UVa players like London
By Jay Jenkins
Published: December 2, 2009
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Mike London had to know it was coming.

The head coach at the University at Richmond and a former assistant at Virginia, London was asked on Tuesday about the vacancy left open when Al Groh was fired on Sunday.

For now, one of the leading candidates for the vacancy has pressing matters — a playoff date with Appalachian State on Saturday.

“I tell you what. It’s an unfortunate situation that just happened up there,” London told reporters during a weekly teleconference. “But it’s a reality of the coaching business. As that particular question relates to Appalachian State, my focus is on the game at Appalachian State and my entire focus is on that.

“So, you know, I’m not going to talk or speculate or address rumors or anything like that when I’ve got a ballgame to try to prepare for, and I’d appreciate any questions, any conjecture or hypothetical scenarios and all that stuff you know will be sensitive to that fact that I’m the head coach at Richmond, and I’m getting ready for Appalachian State. So that’s all that’s on my mind right now.”

Players, former or current, have thought otherwise, longing for London to return to Virginia after his Spiders (11-1) — who won the FCS national championship last season — finish their season.

“I think the biggest thing that you will see if coach London gets back in there is that his selling point is going to be recruiting,” said former UVa quarterback Kevin McCabe. “He is going to start getting guys back in that program. The first couple of years might be rocky — but who am I to say that? But I think you will see a staple point of Mike London and his recruiting.”

Virginia has struggled of late in recruiting, bringing in classes that landed in the middle of the pack in national rankings.

That explained the results, former players said.

It is something that might not be the case with London on board.

“He is a great coach. He was my first coach when I got here,” former defensive end Nate Collins said. “I feel like he did a lot for me. You always feel like when a coach is on you that you might not like things like that, but at the same time I give a lot of my success here to [London].

“He has done great things at Richmond, and I wish the best for him as well as they continue. If he does become the coach here, I wish him luck here, and I wish him to carry on his legacy and get it back on track the way that it used to be around here.”

London can recruit outside of the state, and McCabe says a London-led staff at UVa would have great assistants.

“He will go into that house in Florida and pull one or two kids like we used to when I first got here,” he said. “Like any good coach, you want to surround yourself with good assistants. You want to surround yourself with good people. I think he can do that.”
 

Potential U.Va. coaches say little as search begins for Groh's replacement
By David Teel and Norm Wood 247-4636 247-4642
December 2, 2009

When it comes to college football coaching searches, the period of time after the regular season and prior to the start of the postseason is typically the noncommittal portion of the schedule.

That's how several candidates for Virginia's vacant post are handling questions right now, but at least one under-the-radar name is riding the fence in his approach to coaching rumors. William and Mary coach Jimmye Laycock would neither confirm nor deny interest Tuesday in the U.Va. job, which opened Sunday when Al Groh was fired after nine seasons.

"You never say never," said Laycock, who is preparing his 10-2 team this week for Saturday's national quarterfinal in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs at Southern Illinois.

Laycock, 61, is in his 30th season as W&M's coach. He has compiled a record of 199-140-2. While Laycock offered a mysterious response regarding his level of intrigue in U.Va.'s opening, most candidates are dodging the matter altogether at this stage.

Temple coach Al Golden, a U.Va. postgraduate alum who was the Cavaliers' defensive coordinator from 2001-05 under Groh, refused to answer any questions about the Virginia job, according to Temple's sports information office. Connecticut coach Randy Edsall had a similar offering.

"I don't have any comment — nothing to say," Edsall said. "I'm getting my team ready to play a game against South Florida."

Wake Forest's sports information department indicated coach Jim Grobe, also a U.Va. alum, won't have any comment about the U.Va. job during the search process. Miami offensive coordinator Mark Whipple was unavailable for comment, as the Hurricanes' assistant coaches aren't permitted to speak with media.

Perhaps the most honest response to rumors came from Louisiana Tech coach and athletic director Derek Dooley, who is a U.Va. alum and former Cavaliers walk-on wide receiver who eventually earned a scholarship.

After going 8-5 last season and taking Louisiana Tech to its first bowl game since 1977, Dooley's team has struggled to a 3-8 record in his third season. Louisiana Tech finishes its season Saturday against San Jose State.

"I don't know if there is much of a market out there for a three-win coach," Dooley said during a Monday teleconference.

Dooley said he hasn't concerned himself with his name popping up as a candidate for various jobs.

"I'm not worried about it," Dooley said. "I'm worried about San Jose. I don't want to go into all that stuff again.

"All that stuff is just someone throwing a guy's name in the paper. I would rather not talk about that."

In an e-mail exchange with the Colorado Springs Gazette, Air Force coach Troy Calhoun responded to speculation that a job interview already has been arranged with U.Va. athletic department personnel. He said any such report is "inaccurate" and his current attitude about the U.Va. job is he has "not given it a thought."

"All vision and energy on (Air Force) coaching and recruiting," Calhoun said in his e-mail to the Gazette.

Laycock on U.Va.: "Never say never"

Jimmye Laycock is 61, a Williamsburg icon and works in a building that carries his name. So it never dawned on us that he might be intrigued by Virginia's football coaching vacancy.

Until he cryptically and slyly indicated otherwise this afternoon.

"You never say never," Laycock said with a wide smile as he prepared his William and Mary team for Saturday's national quarterfinal at Southern Illinois.

Translation: If Virginia called, he'd listen.

Not that Laycock is unhappy at his alma mater, where he's coached for 30 seasons. The newly minted Jimmye Laycock Football Center is a gem among championship subdivision programs and finally gives the Tribe a recruiting asset other than the team's tradition and the school's prestige.

Plus, this is among Laycock's best squads, witness the 10-2 record.

Given his sterling record (199-140-2) at an academically renowned, in-state school with limited resources, Laycock fits much of Virginia's profile.

Yet he knows the call is unlikely to come. He's not the young, glib type most in the Cavaliers camp crave after nine years with the blustery Al Groh.

During the 2000 search that produced Groh, Laycock would have been an ideal candidate. Why Virginia didn't approach him will be the subject of Thursday's print column, which will be posted online tomorrow afternoon.

Posted by David Teel

Derek Dooley: "Not much of a market out there for a three-win coach"

Last year, in the midst of an 8-5 season, Derek Dooley’s name came up often in relation to coaching vacancies.

The Louisiana Tech coach’s name has been mentioned at his alma mater, Virginia, which fired Al Groh on Sunday. However, Dooley is 3-8 heading into Saturday’s season finale against San Jose State. And he made fun of that fact.

“I don’t know if there is much of a market out there for a three-win coach,” Dooley said during Monday’s teleconference.

Dooley is a 1990 graduate who walked on to the football team as wide receiver and caught 41 passes in his career.

His father, Vince, won the 1980 title at Georgia and is the Bulldogs’ winningest coach.

Dooley was not specifically asked about the Virginia position on Monday, just his thoughts on continuous coaching speculation.

“I’m not worried about,” Dooley said. “I’m worried about San Jose. I don’t want to go into all that stuff again.

“All that stuff is just someone throwing a guy’s name in the paper. I would rather not talk about that.”

Dooley went 5-7 in 2007, his first year at Louisiana Tech. Last year, he guided Louisiana Tech to its first bowl victory since 1977.

He is 16-20 overall.

Dooley was a tight ends coach for the Miami Dolphis and an assistant coach at LSU, SMU and Georgia.

Posted by Nick Mathews

Focus | The next UVa. football coach
November 30, 2009 by chrisgraham
Column by Chris Graham | Augusta Free Press

Before we get to the next UVa. football coach topic, I have a commentary on a point raised in Daily Progress sports editor Jerry Ratcliffe’s column on the sacking of Al Groh.

Ratcliffe wrote that it was “bush league” for the athletics department to have informed the news media of Groh’s dismissal before he could talk to his assistant coaches, most of whom ended up being jettisoned with him.

Maybe I’m more tied into what’s actually going on than the rest of the media, but I was first informed of the pending Sunday early-afternoon news regarding Groh’s dismissal on Thursday.
The information I received to that effect was specific enough to include the recommendation that I keep the 1 p.m. Sunday hour free in the event that the release of the information was to be done by news conference.

In the end, the information was sent out as a news release around 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

The odd poem reading-with-family photo-op that ended Groh’s Virginia Tech postgame press conference Saturday evening tells us that Groh had been let in on what was going to happen on Sunday.

The implication, thus, that the school acted in a “bush league” manner relative to how things went down is shameful spinmeistering, but not surprising, considering the source.

Moving on

I’ve been among those critical of Craig Littlepage for the troubles in the revenue sports at UVa., but after talking things over with fellow alums this weekend have come to a more enlightened view.

The point was made to me that Littlepage has a pretty good track record on hires on which he made the primary call - to name the two best-known examples, baseball coach Brian O’Connor, and new men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett.

Former men’s hoops coach Pete Gillen was pre-Littlepage. His successor and Bennett predecessor Dave Leitao is widely thought to have been the call of UVa. President John Casteen, who is also credited/blamed with the hiring of Groh and the move to upgrade and extend Groh’s contract in 2004 on the basis of three (in retrospect) relatively mediocre seasons.

The O’Connor and Bennett hires give us a model for what a Littlepage-led football-coach search might look like. Both are young, cerebral, considered up-and-comers at the time of their hires, and are looked at as players’ coaches, to borrow from the sports vernacular.

In short, they’re the 2000s versions of Terry Holland and George Welsh. The fans and alums wanted to see Littlepage in particular make a splash with the new basketball coach, with interest focusing on big names like Minnesota’s Tubby Smith and Oklahoma’s Jeff Capel. The Bennett hire raised eyebrows among those who didn’t react to the news by saying, Who?, and it’s still way, way too early to judge whether or not Bennett will get the job done long-term, but the early returns seem promising.

With recent history as a guide, then, I think you can throw out the big names. Sorry, Tommy Tuberville, Jim Grobe, Insert Name of Supposedly Hot But Soon-To-Be Recently Fired NFL Coach Here, thanks for your interest, but we’re going in a different direction.

I think we can ultimately rule out Mike London using the O’Connor/Bennett rule. The jury is still out on what London, 49, the two-year head coach at I-AA Richmond, can do with his own guys, and while O’Connor came to UVa. baseball from an assistant job at Notre Dame, he was known as a recruiter in South Bend; and Bennett, while only at the helm at Washington State for three years before being hired at UVa., had been on his father Dick Bennett’s staff prior to taking over, and thus could be seen as having more of a hand in his success as a head coach than you’d think otherwise based on thin his head-coaching resume.

London’s resume includes mention of how he served as Groh’s recruiting coordinator from 2002-2004. Those kids would have formed the nucleus of teams from 2005 on, a period that saw Virginia compile a 29-32 record.

Chris Petersen, 45, and in his fourth year at Boise State (where his teams have gone an otherworldly 47-4 in his time as head coach), may be a good fit to the model, though it’s hard to figure why Petersen would leave the blue field at Boise for more money and more problems at UVa.

Derek Dooley, 40, a 1990 UVa. alum and the third-year head coach at Louisiana Tech, is another possibility based on the modeling, but I think the issue raised with London about winning with his guys (Tech is 3-8 this year in Dooley’s third season) could apply here.

Al Golden, 40, has proven (this year, anyway) that you can win at Temple (9-3 in 2009), and he’s doing it with “his guys” (Golden is in his fourth year at Temple). Like London, he has ties to the UVa. program; unlike London, his ties aren’t recent enough that allow one to say that he was a contributor to the downfall of the Groh regime. Golden was also part of the staff when George Welsh was in town, a plus, and at Temple has built his success by recruiting Pennsylvania and New Jersey, which used to be a pipeline of talent for UVa. teams under Welsh.

The current Air Force coach, Troy Calhoun, 43, is the most intriguing possibility to me. Calhoun has turned the Air Force program around in his three years at the helm, improving from 4-8 in 2006 to 9-4 in his first year in 2007, with experience as an assistant in the NFL and at Wake Forest in the ACC. Another plus: His time at Air Force, like Welsh’s at Navy, has him used to the rigors of recruiting in a tough academic environment.

I’d rank Calhoun a strong top choice and do what I could to get him to Charlottesville, personally. That’s assuming Petersen wouldn’t be available.

If Petersen would be available … I dunno.

That’s why they pay Littlepage the big bucks. There’s my official answer on that.
 

Al Groh: The Four-Million Dollar Man? by Ben Gibson
Ben GibsonSenior Analyst, Featured Columnist
Senior Analyst Written on November 30, 2009

Our long national nightmare is over.

Okay, so maybe it's not Watergate, but Al Groh was officially fired Sunday, a mere 18 hours after another humiliating loss to Virginia Tech. Groh's exit to stage left after nine tumultuous years as coach of the Virginia Cavaliers was much like the man himself: complicated.

As I have said many times, Al Groh is not a bad guy.

He may be stoic and stern, but he is far from a brute or a bully. In a small group, he can be downright jovial. However, this final year will not be anything that anyone looks fondly upon.

In fact, Groh's entire career could probably be described in one word: meh.

For you see, Groh's tenure in football is the epitome of mediocre. He has made his career piggy-backing off the fame of others like his mentor Bill Parcells.

Groh adopted just about every mannerism of Bill Parcells whom he worked under for years and was handed his only NFL head coaching job when Parcells left the New York Jets. The desk in his office has a gift that was given to him by Parcells, famous words of wisdom that say: "Just coach the team."

Even Groh's bizarre departure, reading a poem entitled "Guy in the Glass" in his final press conference, was the exact same poem that Parcells read in his final press conference as the New York Jets coach.

He then added a smug final stanza in which Groh explained that when he looked in the mirror he saw a man of integrity, dependability, accountability and commitment among others things.

What he fails to see in the mirror though is the man he has tried so hard to emulate. He also fails to see the success he promised in 2001 when he spoke of taking Virginia football to the next level. Instead, what Virginia fans see in the glass is a man who lost eight out of nine games against Virginia Tech and has three losing seasons out of the past four.

Now "Guy in the Glass" has a rather pertinent message and if most coaches read it, it would probably be well received. After all, approval from the media, the fans, and even your colleagues mean nothing if you don't approve of yourself.

However, "Guy in the Glass" fits into the perception we all have of Al Groh. As much as Groh cares about X's and O's and thinks he knows everything, he just does not get it.

In Groh's mirror world everything may be shiny and bright, but in the real world his program is crumbling and he does not seem to see it.

Of course, before you start to feel sorry for the slightly out-of-touch Groh, remember that he left with quite the parting gift. Groh's three wins garnered him a four-million dollar bonus to sit at home and never come back.

In 2008, following a 5-7 season, the Athletic Director sat down with Al Groh and asked him if he would be willing to restructure his contract. The thought being that if Virginia struggled again, it would lower the astronomical buy-out clause.

Groh, as you may imagine, refused.

It may not be all that shocking, after all, most people are not inclined to throw money away. Even if the new number would still have been more money than most of us will see in our lifetimes.

However, former Virginia basketball coach Pete Gillen, a man who had no previous ties to the University, selflessly, agreed to restructure his deal.

He thought of the University first and even admitted that Virginia deserves better than what he provided.

After nine years, we have yet to hear Groh, a Virginia alum, admit that he failed to live up to his promises.

He has made excuses, he has played the blame game and he has stuck to his guns about instilling these young people with traits beyond the gridiron.

However, Groh could mend many fences by simply apologizing and admitting that he made some mistakes in his time. Is it fair for us to expect this from coaches? Maybe.

Does Groh have to apologize?

Of course not.

He does not owe the fans anything, but I think he would find that a simple statement could really help the program start anew and not wallow in its past frustrations.

Time will tell what the future holds for Al Groh. He very well could pack it up and call it a career, but that does not seem to be what he wants.

In a statement released by Groh, he claims that he is ready for "his next game." Now, perhaps Groh was using poetic license, but I would not be surprised if he does not attempt to return to the NFL, a place he never should have left.

A college coach takes a particular type of person, one that Groh was not fully suited for, but he does know how to coach up his defenses and that should make him a viable candidate.

The question is, will people be interested in someone who has been out of the NFL for nine years?

We all know that Groh certainly does not need the money. However, he does not seem like a home body, his love for football may force him out on to the gridiron one more time.

It is hard to assess just how Groh will be remembered in perhaps the darkest period of his tenure at Virginia. A career that held such promise for the former two-time ACC Coach of the Year has now turned into apathy and frustration.

Virginia is at the precipice of a new regime and Littlepage needs to make a big splash to re-energize the fan base.

However, in a bad economy with a half-full stadium and four million dollars down the drain, finding the funds necessary to sway a big name to Charlottesville will be more difficult than most people realize.

For you see, no matter who Virginia brings in as the next "guy in the glass," he will surely see some major dollar signs in his reflection.
 

HooYa! Blog
by HooYa

UVA Coaching Search Candidates Day 3
by Trent Thurston, December 1st 11:27pm
UVA Football Coaching Search Nuggets
Here are my top-two candidates to replace pilot, poet, chess player, and just recently 3-9 former UVA football coach, Al Groh.
Mike London head coach University of Richmond.
49 years old, native of Hampton, Virginia. Graduated in 1983 from UR, and is a former cop and detective in Richmond. London coached under Groh here at UVA, where he served as his defensive coordinator in 2006 and 2007. Mike is a players coach, but also a disciplinarian. He knows, and understands the academic challenges for top-recruits here at Virginia, as well as all of the major high school coaches in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He’s a defense-first coach, which is not my favorite, as I prefer a wide-open offensive-guy, but London is a rising-star coach in college football. London’s contract is not public, since Richmond is a private-school, and he is under contract till 2014, but Richmond's last coach Dave Clawson had an out in his deal to coach in the NFL or a major FBS school, and I think London probably does as well. London is media savvy, and understands that folks here at UVA were tired of the often cantankerous Groh’s approach with the administration, as well as his utter disdain for the media.
Kevin Sumlin head coach University of Houston.
45 years old, native of Indianapolis, Indiana. Sumlin graduated in 1998 from Purdue University. Kevin was a linebacker in college, but strangely enough, he is an offensive-minded football coach. Sumlin, was the offensive coordinator for Bob Stoops at Oklahoma before leaving to run things at Houston, where he was the first african-american head-coach in their history. Sumlin knows how to score on offense, something that Virginia has totally forgotten how to do since the days of Herman Moore and Terry Kirby, and he understands how to recruit Texas, where football is king! Sumlin makes $700,000 at Houston, and has only been there for two years. Houston is 10-2 this year, and Louisville is trying to pry him away to become their coach. The Cougars athletic director Dave Maggard is scurrying attempting to up his salary, and keep him in Houston! UVA is going to have to be smart, and move quickly if they want Sumlin to turn this toilet-bowl of a program around anytime soon!
My bet’s on London, or perhaps an unknown to me stealth-hire, like the beautifully crazy, and out of left-field hire of Tony Bennett in hoops earlier this year! What do you think UVA fans? Do you like a London hire, or a Sumlin hire? Someone else on your mind? Sure, Charlie Strong, Chris Peterson...there are many other options out there, that's for sure! Go Hoos!!!

 

Groh's departure difficult for Slade
By Norm Wood
| 247-4642
December 1, 2009

There's always going to be a soft spot in Chris Slade's heart for former Virginia coach Al Groh, but even Slade could see the writing on the wall as this season progressed. A change was going to come.

As U.Va. begins its transition in to the post-Groh era, Slade knows where the Cavaliers went wrong in recent seasons. He wants to see U.Va., which finished 3-9 this season for its third losing record in the last four years, make an impact with some people it has lost touch with over the years — Tidewater recruits.

"I think whoever they bring in is going to be somebody that's really familiar with the program," said Slade, a 1989 Tabb High graduate who played at U.Va and just finished his first season as a sideline reporter for U.Va.'s football radio crew. "I think it's going to be somebody that's going to really get out and recruit the Tidewater area. I think that's an area that Virginia, first of all, needs to become popular in again.

"You'll need a guy, I think, that can relate to the players, a guy that's going to be able to implement his system early, establish discipline and get these guys' confidence back up. I think because of the lack of success these guys had in the last two years they need to get their confidence back. They need to get somebody in there with a lot of energy that can recruit. That's the biggest thing right now, because we've just been so far behind, particularly in that Tidewater area and then across the state of Virginia."

Despite Groh's recruiting shortcomings, it was extremely hard for Slade to watch Groh leave his post at U.Va. after nine seasons given their history.

Slade was the first name on Groh's lips in '93 when then-New England Patriots coach Bill Parcells asked Groh who he wanted to select in the second round of the NFL draft. Groh, who was Parcells' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, had seen what kind of player Slade had become at U.Va., Groh's alma mater.

Slade was a first-team All-ACC selection in '90 and '92 as a defensive end, and a second-teamer in '91 as a linebacker. He went on to play eight of his nine NFL seasons in New England, four of which were under Groh.

After establishing that kind of relationship with Groh, one of the toughest things for Slade, 38, to do was to prowl U.Va.'s sideline this season and sense the frustration in players and coaches.

"It was like watching one of your close friends lose his job right before your very eyes," said Slade, who still holds U.Va.'s career sacks record with 40 and who made the Pro Bowl in '97. "Coach Groh pours his heart into football. He's a football coach through and through."

Getting the recruiting message out to Tidewater and state prospects may actually not be as difficult as it is to find a coach willing to operate in a rigorous recruiting atmosphere like the one presented by U.Va.'s academic standards. One of the biggest black marks on Groh's résumé at U.Va. came in 2006, when he signed a 24-member recruiting class, eight of whom didn't qualify academically.

The class included just eight players from the state of Virginia, including Chesapeake natives Billy Cuffee, Ras-I Dowling and DeAndre Filer. Cuffee, Dowling and Filer were among the non-qualifiers, but Cuffee and Dowling ended up at U.Va. after spending a year at Hargrave Military Academy.

"I think sometimes Coach Groh was such a football guy and had such a football mentality that sometimes he thought 'Well, I'm here to coach football. I'll do the other stuff when I have to do it,' " Slade said. "I think the next guy that comes in will have to understand that the University of Virginia is never going to sacrifice its academic prowess for athletics … That's what makes the University of Virginia such a special place over other universities that will do things above and beyond the call of duty just to get football players in. That's what the University of Virginia is known for — academics first and athletics second."

 

Prep football: Parks says he will honor commitment to Virginia Tuesday, December 01, 2009 11:09 AM | Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend | 2 Comments
West Rowan's K.P. Parks (2) runs against Asheville. Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post. By Ronnie Gallagher
rgallagher@salisburypost.com

MOUNT ULLA — With a berth in the 3A state championship game on the line, this is not the week for distractions at West Rowan.

Star running back K.P. Parks assured that the firing of Virginia coach Al Groh will not be one.

Parks, North Carolina's all-time leading rusher and one of 17 commitments to Virginia, said the firing has not changed his mind.

"Not at all," Parks said Monday morning. "I'm still solid in my commitment. They're going to honor my scholarship, and they're still showing me love. So I'm good."

Parks and West (14-0) are preparing for the Western final this week at home against Waynesville Tuscola (13-1).

Virginia lost 42-13 to Virginia Tech on Saturday, ending the Cavaliers' season with six straight defeats. Virginia finished 3-9 overall and 2-6 in the ACC. It was Groh's eighth loss to Frank Beamer's squad in nine tries.

Groh, 65, was 59-53 since taking over the Cavaliers in 2000. He was named ACC Coach of the Year twice — in 2002 and 2007.

Parks attended Saturday's game in Charlottesville, Va., along with many potential teammates.

"I saw a lot of commitments there, and I asked them if they were good," Parks said. "They said they're still solid with their commitments."

Parks said honoring his commitment is more about academics than who the coach is.

"I feel UVa. will be a great place for me academic-wise," he said.

Parks was contacted about Groh's firing Sunday.

"You pick a school based on the school, not the coaching staff that is there," said West coach Scott Young, who believes Parks will be playing for a quality coach as Virginia conducts a national search.

"Now, K.P. really liked the coaching staff that was there. But the University of Virginia is not going to hire a fly-by-night person. They've had George Welsh. They've had Al Groh. I'm sure whoever they hire this time is going to be a top-notch coach."

Parks, like Groh, must move on.

"Al Groh is a great coach and a great guy," Parks said. "Things just didn't work out."

Young said he is happy that Virginia will not turn its back on this year's recruits.

"The University of Virginia, coming from the athletic director (Craig Littlepage), is going to honor the 17 commitments they have, regardless of who the new coach is," Young said. "So K.P. is still going to the University of Virginia."
 

MS Society to thank ex-UVa basketball star
By Rachana Dixit
Published: December 2, 2009
» 0 Comments | Post a Comment
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nowBuzz up!

A University of Virginia basketball legend will be honored this evening by the local chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society for the work he has done for the university and the Charlottes-ville community.

Barry Parkhill was chosen to be the honoree at tonight’s 18th Dinner of Champions, hosted by the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society at the John Paul Jones Arena. The event raises funds for multiple sclerosis research and services for those afflicted with the condition.
Parkhill is currently UVa’s associate director of athletics for development, and he played basketball for the university from 1970 to 1973.
“He’s sort of a sports legend in this community and known by so many people in this community, and very much beloved,” said Fay Painter, the local chapter’s president. “We are delighted that he has agreed to receive this honor.”

Parkhill is the second player in UVa’s history to have his jersey number retired, and he was named the ACC Basketball Player of the Year and ACC Athlete of the Year in 1972.
Parkhill said he agreed to receive the honor because one of his friends and former teammates, Scott McCandlish, was diagnosed as having MS shortly after they finished school in the early-1970s.
“After thinking about that, it wasn’t too difficult to agree to be the honoree,” he said.

McCandlish died in 2007 because of MS-related complications.
“Over a lot of years we certainly saw his health decline,” Parkhill said.
The honor comes with the Silver Hope Award, which will be given to Parkhill by Lisa Eorio. Eorio, who also has multiple sclerosis, said she first met Parkhill when her condition began increasingly acting up as she completed her graduate studies at UVa.
She was diagnosed with the condition in 1976, and has done different volunteer activities, such as creating an MS support group and doing peer counseling, with the society’s local branch for roughly 20 years.

Painter said the local chapter serves about 3,000 people and that between 200 and 250 people in the Charlottesville area have MS.
“Barry is a wonderful recipient,” Eorio said of Parkhill receiving the award. McCandlish had attended Eorio’s support group, and Eorio said that Parkhill always made sure his teammate was there when something good was happening with their college team.
“I just can’t say enough about his loyalty to his friends and going out of his way for people he cared about,” Eorio said.
 

Parkhill Takes One for the Team
Dec. 1, 2009
12:08 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- He's never been roasted -- at least not in such a public setting -- but that will change Wednesday night for Barry Parkhill.

He's ready. Let his brother, Bruce, and friends Tom Brennan, Bob Rotella and Tony Markel fire away at him.

"I'll take the plug for this anytime," said Parkhill, the former UVa basketball great who's now associate director of athletics for development at his alma mater.

Anyway, he added, "I don't think those guys are going to bust my chops too bad. They've got to remember that I get the mike last."

The occasion is the 18th annual MS Dinner of Champions, and it starts with a reception Wednesday at 6 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena. The dinner's sponsor is the Blue Ridge Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which will present Parkhill with its highest honor, the Silver Hope Award.

Previous recipients include the late Hovey S. Dabney, Lawrence S. Eagleburger, Gene Corrigan, Carter Beauford, the late LeRoi Moore, Boyd Tinsley and John Casteen.

Parkhill says he's not sure why the MS Society chose him, but he's happy to honor the memory of his friend and former teammate Scott McCandlish.

McCandlish, who lettered at UVa in 1970, '71 and '72, learned he had multiple sclerosis "right after he got out of school here," Parkhill said.

After graduating from the University, McCandlish coached under former UVa player Chip Conner at South Florida. McCandlish, who left UVa as the school's all-time leader in rebounds with 761, later returned to this area and became head basketball coach at Charlottesville High School.

"When I moved back [to Charlottesville], I just saw a slow, gradual deterioration of his health," Parkhill said.

In 2004, McCandlish and his wife returned to his hometown of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Parkhill visited them there several times before McCandlish's death in early 2007.

"So I saw the effects [of MS]," Parkhill said. "There are a lot of great causes out there, but this is certainly one of them."

The MS Dinner of Champions is a major fundraiser for the Blue Ridge chapter. The chapter's all-time record is $213,300, and the mark may fall this year.

The Blue Ridge chapter serves about 3,000 people with MS in 51 counties in Virginia. Money raised supports MS research as well as local programs to improve patients' quality of life, chapter president Fay Painter said.

To donate to the Blue Ridge chapter, or for more information about the MS Dinner of Champions, call (434) 971-8010 or visit http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/VAB/index.aspx.

-- Jeff White

 

Johnson Poised for Big Senior Year
Dec. 1, 2009
8:12 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE - The five players who make up Tony Bennett's first recruiting class -- they signed last month -- include James Johnson, an American-born big man who later lived in Canada and now attends a high school in San Diego.

Check out this interesting read on Johnson from a California newspaper.

-- Jeff White
 

Snow Tiger ready to roar
Elsinore's center, who was raised in Canada, sat out last season
10:49 PM PST on Monday, November 30, 2009
By MATT CALKINS
The Press-Enterprise

WILDOMAR - Just to be clear, James Johnson has never lived in, slept in, or so much as lounged in an igloo.

And as far as we know, the 6-foot-9 senior hasn't been seen frolicking with any polar bears either.

He also doesn't nourish himself via hunting or trapping, and, miraculously -- pronounces "about" just like you and me.

Yes, your IQ may get a bit of an ego boost when you hear some of the questions Johnson, an Elsinore High basketball transfer, is asked by people who find out he was raised in Canada. But get to know him a little and you'll discover the only thing about him that might be truly ridiculous ... is his talent level.

Don't take my word for it, though. Log on to Rivals or Yahoo or ESPN, each of which has ranked him among the top centers in the country. Or talk to coaches from Cal, Arizona, Oklahoma or a host of other high-profile schools that vied for his services before Virginia ultimately seduced him.

Of course, if you do engage in any research pertaining to Johnson's basketball prowess, it'll likely prompt a query that has nothing to do with frosty domiciles or arctic mammals. You know, like: Why would a kid that highly coveted transfer to Elsinore?

"Nobody high-profile transfers to Elsinore to play basketball unless their family moves here," Elsinore coach Pete Rettinger confesses.

Except that Johnson's family didn't take James with them when they moved -- they moved so they could reunite with him.

See, after living in Alberta for 10 years, Johnson migrated to San Diego last year to receive rigorous, one-on-one training in hopes of reaching his potential.

His family planned on joining him, but the plummeting economy prevented them from finding jobs.

So now, not only was Johnson thousands of miles away from his parents, but he was also deemed ineligible to play high school ball because of CIF transfer rules.

In other words, it was a pretty ideal situation.

"It was kind of liberating," said Johnson, adding that playing for his school would have only detracted from his time with his trainer. "I could feel myself getting better every day. I saw what I could be if I really worked."

But parents have this strange desire to, you know, actually be with their children before they go off to college. So Johnson's mom, dad and sister all moved in with James' aunt in Wildomar as James joined them while transferring to Elsinore.

For James, however, the reunion was kind of like trading a spacious apartment for a fancy new car. Sure there were perks (he got be with his family), but there were also sacrifices (gone was that meticulous, personal basketball attention).

"I can feel my game slipping a little," said Johnson, an American citizen who was born in Detroit. "My vertical was 38 inches, now it's like 26 ... but I just have to stop whining and get back after it."

Johnson admits that he gets on his teammates sometimes if he feels like they're not working hard enough, but you won't hear them saying anything negative about him.

Forward Trevor Nordby praises Johnson's personality and work ethic.

Trevor's brother, Tucker, commends his talent, saying "It's great sharing the court with him."

And he can provide a smile or two off the court, too.

On Virginia's campus: "I guess it's important, but I'm not into historical stuff. I like the more futuristic stuff like Plasma TVs."

On igloos in Canada: "Yeah, we kept one in the backyard. You know, just in case someone got kicked out of the house."

Johnson likes to paint in his spare time, but there's no doubt the hardwood is his canvas of choice.

He cites his back-to-the-basket game, jump shot and athletic ability among his greater strengths, but also acknowledges that he needs work on running the court and blocking shots.

Rettinger, meanwhile, notes that it may take a little time for Johnson to get his timing back after sitting out last year.

Nevertheless, few will dispute Johnson was a nice 81-inch gift for the Tigers, which may just be hunting a CIF title now.

And maybe trapping it, too.

 

Scott hopes to produce for 40 minutes
By Whitey Reid
Published: December 2, 2009
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Recently, a friend brought it to Mike Scott’s attention that he shares the same name as a well-known regional manager at a mid-sized paper company. Scott just laughed. He’s heard “The Office” jokes before.

Television sitcoms aside, one thing has become clear through the early portion of this season: If Virginia (4-3) has any hopes of being a mid-level ACC outfit — the Dunder Mifflin of the league? — it’s going to need Scott to be at his very best every night.

On Monday night at John Paul Jones Arena, Scott was — for about a half.

The junior from Chesapeake made all six of his shots in the first half before finishing with 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting in Virginia’s 69-66 loss to Penn State. Scott also hauled in 11 rebounds to notch his third double-double of the season.

Scott says he has worked hard on his baseline jumper.

“I was shooting with confidence,” he said. “I have always been able to shoot those shots, but did not have the confidence. Now I do.”

One of the only blemishes on Scott’s stat line in the first half was an offensive foul he picked up. But, even on that play, Scott’s aggressiveness was impressive as he tried to dunk on Penn State’s Bill Edwards.

“I think if he had come over just a little bit later, I would have dunked on him,” Scott said. “But I was trying to feed off the energy of my teammates.”

Unfortunately, things began to unravel for Virginia in the second half. Part of the problem was an over-reliance on outside shots.

“Guys got some looks and

didn’t make them,” said Virginia coach Tony Bennett. “We were trying to go inside to Mike a lot. I don’t know if we have to develop that or share the load. When the defense slides like that, there’s too much pressure.”

Virginia’s undoing, of course, came on defense. After doing a solid job in the first half and holding Penn State to 21 points, UVa let the Nittany Lions explode for 48 points on 54 percent shooting.

UVa rallied behind Sammy Zeglinski, but fell short.

“I think we are playing better defense,” Scott said, “even though we didn’t show it the second half. If we keep playing like we did at the end, we will be pretty good.

“I think we have to play hard the entire game, which we have shown in past games.”

Dunks

Virginia (4-3) fell to 5-5 all-time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. ... Virginia held Penn State to 21 first-half points — the Nittany Lions fewest all season…Sylven Landesberg (18 points) scored in double figures for the seventh time in as many games and the 30th time of his career. ... Zeglinski’s 16 points were a season high.