Cavs make up for lost recruit
The Roanoke Times

Cavs make up for lost recruit

The addition of all-purpose threat DeAndre Filer from Indian River in Chesapeake compensated for the loss of linebacker recruit Mark Herzlich from Wayne, Pa., as Virginia's list of oral commitments remained at 21.

Herzlich committed to the Cavaliers on June 20 but had not taken an official visit until he went to Boston College last weekend. He committed to the Eagles before setting up an official visit to UVa.

The Cavaliers lost outside linebackers coach Danny Rocco and inside linebackers coach Mark D'Onofrio in less than a week's time. Rocco is the new head coach at Division I-AA Liberty and D'Onofrio is the new defensive coordinator at Temple under ex-UVa colleague Al Golden.

Filer, a 5-foot-11, 175-pounder, was named first-team All-Southeastern District as a defensive back and second-team all-district as a wide receiver. He also played quarterback in an emergency and had 19 pass attempts.

Filer caught 27 passes for 498 yards and had eight touchdowns, one rushing.

Filer, who has been timed in under 4.4 seconds for 40 yards, was academically ineligible as a junior at Indian River and may be obliged to spend a year in prep school before enrolling at UVa.

In other recruiting, Maryland has received an oral commitment from Brian Whitmore, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound defensive lineman from Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake. Whitmore is rated the No. 8 prospect in Virginia by The Roanoke Times.

 

Virginia's Rudy
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
December 13, 2005

Drew Shiembob's childhood dream came down to one 50-minute tryout held at University Hall in October. On hand were 13 other University of Virginia students with the same dream: Becoming one of the two walk-on members on the UVa basketball team.
The tryout was something that Shiembob, a freshman, had been looking forward to for months - ever since he decided to forgo an opportunity to play at Division III Washington and Lee.

Shiembob [pronounced Shem-bob] said the audition - run by Cavaliers assistant coach Gene Cross - wasn't what he envisioned.

"I expected a lot more scrimmaging," said Shiembob, a 6-foot-4 forward who starred at St. Christopher's School in Richmond. "It was drills and just putting shots up for about 40 minutes, and then just a little scrimmaging at the end."

When it was over, Shiembob wasn't sure if he would be selected.

"I thought I was in better condition than a lot of other people," he said. "I was winning all the sprints, [but] I didn't think I did too well in the scrimmage."

Shiembob didn't hear anything for about a week. Then, he got a call from Cross, who invited him and Matt Deasey - another walk-on candidate - to practice with the team.

However, it wasn't celebration time yet. Shiembob hadn't made the squad. After all, Virginia head coach Dave Leitao hadn't laid eyes on him.

But, from the first day Shiembob and Deasey began practicing, they looked like veterans. The players' speedy assimilation impressed Leitao.

About two weeks later, Shiembob had a Rudy Ruettiger-like moment he'll probably never forget.

"Coach Leitao walked over to us after practice one day," Shiembob said. "He shook our hands and said, 'Congratulations.' It was a nice feeling."

For most freshman walk-ons, that's usually where the story would end. But, remarkably, Shiembob has worked his way into four of the team's six games this season - and not just the ones where Leitao emptied his bench in the final minutes of a blowout.

The Richmond native played two minutes in the first half of UVa's 72-57 home victory over Northwestern, then played two first-half minutes in the team's 63-54 loss at Georgia Tech.

Shiembob, who hasn't scored yet, couldn't have fallen into a better situation. The Cavaliers only have nine scholarship players this season ? and a dearth of post players.

Still, Shiembob admitted he was a little shocked when Leitao told him to go into the game against Northwestern.

"I was [shocked]," Shiembob said, "but I didn't have a whole lot of time to think about it. I was a little [nervous]. I'm sure everyone is the first time they step out on a stage like that, but once the game starts, it's just like playing in practice."

Leitao, whose team plays at Gonzaga on Saturday, said Shiembob's early playing time is no fluke.

"It may at some point in time ? sooner rather than later - evolve itself into more minutes, and then maybe not just by necessity, but because he's earned them," Leitao said. "That's kind of rare for a walk-on, especially in their first go-round."

Leitao said Shiembob's understanding of the game is what makes him valuable.

"Obviously he's under-sized," Leitao said, "but for what you need sometimes in terms of setting screens or whatever ... his basketball I.Q. is pretty high."

That's what caught Cross' eye at the initial tryout.

"His court demeanor and presence stood out from the majority of the guys," Cross said. "He played hard and knew where to be. He just had court sense. It's easy to pick guys out like that.

"He's a really good addition to our program. He's real humble. I think he appreciates the opportunity to be part of the program and we appreciate him and the fact he comes and works his tail off every day."

For Shiembob, the whole experience is a little surreal. It wasn't long ago that he was sitting in the U-Hall stands cheering the Cavs on.

Shiembob's father, Mark, is a UVa alum. He's been taking Drew to football and basketball games - the family has season tickets - since he was a child.

"What I remember the most is four or five years ago when we beat Duke with Adam Hall and Roger Mason and all those guys," Shiembob said.

Shiembob said playing basketball is a huge time commitment, but it is definitely worth it.

"The first month [of school] I was having a great time and wasn't sure if I wanted to give all my free time up," Shiembob said, "but that didn't last long because if you have an opportunity to play basketball in the ACC - that's something very few people can experience."

As a walk-on, Shiembob said he never expected to play. If his playing time suddenly ceased, Shiembob doesn't sound like he would be very affected.

"I came in knowing that my role would be as a practice player and getting other players better through working hard in practice," he said. "Practice is the best part of my day. Just growing up and always watching [UVa basketball], it's amazing to be out there on that court and playing with the players I'm playing with."

However, there is one person who probably wouldn't mind seeing No. 35's playing time continue: Mark Shiembob.

"He's pretty excited," said Shiembob of his father. "He's been to all the home games."

What else would you expect from a season-ticket holder?

 

Leitao explains reactions to losing
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress sports writer
December 15, 2005

Perhaps some University of Virginia basketball fans are just used to Pete Gillen's occasional quips and funny one-liners after losses, and are still living in the malaise associated with a four-year drought from the NCAA Tournament.
That might explain Dave Leitao's comment during his teleconference on Wednesday.

The first-year coach said he was "taken aback" by the public's surprised reaction to his angry demeanor following last week's home loss to Fordham.

"I don't like losing," said Leitao, very matter of factly. "I think you should be [mad]. Your players should be. Your program should be upset."

The Cavs next chance to show their wrath could come Saturday when they play at Gonzaga, the No. 10 team in the country.

After losing to Fordham - just 1-6 coming into the game - the Cavs face a Zags squad that is 43-2 at home over the last three years and features 6-foot-8 Adam Morrison, the nation's leading scorer.

Making things even tougher is the limited practice time the Cavs have had in recent days due to final exams. Of course, all schools face that same challenge - but some more so than others, according to Leitao.

"This week has been more difficult than a lot of situations I've been around," Leitao said. "They haven't given us enough practice time for us to keep moving in the right direction and get ready for this next stretch of games coming up.

"This place, by academic reality and academic reputation, requires a lot from [student-athletes] - not just in what you're studying and the classes you're taking, but your time commitment. There are several auxiliary things that happen outside of your class - meetings and group projects. Those kinds of things are as important - if not more - than your class time."

The lack of court time has provided one benefit, though: point guard Sean Singletary has had a chance to rest up. After missing the Fordham game with a hip injury, Singletary returned to the practice floor on Saturday. Leitao said Singletary was still not at 100 percent, but would play against the Zags.

"The only thing that will make him feel like himself again is long-term rest," Leitao said. "Unfortunately, unless he sits out practice - which he hates to do - that's a hard thing."

Especially when you consider the Cavs barely have enough players to practice when everybody is healthy.

"You take him or another guy out of our practice and you have a glorified shoot-around," Leitao said.

Following the Fordham loss, Leitao criticized his team for its overall lack of consistency. In an effort to rectify that, Leitao said he has simplified some things for his players.

"We've broken things down a little more," Leitao said, "so they could understand not necessarily the way they need to play, but how they need to play."

Cavs guard J.R. Reynolds said it's a learning experience.

"Playing hard for 40 minutes is something not everybody is used to," he said. "I think as we get into the season, we'll put it all together instead of just spurts here and spurts there."

DUNKS: Leitao, who coached three years at DePaul before coming to UVa, said he watched some of his former team's 84-81 upset win over No. 16 Wake Forest on Tuesday night. "They've got a lot of guys who - when aggressive - can do a few different things," Leitao said.

Big man Donte Minter, who hasn't appeared in a game yet this season because of a knee injury, practiced on Wednesday. Minter sported a noticeable limp, but otherwise looked OK, connecting on a scrimmage-ending post up basket. Leitao said Minter would once again be a game-time decision for Gonzaga.

Guard T.J. Bannister did not practice. Leitao said he suffered a "setback" in his return from a sports hernia injury in the loss to Fordham.

Tunji Soroye provided one of the practice highlights when he dunked on Minter during a half-court drill.

 

Groh's days resemble a juggling act
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
December 15, 2005

If Al Groh's 16-hour workdays weren't long enough, they just got longer. Or, at least more intense.
Virginia's head football coach, perhaps the most organized man on the planet, is juggling preparation for the Cavaliers' bowl date with run-happy Minnesota, working on recruiting, and looking over myriad resumes for his program's coaching vacancies.

Those usual 16-hour workdays may stretch to 20 pretty soon.

"I don't wake up so that I can think ... it's the thinking that wakes me up," Groh said Wednesday afternoon while making an appearance at Scott Stadium to formally accept a bid to the Music City Bowl (Dec. 30 in Nashville). "I don't seem to be able to turn it off very much these days."

Time savers

Groh, a man of great drive, realizes that he can't afford to treat any of the three challenges any lighter than the other. Perhaps the one thing in his favor is that off-campus recruiting contact ends Friday, which should allow him to concentrate most of his efforts on getting ready to play Minnesota, a physical Big Ten team that boasts the No. 2 running attack in the country.

Also lessening his load is the fact that coaches are banging on his door in pursuit of all the openings that cropped up when three of Big Al's assistants were hired as head coaches within a one-week span. The line forming outside Groh's office door might soon resemble one at a soup kitchen.

"All of these issues have to be done well, so they're all challenging," Groh said. "But that's what we're supposed to do is meet challenges."

Focus factor

The immediate challenge, though, is the Golden Gophers. No one on UVa's schedule this past season reminded the coach of Minnesota.

"Not with the power of this running game," Groh said. "Being second in the country running the ball, that's pretty unique. I think they're kind of in their own league as far as that's concerned."

Those facts have certainly grabbed the Cavaliers' collective attention, which could help in terms of preparation and motivation for a team that still has something to prove.

How season played out

Because Virginia defeated eventual ACC Champion Florida State and beat Georgia Tech, which beat Miami, which beat Virginia Tech, and played nearly good enough to pull off an upset at Miami, there's plenty of things to feel good about.

However, losses to North Carolina and Maryland, both failing to make a bowl game, and a sound beating at the hands of the rival Hokies, have left a lingering effect on some of those fans who festoon themselves in orange and blue.

Beating Minnesota and winning a third bowl game in the last four years might just restore some of that zing into the program and serve as a stepping stone to 2006.

Certainly, the Cavaliers will arrive in Nashville focused to play, which might not have been the case when they begrudgingly traveled to Boise last season and built a large halftime lead over Fresno State, then unexcitedly blew the game.

"We all know the preceding events to making that trip," Groh said. "So, we really tried to be tuned into the psychology of it going out there. But still, talking with the players subsequently, what we expected to be the case seemed to prevail in that there were so many other sources of input as to 'You guys got a bad deal ... You shouldn't be going out there ... Who's this team you're playing?' that I think it did take the edge off the team a little bit."

Virginia wanted to win the Boise bowl and wanted to play well, but didn't exactly bring its 'A' game to the famous blue field.

"As we saw throughout the course of this season in the ACC and clearly throughout the country, the parity now is such that you've got to have your edge every week," Groh said. "And if you have anything less than your sharpest edge, you're going to have a hard time."

He truly believes that was part of the issue in last year's bowl loss, but also believes that playing in an NFL stadium in a city that is geographically close enough to draw 20,000 UVa fans, and by playing Minnesota, that his players are excited about the game.

Maybe that will help in terms of taking some pressure off Groh's ample shoulders, which bear the enormous weight of pulling off this difficult trifecta of recruiting, winning and hiring the right assistants over the next few weeks.

Trust in Big Al. Nobody wants Virginia to rise as a football power more than the man in charge. Just ask Owl Golden, or, er, Al Golden, who just left Groh's staff to become head coach at Temple.

"Al [Groh] works so much that he sleeps standing up," Golden said of his old boss. "Seriously, it's evident to all of us that work with him that he truly has a passion, enthusiasm and devotion to the University of Virginia and its mission that goes beyond football."

To quote country poet, Larry the Cable Guy, there's only one thing left to do: Get 'er done.

 

Guitar highlights bowl luncheon
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
December 15, 2005

For 11 days, Al Groh has known that his football team would call the Music City home during the bowl season.
Still, that didn't stop executives from the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn., from "formally" inviting Virginia to play in the postseason contest during a luncheon on Wednesday at Bryant Hall.

In addition to accepting the invitation to play Minnesota (7-4) on Dec. 30, Virginia officials accepted a guitar emblazoned with the Music City Bowl and Virginia logos as the "key to the city" of Nashville.

As the guitar was presented, UVa Athletics Director Craig Littlepage turned to Groh and said, "Al, you play."

"Since you brought it up," Groh answered, "there's a little piece that I composed ? Love Me Tender."

The laughter-filled moment was probably something that Groh needed.

To say the least, the opening days of December have been chaotic and wild for Virginia's coach.

He has seen four assistant coaches leave - three for head coaching jobs - and tried admirably to retain and reel in recruits for next year's incoming class.

And then there are the current players.

A team captain, safety Tony Franklin, was issued a summons by the Albemarle County Police Department on Dec. 4 for possession of marijuana and speculation surfaced that two linebackers - Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham - would follow in Darryl Blackstock's footsteps, forgoing their last year of eligibility at UVa to enter the NFL Draft.

With a bowl game on the horizon for his 6-5 team, Groh admitted that the coaching departures were not timely.

"If that had happened on Jan. 3rd, it would be easily dealt with," Groh said. "But the fact we have a game to play and recruiting to do [makes it tough]. Starting on Dec. 1st, our priorities were to get ready for the postseason game and get everything we could out of recruiting.

"We've tried to maintain those priorities. So, that's where we are right now.

ON THE SIDELINES: When Virginia faces Minnesota, they will be without offensive coordinator Ron Prince (Kansas State) and defensive coordinator Al Golden (Temple), but they will have the services of outside linebackers coach Mark D'Onofrio and inside linebackers coach Danny Rocco according to Groh.

Rocco was named the head coach at Liberty earlier this month and D'Onofrio was officially named the defensive coordinator on Golden's staff at Temple on Wednesday.

QUITE FRANKLIN: It remains an unknown if Franklin will play in the bowl game or even practice with the team when bowl preparations begin on Friday.

"We will make a determination on that," Groh said.

The coaching staff is still investigating the matter surrounding Franklin and in doing so found out that "it's quite a different story in its entirety than what came out at first," Groh said.

Thanks to a continuance, Franklin will not appear in court until after the bowl game.

"As is usually the circumstance in a lot of these cases, there's a lot more here than appears on the surface. A lot more in terms of the reality of the event that I'm privy to that perhaps others aren't," Groh said. "[The court date is] their circumstance to adjudicate.

"Then we have our own perspective and standards to judge against.

"One is just conformity to standards. Then there's what's just.

"And thirdly, we try to always be governed by doing what's right by the individual, doing what's right by the team, and that's not necessarily what other people's opinion is."

INJURY UPDATE: Prior to coming to the luncheon, Groh said he was in a meeting with Brooks.

In Virginia's regular season finale, the junior inside linebacker was unable to play due to a back injury.

Will Brooks play against Minnesota?

"We'll see how that goes and see how he feels," Groh said. "I wouldn't say that he wouldn't play. I really don't know. We'll have to see, but really, by and large, we've played the season without the 'Ahmad' that we know.

"Number 34 was out there for a couple games, but we really kind of played without him this season anyway. So, if we don't have him, it will be business as usual."

Brooks played in six games, making 27 tackles in 288 plays.

Chris Cook, a safety, is questionable for the bowl game and Groh hopes that the freshman can practice this weekend. Cook broke his leg against Boston College on Oct. 8.

Tailback Michael Johnson (ankle) and fullback/special teams standout Josh Zidenburg (ankle) are also injured and might miss the postseason. Keenan Carter, a nose tackle, is not expected to practice in the session leading up to the game.

Cedric Peerman (knee), a freshman running back and kick returner, has been able to practice and should be near 100 percent in the bowl game.

GETTING PAID TO PLAY: Whom he talked to remains unclear, but Groh said he has had discussions and offered words of wisdom with some of the underclassmen in his program that were considering leaving school early to enter the NFL Draft.

That group would almost certainly include Brooks and Parham, both of which could return in 2006.

"Unfortunately, most of the people who talk to these players, talk about the draft," Groh said. "The draft is not the issue. It's being in the league and playing well.

"There are 350 players who get drafted every year. There's competition for 350 spots. But there are 1,800 guys competing for spots on a roster, and that's really the key thing. That's what players have to be ready for."

Two players - Blackstock and tight end Heath Miller - left UVa with a year of eligibility remaining after the 2004 season.

"We try to give them our advisement on [leaving early]," Groh said, "and ultimately everybody's responsible for their own career."

EXTRA POINTS: To provide depth at safety, Groh said true freshman Brandon Woods has taken some turns in practice. Woods, a wide receiver during the regular season, played the position in high school. ? It is expected that the crowd for the Music City Bowl will be in the range of 40,000. Much of that is thanks to 20,000 tickets that were sold to local residents before Thanksgiving. The Coliseum, the home to the Tennessee Titans and the Music City Bowl, holds 67,000.

 

Game goes on after staff exodus
Doug Doughty
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- When Virginia football coach Al Groh says he has "a lot of balls up in the air," he isn't talking about the Cavaliers passing game.

Virginia formally accepted an invitation to the Music City Bowl on Wednesday, after which Groh spoke publicly for the first time since losing four assistant coaches.

Offensive coordinator Ron Prince and defensive coordinator Al Golden took Division I-A head-coaching positions at Kansas State and Temple, respectively, and assistant head coach Danny Rocco was named head coach at Division I-AA Liberty.

Mark D'Onofrio, who coaches the UVa inside linebackers and coordinates special teams, has agreed to join Golden's Temple staff as defensive coordinator.

"It's unprecedented, from my awareness, for three head coaches to come off a staff in a week's time," said Groh, whose three assistants actually were introduced as head coaches in a five-day span.

"You look at certain staffs and say, 'They had a number of guys who went on to become head coaches,' and that took place over the course of three, four, five years.

"I felt all of them had the potential to be head coaches when they came here, but I certainly didn't expect it to happen in a week's time. If that occurred Jan. 3, it would have been easily dealt with."

Instead, when Virginia (6-5) resumes practice this weekend for its Dec. 30 game with Minnesota (7-4) in Nashville, Tenn., the Cavaliers will have a makeshift staff.

Groh has been talking to prospective new staff members, but a recruiting "dead" period starts Monday and Rocco and D'Onofrio have volunteered their services for the bowl.

Bill Polin, in his second season as a graduate assistant, will coach the offensive line in the bowl game. Groh said he might work with the secondary, along with another two-year graduate assistant, Chad Wilt, who is on loan from Rocco's new staff.

When Prince and Golden were tending to their coordinator duties at UVa, Polin and Wilt worked with the offensive line and secondary, respectively.

Groh would not reveal his plans for offensive playcalling, where candidates include receivers coach John Garrett and quarterbacks coach Mike Groh, although Mike Groh has a full plate this time of year as the Cavaliers' recruiting coordinator.

"If most of the games are any indication, there are probably 62,000 people who think they know how to call plays," Groh said. "So, it shouldn't be hard to get the plays called."

Prince was among a minority of offensive coordinators who also coach the offensive line, and Groh said it was likely that he would make a decision on an offensive line coach before he named a coordinator.

Virginia graduate Mike Sewak, who had a 35-14 record before he was fired after four seasons as the head coach at Division I-AA Georgia Southern, is among the applicants.

"I sent my stuff up there to him," said Sewak, previously the Georgia Southern offensive coordinator and a college offensive line coach for 15 years. "We'll see how all that works out. He's always been very cordial to me. In the past, I've visited with him and talked with him on other matters and he's always called me right back."

One-time Virginia head coach Dick Bestwick, now retired after a lengthy career in administration at the University of Georgia, is among those who have recommended Sewak.

There also has been support for Kurt Newsome, the offensive line coach at James Madison.

"If I was a college coach and looking for an assistant coach, he'd be the first one I'd look at," said Hampton High School coach Mike Smith, a one-time rival when Newsome coached at Kecoughtan High School.

Smith said he placed a call to Groh earlier this week and spoke to him for 4-5 minutes on Newsome's behalf.

Groh said he has heard from several head coaches with an interest in joining his staff. He might have been talking about Sewak, or maybe Groh was referring to one-time coaching colleague, Gary Darnell, previously the head coach at Western Michigan.

Mike London, a UVa assistant for four years before joining the Houston Texans' staff, might be wooed back to Charlottesville by the opportunity to become a coordinator. London coaches the Texans' defensive line, same as he did in the 3-4 defense that Virginia also runs, but Houston is 1-12 and may be looking at a coaching change.

As for the team that Virginia will put on the field for the bowl, Groh said he would not rule out the possibility that inside linebacker Ahmad Brooks or safety Tony Franklin will play in the game

Franklin, earlier suspended for one game because of a violation of team rules, was arrested Dec. 5 on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession. Monday's hearing was postponed until January.

"There's a lot more here than appears on the surface, circumstances that I've been privy to that, perhaps, others aren't," Groh said. "There's a lot more to the story in its entirety than what first came about."

Before the luncheon, Groh met with Brooks, who did not play in the Cavaliers' final regular-season game Nov. 26 at Miami. Brooks already had suffered back discomfort before leaving practice on the Wednesday before that Saturday game.

"I wouldn't say that he wouldn't play yet," Groh said. "We'll have to see. By and large, we've played the season without the Ahmad that we know. If we don't have him, it will be business as usual."

Virginia fans might wonder if they've seen the last of the inside-linebacker tandem of Brooks and Kai Parham, fellow 2002 signees who made first-team All-ACC in back-to-back seasons. While there is annual speculation about Brooks leaving college early, Parham's play this season has sparked similar talk.

"I've talked to a couple of players about what their readiness is," Groh said. "Unfortunately, when you talk about the draft, the draft is not the issue. It's being in the league and playing well. That's what players have to be ready to do. We try to give them our advice but, ultimately, everybody is responsible for their own career."

 

Groh juggles duties as aides leave, bowl nears
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© December 15, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Al Groh walked out of Virginia’s Bryant Hall on Wednesday afternoon carrying, of all things, an acoustic guitar in a hard black case.

The guitar was presented to Groh, athletic director Craig Littlepage and U.Va. president John Casteen by the chairman of the Music City Bowl. Virginia (6-5) will play Minnesota (7-4) in the bowl game Dec. 30 in Nashville.

Casteen and Littlepage cleared out shortly after a luncheon in which Virginia was formally invited to the game, leaving Groh to retrieve the guitar, leaning neglected against a wall. As if the Virginia coach doesn’t have enough to do these days.

A little over two weeks before the game, Groh is juggling three tasks. He’s preparing his team for the Gophers, and doing it without his offensive and defensive coordinators, who left recently to take head coaching jobs. He’s also been on the road recruiting, and he’s sifting through resumes, trying to fill the vacancies on his staff.

“It’s pretty interesting,” Groh said. “A lot of things going on at once. I want to do an equally good job at all three of them. None of them can afford to take the back burner to anything else.”

Come Friday, when the off-campus recruiting period ends, Groh and his staff — what’s left of it — will turn their full attention to preparing for Minnesota. They’ll do it without the help of offensive coordinator Ron Prince, who left to become head coach at Kansas State, and defensive coordinator Al Golden, who took the head coach job at Temple.

Associate head coach Dan Rocco, who resigned to become head coach at Liberty, will be back to help prepare for the game, Groh said. So will special teams and inside linebackers coach Mark D’Onofrio, who followed Golden to Temple.

Groh said he believed Golden, Prince and Rocco would all be head coaches some day. He just never thought they’d all land jobs in a week’s time.

“If that had happened Jan.3, it would be easily dealt with. But the fact that we have a game to play and recruiting to do ...”

The mass exodus has left Virginia scrambling. Groh expects to run the defense himself, in place of Golden. Asked who would call the offensive plays, Groh said he isn’t sure yet.

“If most of the games are an indication, there are about 62,000 people who think they know how to call plays, so it shouldn’t be hard to get the plays called,” he joked.

The most likely candidates are quarterbacks coach Mike Groh and receivers coach John Garrett.

Bill Polin, a graduate assistant, will assume Prince’s duties as offensive line coach. Polin did a great deal of the coaching anyway, freeing Prince to run the offense.

All in all, it should be “pretty close to a normal operation,” Groh said.

After the game, the focus will shift to replenishing the staff. Groh said there has been no shortage of candidates.

“In one respect, it would be fun to hire about 15 guys, because there’s such a large list of intriguing and interesting coaches that we could bring here.”

Groh said he has not decided whether he’ll hire an offensive coordinator from outside or promote from within. Or, if he’ll have a coordinator at all. Prince’s job was unusual, because of his offensive line duties. Not many coordinators double as line coaches.

“There’s a lot of interesting ways we can go with this,” he said.

One thing Groh can seemingly promise any attractive candidate is that coaching at Virginia can lead to a head coaching job elsewhere. Not that he’s eager to make that pitch.

“We’re looking for guys who can have the biggest impact on our program,” he said. “And let their careers fall wherever they may from that point on.”

NOTES: Groh said he’s not sure if linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who missed the regular season finale at Miami with a back injury, will be available for the bowl. Brooks, a 2004 All-American, has missed much of the season with injuries. “By and large, we’ve played the season without the Ahmad that we know,” Groh said. “If we don’t have him, it will be business as usual.” … Groh said he is hopeful that cornerback Chris Cook, out since September with a broken leg, would return to practice this weekend. … Asked about safety Tony Franklin, who was cited earlier this month in Charlottesville for possession of marijuana, Groh said: ''There’s a lot more here than appears on the surface, a lot more in terms of the reality of the event.” He declined to say whether Franklin would play, but did not rule it out. Franklin, a junior, was one of four players suspended from Virginia’s 27-17 win over Georgia Tech Nov. 12 for an undisclosed violation of team rules. He was reinstated the following week.

 

Down time would be music to Groh's ears
U.Va. coach juggling bowl preparation with his coaching searches
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Dec 15, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Al Groh walked out of Bryant Hall yesterday afternoon carrying a case. Inside was a new guitar, a gift from Music City Bowl officials visiting the University of Virginia.

Groh won't have time to do much pickin' between now and Dec. 30, when his U.Va. football team meets Minnesota in the Music City Bowl at Nashville.

In addition to preparing the Cavaliers (6-5) for the Golden Gophers (7-4), Groh has prospects to recruit and four assistants to hire.

"We got a lot of balls up in the air at the same time," he said.

To welcome Music City officials Dale Polley and Scott Ramsey to town, U.Va. officials held a luncheon yesterday. Afterward, Groh met informally with reporters. Vague replies were the norm.

Among the questions yet to be answered, at least publicly:

Will junior linebacker Ahmad Brooks or junior safety Tony Franklin play in the Music City?

Will junior linebacker Kai Parham forgo his final season of eligible and enter the coming NFL draft?

Who'll call plays for the Cavaliers in Nashville? How about next season?

Two of the assistants who took jobs at other schools - Danny Rocco (head coach at Liberty) and Mark D'Onofrio (defensive coordinator at Temple) - will be back with the Cavaliers for the bowl game. Graduate assistants Bill Polin and Chad Wilt will take on greater responsibilities, helping Groh cover for the departures of offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Ron Prince and defensive coordinator/secondary coach Al Golden.

If Groh has a timetable for hiring new assistants, he didn't disclose it yesterday. Nor did he identify any candidates. Apparently, though, there's no shortage of applicants.

"The response has been such that, frankly, in one respect it'd be fun to hire about 15 guys, because there's such a large list of very intriguing and interesting coaches that we could bring here," Groh said.

Asked if he planned to hire an offensive coordinator, Groh was noncommital.

"I don't know. We'll see," he said. "Again, it just depends on how the thing shakes out. It's a little bit unusual situation when your offensive coordinator is also your line coach, because that's not necessarily the situation where coordinators generally come from. So our first priority is taking care of the position as an offensive line position. If the coordinator-ship goes with that, that's fine. Maybe it doesn't."

So who'll call plays for U.Va. on Dec. 30? "I don't know," Groh said. "We'll see."

Franklin, a team captain, is facing a charge of misdemeanor marijuana possession. His case has been continued until next month, but whether he'll be allowed to play against Minnesota isn't clear.

"As is usually the circumstance in a lot of these cases, there's a lot more here than appears on the surface," Groh said.

Brooks, who has struggled with health problems most of the year, missed U.Va.'s regular-season finale at Miami because of a back injury. He may not suit up Dec. 30.

"We'll just see how that goes and see how he feels and what he's capable of doing," Groh said. "I wouldn't say that he wouldn't play. I really don't know yet . . . But really, by and large, we've played this season without the Ahmad that we know. Now, No. 34 was out there for a couple of games, but we really kind of played without him this year anyway. So if we don't have him, it'll be business as usual."

Brooks, a Butkus Award finalist in 2004, is expected to enter the coming NFL draft. Parham, a first-team all-ACC pick this season, may join him.

Groh didn't name any names but said he'd talked to a couple of his players about the wisdom of leaving school early for the NFL. He's believed to have advised Brooks to leave and Parham to return.

"Unfortunately, most of the people who talk to these players talk about the draft," Groh said. "The draft is not the issue. It's being in the league and playing well."

 

U.Va Notes
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Dec 14, 2005

MULTITALENTED: Virginia's first-year basketball coach, Dave Leitao, likes versatile players. No wonder he offered a scholarship to Andy Ogide, who'll join the Cavaliers in 2006-07.

A 6-8, 218-pound forward, Ogide is a senior at Paulding High in Dallas, Ga. He's comfortable in the low post but also operates well on the perimeter. Ogide made four 3-pointers in one game this season and two treys Monday night in a 38-point performance.

He's averaging 28.5 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocked shots and 2 assists for Paulding (5-4), which advanced to the state tournament last season. Ogide is a four-year starter and has "done nothing but get better and better," Patriots coach Joel Boone said last night.

Ogide carries a grade-point average of better than 3.6, he said, and scored 1,040 on the SAT as a junior.

Asked why he picked U.Va., Ogide said he liked "the new coach, the new arena, the new situation, and [the ACC is] the best basketball conference. You couldn't go wrong with that."

U.Va.'s 15,000-seat John Paul Jones Arena is scheduled to open in June.

GROWING PAINS: Heading into its Saturday night game at 10th-ranked Gonzaga, Virginia is 3-3. The players Leitao inherited from his predecessor, Pete Gillen, have struggled to adjust to the new regime.

"It's a work in progress," Leitao Leitao said on his radio
show Monday night. "What we've tried to do is establish a baseline by which we're all going to operate, both on and off the court .¤.¤. Right now for some of them it's confusing. They don't know if they play naturally if something good is going to happen, or if they play exactly the way the coaches tell them if something good is going to happen. So they end up playing halfway in between, and that's a bad place to be because they don't produce at the rate they're accustomed to or the way we want them to."

BACKCOURT BLUES: Shooting guard J.R. Reynolds (4 for 24 on 3-point attempts) has struggled to find his touch, and backup point guard T.J. Bannister is slowly recovering from a sports hernia. Not all the news, however, is bad for Leitao's team. Sophomore point guard Sean Singletary (17.2 ppg), who missed the Cavaliers' most recent game with a hip injury, has returned to practice and is expected to play against the Zags.

STEADY PROGRESS: More than half of Virginia's allotment of 10,000 tickets for the Music City Bowl is gone. As of yesterday afternoon, U.Va. had sold 3,894 tickets to the public, according to university spokesman Rich Murray. The school will buy about 1,500 tickets for internal use, so about 4,600 remain from the Cavaliers' allotment.

The Music City will match U.Va. (6-5) and Minnesota (7-4) on Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tenn.

HELP ON THE WAY: Football coach Al Groh has lost four assistants since the end of the regular season: Al Golden and Mark D'Onofrio to Temple, Danny Rocco to Liberty and Ron Prince to Kansas State.

Still, the Cavs won't be as short-handed in Nashville as some feared.

Rocco will return to Charlottesville next week to help the Cavaliers prepare for the Music City, and D'Onofrio is expected back, too. Both also would coach in the game.

Rocco was U.Va.'s associate head coach and worked with the team's outside linebackers. D'Onofrio coached Virginia's inside linebackers and coordinated its special teams.

ROUGH ROAD: Virginia's nonconference schedule (Western Michigan, Syracuse, Temple) in football was weak, but the ACC schedule-makers didn't make it easy for Groh's team.

Three ACC teams won eight or more games during the regular season: Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College. A fourth, Florida State, won only seven regular-season games but beat Virginia Tech in the ACC championship game.

Of the conference's other eight teams, only U.Va. had to play each of the conference's Big Four.

MIXED RESULTS: Mark Herzlich, a linebacker from Berwyn, Pa., who committed to U.Va. in June, had a change of heart. Herzlich now plans to sign with Boston College, which he visited last weekend.

Also, Meadowbrook High defensive end John Graves, who ranked high on U.Va.'s wish list, chose Virginia Tech, which he visited last weekend.

The Cavaliers, however, have received a commitment from DeAndre Filer, a 5-11, 175-pound senior at Indian River High in Chesapeake. He made the all-Southeastern District first team as a defensive back and the second team as a wideout this season.

Filer, who also had offers from Clemson, Maryland, Michigan State and N.C. State, isn't likely to suit up for U.Va. next year. Like another U.Va. recruit, defensive lineman Asa Chapman, Filer is expected to spend the 2006-07 academic year at prep school.

 

Franklin's status in doubt for UVa in Nashville
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
December 15, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Junior safety Tony Franklin's legal problems won't be resolved until after the new year. His status for the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 when Virginia plays Minnesota remains uncertain.
Franklin was issued a summons for misdemeanor possession of marijuana on Dec. 4.

"There's a lot more here than what appears on the surface," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "A lot more in terms of the reality of the event or the circumstance that I'm privy to that perhaps others aren't."

There was a continuance in Franklin's case to Jan. 17, but that doesn't mean he can't play in the meantime.

"That's their circumstance to adjudicate, and we've got our own perspective and standards to judge against too," Groh said. "One is just conformity to standards and another one is what's just. Thirdly, is we always try to do what's right by the individual and do what's right by the team, and that's not necessarily what other peoples' opinion are."

Franklin, a co-captain, was one of four players suspended for the Georgia Tech game because of an undisclosed violation of team policy. He returned to the field the following week.

Ahmad still around

Contrary to rumors, linebacker Ahmad Brooks is still with the team, though he may be unavailable for the bowl game. Brooks has had several hindrances this year, including offseason knee surgery, an ankle sprain and, at the end of the season, back troubles that kept him out of the Miami game.

"I wouldn't say that he wouldn't play," Groh said. "I really don't know yet. We'll have to see.

"Really, by and large, we played the season without the Ahmad that we know. No. 34 was out there for a couple games, but we kind of played without him this year, so if we don't have him it will be business as usual."

Bye-bye, Kai?

Rumors on Virginia's Internet fan board flamed last week that junior linebacker Kai Parham would forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft after the bowl game.

Parham, a first-team all-ACC selection, chose not to comment on the issue during the season. Groh said he's already consulted with Parham about his options, as well as other players.

"Unfortunately, most of these people who talk to these players talk about the draft. And the draft is not the issue," Groh said. "It's being in the league and playing well. ? So we just try to give him our advice on that and ultimately everybody is responsible for their own career."

Injury front

The time off since the end of the season has given some players enough time to rest and get back on the field. Others haven't been so lucky.

Tailback Cedric Peerman (William Campbell), who sprained his left knee late in the season, practiced last weekend. Tailback Michael Johnson (ankle) and defensive tackle Keenan Carter (ankle) did not. Carter has been sidelined for four weeks now.

"I'd be surprised if he practices, frankly," Groh said.

The status of freshman cornerback Chris Cook (Heritage), who broke his right leg against Boston College on Oct. 8, remains unclear. Cook does not have a cast or walking boot, but the question is whether his leg can handle the rigors of practice.

"Maybe it's just me," Groh said, "but I'm hoping that maybe we'll try to do a little something with him this weekend."

Safety first

The Cavaliers could have a new safety in the running this spring. True freshman Brandon Woods has been taking turns at the position recently.

Woods, the high school teammate of UVa wide receiver Maurice Covington at Southern Durham (N.C.) High, began the year as a wide receiver but has not been on the field. Though Woods won't see the field in the bowl game, there's a chance he could stick at safety, where UVa has some concerns next year, especially given Franklin's legal troubles and Nate Lyles neck injury.

The 6-foot-2, 201-pound Woods was a first-team all-state defensive back his senior year of high school and led his team in interceptions, making four in the state playoffs alone. The early returns from his stint at safety have been good.

Said Groh: "He's aggressive, for sure."

- Andy Bitter