference, I'll tell you they're 0-7 by a combined 287-87 the past two years against MAC opponents despite boasting (alleged) Big East material. But maybe Golden wanted in and out that badly.

Groh has the reputation of a micromanager and uber boss who doesn't even allow his assistants to speak to the media but for a narrow preseason window. That makes it difficult to measure the impact any of his aides has on the program (and for those outside the inner circle to regard the regime as user-friendly).

Still, if you're losing your associate head coach and your offensive and defensive coordinators and they're not mere figureheads, that's a sizable chunk of braintrust. That's worrisome on any level -- think the Patriots might sleep better at night with Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel still in the house? -- and especially for an Al Groh, who hasn't attained supercoach status and whose stock has dipped of late.

Groh has a burden and an opportunity, in other words. A burden to fill those positions with good people and blunt his product's erosion. An opportunity to transfuse his staff with new ideas and energy.

How much modification Groh ultimately will allow is tough to say. He's fond of referencing his links to Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. All three wear sweatshirts on the sideline and subscribe to a "one-voice" mantra. The difference is Parcells and Belichick won Super Bowls. Groh was a cog.

This is Groh's fifth year in Charlottesville, and it's been lumpy -- some drab wins, an unlikely upset of Florida State, an embarrassing shredding by Virginia Tech, a 6-5 record. He's a clear No. 2 in a two-horse state. Take George Welsh's creation to "the next level?" U.Va. rooters are waiting.

Comparisons are not kind to Groh. By his third season, having started from scratch, Welsh had Virginia in the Peach Bowl. He later took the Cavs to a Citrus Bowl, a Sugar, a Gator and two more Peaches. Groh inherited Matt Schaub, Billy McMullen, Chris Canty, Heath Miller's commitment (among others) and an upgraded stadium and is bound for his fourth minor bowl in a row.

He's 21-19 against the ACC, including 2-10 against FSU, Miami and -- Groh's own personal benchmark -- the Hokies. He's paid $1.7 mil per annum to presumably raise U.Va.'s profile above Carquest/Music City standards. Instead, he's closer to being Chuck Amato without the shades and red shoes (well, be grateful for some things).

So now he's got three openings to fill, maybe more if any subordinates tag along with the evacuees. It's a significant moment. If Groh chooses wisely here and is imaginative and flexible, maybe he can shift out of neutral. If not, he's going to start running out of wiggle room.

 

Stability Cavs' aim for aides?
Groh says he probably will seek 'different blend' with replacements
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Dec 7, 2005

That Al Golden would become a head coach seemed a given, and the same was true for Ron Prince and Danny Rocco, two other members of Al Groh's first coaching staff at the University of Virginia. But for all three to get head jobs in the span of about five days?

"I'd say it's probably pretty close to being unprecedented," Groh said in a phone interview yesterday.

Rocco, 45, was introduced as Liberty University's coach Friday in Lynchburg. Three days later, in Manhattan, Kan., Prince, 36, took over as Kansas State's coach. Finally, yesterday in Philadelphia, Temple turned over its program to Golden, 36. Officials at each of those schools received strong recommendations from Groh.

"I appreciated very much the fact that Danny and Ron and Al chose to discuss these situations at length with me," Groh said, "and I did whatever I could to promote their chances at these three places, because I think that's the tradeoff for what we ask them to put in here."

Rocco was Virginia's associate head coach and worked with the team's outside linebackers. Prince and Golden served as offensive coordinator/offensive-line coach and defensive coordinator/secondary coach, respectively. Their departures hurt a U.Va. program that's preparing to face Minnesota in the Music City Bowl, but Groh isn't indulging in self-pity.

"There's a saying that I heard a long time ago: 'The time to worry is before you place your bet,'" he said. "Our criteria was ambitious, personable, hard-charging coaches, to bring some intensity and passion into the program, and those guys certainly did that."

After returning to his alma mater after the 2000 season, Groh hired nine full-time assistants. Two of them remain on his staff: his son Mike and Bob Price.

Bill Musgrave, Corwin Brown and Mike London left Virginia to become NFL assistants, and Kevin Ross joined his father's staff at the U.S. Military Academy as offensive coordinator. Andy Heck, a graduate assistant on Groh's first staff, later became tight ends coach at Virginia before taking an assistant's position with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"In five years time, our circumstances have changed," Groh said. "That is, when we got here, we needed energy and a lot of passion and aggressiveness: one, just to go get players, and two, to put that whole mentality into the program. . . . This has kind of been the end of that cycle."

Groh is likely to lose another assistant this month, Mark D'Onofrio, to Golden's new staff at Temple. Don't be surprised if the replacements for the departed assistants are veteran coaches who might not be looking to move on as quickly.

"We've moved into a little bit different cycle here now, so . . . we'll probably be looking at a little bit different blend here," said Groh, who was in New York City last night for the National Football Foundation's awards dinner.

Groh said he reviewed his list of potential replacements yesterday afternoon at his hotel, and however "that list works out, I like the look of it."

Rocco has agreed to coach in the Music City Bowl. Golden and Prince probably won't follow suit, however, which would leave U.Va. short-handed in its preparation. That "obviously that creates a little bit of a scramble for us," Groh said. "But after that, I'm really quite comfortable with the way things are going to work out."

Groh might fill in as defensive coordinator, and graduate assistant Bill Polin probably will coach the offensive line in the Music City. Who'll call plays for the Cavaliers against the Gophers isn't clear. It's possible, Groh said, that a new offensive coordinator could be hired before the bowl game.

Another concern for U.Va. is the impact of staff turnover on recruiting. Virginia has 21 commitments for 2006. Some of those players - as well as other prospects who are considering the Cavaliers - might have second thoughts now that Rocco, Prince and Golden are gone.

"In the real short term here - meaning this week and next week - that's the first thing we want to solidify, so people realize there's a continuing relationship down here," Groh said. "That's another reason why I try to get very active in recruiting, so the relationship long before they come to Virginia is with the head coach, and there's only so much that can ever change."

NOTE: Groh, who's been on the road recruiting this week, said he'll wait until he gets "all the facts" before ruling on junior safety Tony Franklin's status for the bowl game. Franklin, a team captain, received a summons Sunday night charging him with misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

"I have heard a number of different hearsay reports," Groh said, "and as always seems to be the case when you hear a number of different reports, it's hard to believe they're all talking about the same thing."

Franklin was among three U.Va. players suspended for one game for an unspecified violation of team policy last month.

 

D'Onofrio joining Golden at Temple
The Roanoke Times
D'Onofrio joining Golden at Temple

Virginia defensive coordinator Al Golden on Tuesday was named the head football coach at Temple, and he's taking Virginia linebackers coach Mark D'Onofrio with him. D'Onofrio was Golden's roommate at Penn State and they were best men at each other's wedding.

In other news, Danny Rocco, named head coach Friday at Division I-AA Liberty, said he will return to Virginia on Dec. 19 and assist in preparations for Virginia's game Dec. 30 with Minnesota in the Music City Bowl. Rocco had been the associate head coach at Virginia, where he also coached linebackers.

There has been no indication that Golden, D'Onofrio or Prince will be returning for the bowl.

Rocco said he is interviewing coaching candidates this week and will entertain prospects this weekend before hitting the road next week, but a recruiting dead period begins Dec. 19.

 

Departures open doors for Groh
Dave Fairbank
December 6 2005

The coaching staff exodus at the University of Virginia opens up some primo parking spaces at the McCue Center and provides head man Al Groh with an opportunity. Several, actually.

The gloom-and-doomers within Cavalier Nation view the departures of Ron Prince and Al Golden and Danny Rocco - along with the pilot fish that accompany them - as a mini-referendum on the state of the program and on Groh himself.

Following three consecutive years of upper-tier finishes in the ACC, the Cavaliers slipped to 6-5 this season and must content themselves with a fourth-tier bowl game.

Prospects for next season are up in the air, given the graduation of quarterback Marques Hagans and several other upper-and under-class exits.

In the new and improved ACC, the Cavaliers right now are closer to N.C. State Acres than the Florida State-Miami-Virginia Tech neighborhood.

The departure of both coordinators and the associate head coach is unfortunate timing, without question, but likely a product of ambitious young men coupled with a dash of Groh micromanagement.

Prince to Kansas State is a no-brainer. You get an opportunity to coach a Big 12 program not named Baylor, you take it.

Some would say Golden to Temple is a no-brainer, too. As in: Is your cortex disconnected?

But the Owls are headed to the Mid-American Conference, which isn't as daunting as the Big East or as suicidal as life as an independent. Win a handful of games at Temple, get bowl-eligible a time or two, and Golden becomes an attractive candidate elsewhere.

Rocco to Jerry Falwell University? He has family in Lynchburg, and his father and brother both worked in Liberty's football program.

Groh's hires and the opportunities they provide are critical. A couple of names would ease the transition period and present instant credibility within the state, where Virginia Tech's shadow looms increasingly large.

Mike London, Groh's former recruiting coordinator and a Hampton native, is the defensive line coach with the NFL's Houston Texans. With a 1-11 record, rumblings are that head coach Dom Capers may get the ax, which could leave London's future in flux.

Regardless of London's NFL prospects, Groh still may entice him to return to Charlottesville with a coordinator's position.

Curt Newsome, the former coach at Kecoughtan and Heritage highs, has spent the past several years hauling Hampton Roads talent to James Madison as Mickey Matthews' associate head coach. There's no reason to think he wouldn't land his fair share of kids from here at the I-A level.

Here on the Peninsula, Newsome counts both Mike Smith and Bill Dee among his friends, a feat that qualifies him to negotiate between Shiites and Sunnis if football coaching doesn't work out.

Personnel decisions aside, such a large staff turnover allows for a re-evaluation of methods and practices.

Groh's staff has consisted of men in lock-step with him and whose philosophies he has helped shape - presumably, people he trusts - yet he keeps them under wraps and often tries to do their jobs as well as his own.

Groh's staff is off-limits during the season for a couple of reasons: That's the way his old boss, Bill Parcells, did and does it; doing so eliminates the possibility of staff jealousy, where one or two assistants may receive more air time than the others.

The one-voice, one-message approach is fine in the NFL, particularly if your name is Parcells or Belichick with a spot reserved in Canton, Ohio. When you're only two games over .500 in the ACC and the second-best program in a two-program state, however, a little extra visibility and exposure aren't necessarily disruptive.

Groh isn't likely to throw open the doors for walking tours of the staff offices, but occasional access would be helpful. For everyone - recruits, high school coaches, boosters, fans, media ferrets, you name it.

If an all-access pass gives Groh the heeby-jeebies, designate a week or two during the season when the staff is available. Heck, throw a Halloween party where the assistants dress up in costume and make reporters guess who they're talking to. Something. Anything.

Groh has been at this a while. He must trust his people, as well as his instincts. Not much rides on his decisions. Only his legacy and the immediate future of the program.
 

Once again, college football needs playoffs
David Teel
December 7 2005

The ACC hosed Boston College and irked Georgia Tech, confirming yet again a universal truth of college football:

The bowl system is corrupt to its core and ought to be nuked.

Not going to happen, of course. Too much money, too much ol'-boy networking. And those Chamber of Commerce bowl types modeling garish sportcoats and preaching the virtues of Mobile in December? They're like ants - eradication is impossible.

First things first: Congratulations to the Bowl Championship Series. A kindergartner in Kyrgyzstan could have tabbed Southern California and Texas to play for the national title, but with the BCS, you can never be sure. So hugs and kisses for giving us the Trojans and Longhorns (bet the over).

Now back to the ACC, where Virginia caught a break and Virginia Tech landed as expected.

The Cavaliers (6-5, 3-5) finished ahead of only Duke in the Coastal Division and are in no position to carp about any bowl. But their assignment to play Minnesota at the Music City in Nashville, Tenn., benefits players and fans.

The alternative was the Emerald in San Francisco to play Utah. Minnesota (7-4) won at Michigan, should have beaten Wisconsin and is a much jazzier opponent than 6-5 Utah, which pales to last season's unbeaten Utes squad. Moreover, Nashville is much more accessible, geographically and financially, than San Francisco.

In placing Virginia, ACC officials, in concert with their bowl partners, shipped Georgia Tech to the Emerald. The Yellow Jackets (7-4, 5-3) finished two games ahead of the Cavs in the Coastal despite losing the teams' encounter last month in Charlottesville.

"When you have a 7-4 record, which is better than Virginia's, and when you have a 5-3 conference record, which is better than Virginia's, you shouldn't have to buy a game," Georgia Tech athletic director Dave Braine told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Until the ACC does something about bowls taking schools because of the number of tickets they'll sell and fans they'll bring, we'll have this situation."

Braine, bless his heart, must defend his program. But he knows darn well that bowls care little about a team's worthiness and everything about the balance sheet. And conferences share those warped priorities.

Consider Boston College. The Eagles (8-3, 5-3) tied Florida State atop the Atlantic Division and resided in the top 25 throughout the season. Yet ACC-affiliated bowls in Orlando, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C., bypassed Boston College for Clemson and North Carolina State, respectively.

Never mind that the Eagles defeated those teams and finished ahead of them in the division. Clemson and N.C. State faithful will buy more tickets and occupy more hotel rooms. Or so the bowls believe.

Boston College's postseason "reward" is the bowl in Boise, Idaho, where the Eagles will play a true road game against Boise State. The Broncos have won 31 straight at home.

Two points before weeping for Boston College and Georgia Tech: Each of the ACC's eight bowl-eligible teams received bids - in fact, all 38 eligible teams from the six BCS leagues made postseason, while five eligible teams from the Mid-American Conference alone were shut out.

Most important, Division I-A schools could minimize this annual whine festival by - all together now - establishing a 16-team championship playoff. Spare me the babbling about logistical problems and academic concerns. Red herrings both. Incorporate the traditional bowls into the playoff and feed the leftovers to second-tier bowls if necessary.

Sure, it's a tired and futile rant. But the sound of schools complaining about a system they refuse to overhaul is more maddening than "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer."

Think Virginia Tech would like a playoff right about now? The Hokies likely would qualify for a 16-team field, despite their loss Saturday to Florida State in the ACC championship game. Instead, they're bound for a Gator Bowl date with Louisville.

At least it beats Boise.
 

Panthers yank Ric Flair PSA
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published on: 12/06/05

Charlotte — Charges that pro wrestler Ric Flair assaulted a fellow motorist caused the NFL's Carolina Panthers to yank his public service message off the scoreboard at Sunday's home game.

Flair is free on $1,000 bond after being charged with injury to personal property and simple assault and battery, both misdemeanors, during an alleged altercation with another driver last month.

A 29-year-old driver said Flair left bruises when the wrestler grabbed him by the neck and left a large dent by kicking the side of his sport utility vehicle, according to a police report.

Flair was arrested and posted bond on Nov. 29.

The 56-year-old platinum-blond wrestler, who is a well-known local celebrity, normally appears in a taped message on the video scoreboard at Panthers home games urging fans to behave responsibly. But at Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons, a public address announcer read the message instead.

"We didn't want the message to be lost because of the circumstances of last week," Panthers spokesman Charlie Dayton said.