White: London Era Begins
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 12/07/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- When Mike London left in January 2008 to become head football coach at the University of Richmond, it wasn't far-fetched to believe he might one day return to the University of Virginia.
That day has come.
London, who in two seasons at UR went 24-5 and won a national championship, will be introduced as UVa's head coach Monday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena.
He knows the University well. His daughter Kristen, a women's basketball player, graduated from UVa, as did his brother Paul, who played football for George Welsh.
London, who turned 49 in October, had two stints as a Virginia assistant, the second as defensive coordinator.
"He's going to be a guy that I think can really take the program to new heights," former UVa great Chris Slade said Sunday night. "With his early success at Richmond and his upside in coaching, you knew he was going to be at a major university. I'm just glad and honored that we were able to get him back at UVa, where he already has a great reputation.
"I think he's going to bring that extra dimension and that energy to the program. He comes with instant credibility from his past. When he was defensive coordinator here, he did a great job. He won't have to sell himself, because people know his pedigree, they know who he is, they know what he stands for, and that's going to mean a lot, for players to believe in him right from the beginning."
London's second season as coach at UR, his alma mater, ended Saturday night in Richmond. In the quarterfinals of the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, the Spiders lost 35-31 to perennial power Appalachian State.
UR won the FCS national title in 2008, London's first season as a head coach at any level.
London's teams at Richmond excelled in the classroom as well as on the field. That's part of what makes him attractive to UVa. All four schools at which he's worked -- UR, William and Mary, Boston College and UVa -- have sterling academic reputations and expect their athletes to be diligent students.
At UVa, London replaces his former boss Al Groh, who was dismissed late last month. Groh went 59-53 in nine seasons at Virginia.
London is the first African-American head coach in a football program that dates to 1888. In the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision, he becomes one of only nine black head coaches.
The others are at Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio), Houston, Buffalo, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Eastern Michigan and Western Kentucky.
London inherits a UVa program that finished below .500 in three of the past four seasons. The Wahoos were 3-9 this season.
"Any time there's a big change, it's tough for an alum to go through it," former UVa star Chris Long, a second-year defensive end with the St. Louis Rams, said Sunday night.
"You're nervous. You don't know if the program's going to be turned over into the right hands, but in this situation I think we're lucky to have this guy leading our football nation, so to speak, Cavalier Nation.
"I feel really excited. I feel like they couldn't have turned it over to a better guy. I just feel like we're going to get a fresh start here and Coach London is a guy that can recharge our battery."
Word of London's hiring started to spread Sunday night.
"Anybody on the inside's going to be excited, because they know Mike," Long said. "I don't really need to expand much on that, because what's said has been said, and everything that's been positively portrayed about Mike London is true."
London's first challenge at UVa will be to assemble a staff, but don't expect every assistant's slot to be filled immediately. Some coaches who interest London have obligations to fulfill with NFL and bowl-bound college teams.
London's first stay at UVa lasted from 2001 to '04. He coached the defensive line for all four of those seasons and also served as recruiting coordinator for the final three.
After a year on the Houston Texans' staff, London returned to UVa as defensive coordinator in 2006, and he held that position in '07, too.
His pupils in 2007 included linebacker Clint Sintim and ends Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Long, the ACC's defensive player of the year and a consensus All-American. Long's guests in the New York City at the 2008 NFL draft included London, who was then at UR.
"Coach L -- and this is going to serve him really well as a head coach -- has great communication skills," Long said. "People are able to bounce things off him. He's able to communicate back. He can communicate to [college] coaches and to players, and he can communicate to high school coaches, high school players.
"I think recruiting is going to be definitely one of his strong suits, but he's not just a recruiter. Some coaches are kind of just recruiters. This guy can coach with the best of them. It's obvious. He knows how to coach, he can communicate, he's a great motivator, he relates to players, and he's from the state of Virginia."
London was raised in the Tidewater area -- now known in football circles as the 7-5-7 -- and graduated from Bethel High in Hampton. He played defensive back at UR, from which he graduated in 1983. He worked as a police detective in the city of Richmond before moving into coaching in 1989 at UR.
He had two stints as a Richmond assistant, first under Jim Marshall and then under Jim Reid. London's other mentors include Groh, Jimmye Laycock, Tom O'Brien and Dom Capers.
London was an assistant under Laycock at William and Mary, under O'Brien at Boston College and under Capers with the NFL's Texans.
"I'm very proud of him," Paul London said of his brother. "He's gone about the whole transformation the right way. He's stayed humble. He's treated people with dignity and respect, and he's getting an opportunity of a lifetime.
"In my mind, Mike is the type of coach that I would want to play for. He's passionate, he's personable, he's enthusiastic, and I think you have to have those attributes in today's coaching world, because you have to get your kids excited. They have to know you care about them as people and citizens, not just as players, and I think he does that. He embodies that."
Like Slade and Long, Paul London says his brother must raise the talent level in the UVa program. All believe he's well-equipped to do so, especially in the Commonwealth, where Mike London has myriad connections.
Former UVa players "understand it's about recruiting in general and recruiting the state of Virginia specifically," Paul London said. "And I think they all recognize that my brother is a good recruiter and can get us back into the Tidewater area and maybe make some inroads into some areas in the state where we haven't been as successful during Groh's tenure.
"And I think hopefully if he's able to do that, then you'll start to see a turnaround in the program, because ultimately you have to be able to recruit the state of Virginia in order to be competitive, and I think that's where Virginia Tech has had their success. They've maintained their philosophy since Coach [Frank] Beamer has gotten there. They've had some solid recruits from the state, and obviously it's translated into wins on the field."
Long said: "I think high school coaches are going to appreciate his personality, and obviously having coached at Virginia before and having dealt with a lot of these high schools before, he has that reputation already. And I think everybody's probably a little nervous at other schools that he's going to take some of their recruits, because he's a heck of a recruiter."
Many of the greatest players in UVa history -- Slade, Long, Shawn Moore, Herman Moore, Terry Kirby, Tiki and Ronde Barber, Thomas Jones, Anthony Poindexter, James Farrior, Jamie Sharper and Heath Miller among them -- are from this state.
In the latter stages of Groh's tenure, UVa's in-state recruiting struggles contributed to the program's decline.
"We gotta get people from in-state," said Long, a graduate of St. Anne's-Belfield School in Charlottesville. "If we're going to revive this thing, it's with the people. It's great to have people from out of state, and we've had some great contributors from out of state over time at Virginia. But I think when you assemble a team that's largely made up of guys who are from the state that they're representing in their college uniform, that's something special."
Slade, who starred at Tabb High with Kirby, noted that London "knows the Tidewater area, which is an area that we need to get back in and recruit and start getting some of the top players from again."
Seniors on Groh's final team included running backs Rashawn Jackson and Mikell Simpson, quarterback Jameel Sewell, wide receiver Vic Hall, offensive tackle Will Barker, linebackers Darren Childs, Aaron Clark and Denzel Burrell, cornerback Chris Cook and all-ACC defensive lineman Nate Collins.
All made significant contributions, and London faces a major rebuilding project at a school where winning seasons and bowl appearances were once the norm. UVa's three victories this season were its fewest since 1986.
"I know he won't win a conference championship next year at Virginia, but hopefully he'll start to rebuild that program, and who knows?" Paul London said. "Two or three years down the road, hopefully we'll be competing for conference championships and then maybe be able to break onto the national scene again as a program that can be reckoned with."
Long said: "It just seems like a good fit. I'm excited about that. I know that some people, when there's a new hiring, want to see some hot new coach they've never really heard of, some hot new coordinator. They want the sexy pick.
"But I think you're getting the best of both with Coach London. He's an up-and-coming coach, and he's a coach that knows the area and has been here and has won at Virginia."

White: Football Family Welcomes London Home
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 12/07/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- When UVa introduced Tony Bennett as men's basketball coach at an early April news conference at John Paul Jones Arena, it was the first time many in the room had ever seen him in person.
The scene was different Monday afternoon at JPJ. The room was the same, as were many of the media members scattered around it, but the man in the spotlight needed no introduction.
Mike London is back at UVa, this time as head football coach. For a program that's had three losing seasons in the past four years, the return of this favorite son was cause for celebration.
"I can't wait to really get to know Coach London and can't wait to play for him," said defensive end Matt Conrath, who'll be a junior in 2010.
London, 49, spent the past two seasons as head coach at the University of Richmond, his alma mater. He went 24-5 and won a national title -- in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision -- with the Spiders.
His first game as UVa's coach, coincidentally, will be against UR at Scott Stadium on Sept. 4.
"He's ready for this," athletics director Craig Littlepage said. "We're ready for it. I know that our players are ready for it. Our former players ... and so many different stakeholders have applauded this decision and Mike's decision to be with us at the University of Virginia."
London said he was happy at UR, and it wasn't easy to leave.
"It's just that I had been here and spent six years of my life," he said, "and this is a fit. So when the opportunity came about, then it made the decision easy."
London's daughter Kristen played basketball at and graduated from UVa. His brother Paul, also a UVa alumnus, was a standout defensive back for George Welsh.
Mike London's professional association with UVa dates to 2001. That's when he joined the staff of Al Groh -- who'd succeeded Welsh after the 2000 season -- as defensive line coach.
After the 2004 season, London left to coach the Houston Texans' defensive line. He returned to UVa after one year in the NFL, however, and spent the 2006 and '07 seasons as Groh's defensive coordinator.
And now he's back at Mr. Jefferson's University -- this time, all parties hope, for a long and successful stay.
"I'm so thankful to be given this privilege," London said. "I'm a caretaker, and I'm a servant, because I serve the student-athletes I'm in charge of and the coaches and their families.
"I'm a caretaker of this university's reputation, in the academic and athletic arenas, and that's a challenge I'm looking forward to."
London called UVa "a school that's produced some great, great players ... some great coaches ... some great people." He singled out Bill Dudley and Welsh and Chris Long and Shawn Moore and Chris Long, then stopped himself.
"I could go on and on," London said, "and I would be remiss in not remembering everybody's names or mentioning everybody's names, but this is a special place.
"Special people have walked the Grounds here. It's a privilege and honor to be here as the head coach that can hopefully provide some energy, some passion, get involved with what's going on in these guys' lives, get involved in the community."
Welsh, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, didn't attend the news conference, but Monday morning at University Hall he talked about London.
"I think it's an excellent hire," Welsh said. "I think he knows the University, and he knows the state."
London has coached at UR, William and Mary, and UVa (as well as at Boston College). He played football at Bethel High in Hampton and then at UR. He worked as a police detective in the city of Richmond.
"He will be able to recruit very strongly in the state," said former NFL great Howie Long, who lives in Ivy. "I'm of the belief that if you win the state of Virginia, you win on the football field. It's pretty simple."
After guiding Richmond to the FCS national title, London had "a number of opportunities, I know, to go back into the pro game right after last season," said Howie Long, whose son Chris spent three seasons with London at UVa.
"He made, I think, the right decision in sticking around. I thought opportunities for this type of position would pop up this year, and I think Virginia is fortunate the timing was right ... I think it's a good day for Virginia, and he certainly has the support of the Long family."
Howie and Chris Long were out of town Monday, but London's audience at JPJ included numerous former UVa players, including Dudley, Slade, Aaron Brooks, Ray Savage, Charles McDaniel, Monsanto Pope and Wali Rainer.
"I don't think it was intentional on Coach Groh's part," said McDaniel, who lives in Fredericksburg, "but we certainly felt a lot closer [to the UVa program] during Welsh's era. And I can almost guarantee you, just knowing Mike and knowing his DNA and what's made him successful, we're going to be a bigger part of it now.
"Al had his ties to the NFL. Mike has ties to college and high school football.
"You look at the guys who've come back here today. Some guys hopped on planes and just came in because they thought it was that important. I think that in itself says an awful lot and speaks an awful lot about the excitement of past players with the hiring of Coach London."
London's parents were home in the Tidewater area, where he grew up, and his brother Paul was back in Hampton at work. But London's wife, Regina, and their children Ticynn, Jaicyn, Madicyn and Korben were seated in the front row.
The other members of London's family, the players who make up the UVa program, met with their new coach later in the afternoon. At an earlier meeting -- on Nov. 29, the day Groh was dismissed -- those players had talked to Littlepage and executive associate AD Jon Oliver about the qualities they wanted in their next coach.
"We just put it in their hands to make the right decision, and I think they did," said safety Rodney McLeod, whom London had recruited before leaving for UR in January 2008.
London agreed to a five-year contract that will pay him $1.7 million annually.
In addition to his time as UVa, London has been an assistant under Jim Marshall, Jimmye Laycock, Jim Reid, Tom O'Brien and Dom Capers. He worked longer for Groh, though, than for any of those coaches.
To those who worry that his coaching philosophy might too closely resemble Groh's, London said this: Don't worry.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Groh," London said. "He allowed me to grow within this system, this university. But I'm my own man. I'm my own person ... I'm looking to do my own things and make my own way."
His base defense, London said, will be the 4-3. Groh favored the 3-4.
London will allow his assistants to speak to the media. Groh had a Bill Parcells-inspired "one-voice policy."
Groh earned a reputation as a micro-manager. London's management style is different.
"You hire good people to do their jobs, and you allow them to do their jobs," London said. "The situation I just came from" -- at UR -- "I hired good people that did a great job of doing their jobs.
"Now, it's my job to make sure that they do their jobs, but I was very satisfied in how they were doing it ... I think the coaches have an appreciation that when you allow them to coach their players and do the job, because they were accountable to you, then you get the desired results. That's been my experience so far."
As at UR, London said, he'll have three rules for his players at UVa: Go to class, show class in everything you do, and treat people with dignity and respect.
UVa's academic reputation should be an asset to the football program, London said, not a negative. He's not looking for players who are overly interested in football, at the expense of schoolwork, or vice versa.
"But if you want the best-of-both-worlds opportunities," London said, "this is the place for you. You'll have a head coach who is going to foster an environment that's conducive to you achieving academically and make sure that you get the type of coaching and have a relationship that's going to be able to at least help you achieve athletically also."
Assembling his staff is a priority, said London, who declined to identify which coaches interest him. He's likely to retain at least one member of UVa's 2009 staff -- Anthony Poindexter -- and is expected to import several of his UR assistants.

Shuman All Smiles About London's Hiring
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 12/07/2009
Dec. 8, 2009
6:12 a.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- That large man in the back of the room Monday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena? Sure enough, it was John Shuman, who came to see Mike London introduced as UVa's football coach.

Back when he mauled opponents as an offensive lineman at Virginia Military Institute, he was known as "Inhuman Shuman." He's now a legend at Fork Union Military Academy, where he coaches the postgraduate football team.

Shuman's older son, Ryan, started on the offensive line at Virginia Tech. His younger son, Mark, will play for Frank Beamer, too.

But John Shuman has long been a friend of the UVa program, even when Al Groh didn't show much interest in recruiting FUMA players. And now that London is in charge, Shuman expects the flow of players from the Fluvanna County school to UVa to increase.

Alumni of Shuman's program who have played at UVa include Marques Hagans, Billy McMullen, Darryl Blackstock, Almondo Curry, Merrill Robertson, Jon Copper, Zac Yarbrough, Danny Aiken and Austin Pasztor.

London's son Brandon played for Shuman at FUMA before starring at the University of Massachusetts.

"I know [the relationship is] going to improve, because Mike London knows Fork Union," Shuman said. "He knows us, he know what Fork Union's about. He knows the product, obviously, that we put out. It's always been great with Mike London, and it will continue to grow as we speak.

"When he was an assistant at William and Mary, he did a great job with us. Went to Richmond, obviously did a great job. Same at BC. When he came back to Virginia [as an assistant coach], he did a great job with us."

Shuman also applauded the news that VMI and UVa will resume their series next year. The schools haven't met in football since 1991.

"I think it's going to be a great, great, great game, and I think it's a good move because [the Keydets] run the same offense as Georgia Tech," Shuman said.

"So [UVa can] rehearse it against VMI and then get ready to play Georgia Tech. It's a great move."

-- Jeff White





 

Mike London Named Head Football Coach At Virginia
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 12/07/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE-Mike London, the head football coach at the University of Richmond for the last two years, is the new head football coach at the University of Virginia, UVa Athletics Director Craig Littlepage announced today. London will be returning to head up a Cavalier program where he twice previously served stints as an assistant coach. He becomes the 39th coach in the program's history.

"Coach London's experience as a championship head coach, combined with a variety of college and pro assistant coaching assignments position him for success at the University of Virginia," Littlepage said. "He understands how to develop and implement a program that prioritizes the academic achievement of his players and winning at the highest levels of college football. Mike London is a coach around whom we can all rally as he goes about the task of building a successful football program at Virginia."

In two seasons at Richmond, London led the Spiders to a 24-5 record. His first year at the helm his team went 13-3 and won the Football Championship Series national title. This year's Spider team, ranked nine consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the FCS polls, went 11-2 and reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. His teams were 13-4 in the Colonial Athletic Conference during the 2008 and 2009 campaigns.

"We are pleased to welcome Mike London back to the University," said University President John T. Casteen III. "Mike's personal values and commitment to excellence - combined with his understanding of University culture and his proven ability to build a strong team - will make the London era in Virginia football a good time, perhaps the best of times, for players, fans, and the University generally."

"Words cannot express my gratitude and heartfelt emotions for this opportunity," London said. "To be the head football coach at as prestigious of an institution as the University of Virginia is a dream come true. Over the years, a lot of people have helped me to make this possible. I have been fortunate to stand on the shoulders of many coaches, players, administrators and University communities in which my family has lived. We are excited about this new opportunity and endeavor. We look forward to establishing a renewed relationship with our new community and football family."

London's efforts in 2008 earned him FCS National Coach of the Year honors from both the American Football Coaches Association and Schutt Sports/ American Football Monthly magazine. London was also honored as the Black Coaches Association Male Coach of the Year in 2008, beating out Mike Tomlin of the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers for the award. In addition to the national honors, London was tabbed the State Coach of the Year from both VaSID and the Peninsula Sports Club.

Under London's watch, 16 Spiders were named to the All-CAA Football Team in 2009 after placing 12 in 2008. His first year at UR, nine Spiders garnered 15 All-America awards and six were recognized on the Academic All-Conference Team. DE Lawrence Sidbury was a fourth-round NFL draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons, while RB Josh Vaughan was a free-agent signee by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Before returning to coach his alma mater, London spent six of seven seasons coaching for Al Groh at Virginia. In 2001 London joined the UVa staff for the first time as the defensive line coach. He took over the responsibilities as recruiting coordinator in 2002. In 2005 London left UVa to work as the defensive line coach for the NFL's Houston Texas. He returned to Virginia in 2006 as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach.

During his tenure with the Cavaliers, he saw five defensive players (Chris Long, Marcus Hamilton, Chris Canty, Andrew Hoffman and Monsanto Pope) drafted by NFL teams. Long was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2007, earned unanimous All-America honors, was the Ted Hendricks Award winner as the nation's top defensive end and the second overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft.

A native of Hampton, Va., London played defensive back at Richmond from 1979-82. Under head coach Dal Shealy, he led the Spiders with six interceptions as a senior captain in 1982. In addition to earning all-state honors, he was chosen the team's MVP and received the Spiders' Coaches Award. In 1982, the Virginia Peninsula Sports Club selected him as the male in-state Athlete of the Year.

London graduated from Richmond in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in sociology and a year later received a degree in law enforcement from the Richmond Police Academy, serving as a detective for the street crimes unit from November of 1984 to July of 1989. The Dallas Cowboys signed him as a free agent in 1983.

London broke into the collegiate coaching ranks in 1989, spending two seasons with Richmond as the outside linebackers coach and admissions liaison, followed by four seasons (1991-94) as the defensive line coach at William & Mary.
He returned to Richmond for two more years (1995-96) as the outside linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator, coaching All-America LB Shawn Barber, who was a fourth-round draft pick by the Washington Redskins in 1998 and played 10 years in the NFL. London served as defensive line coach at Boston College for the 1997-2000 seasons, where he helped lead the Eagles to two bowl appearances.
London and his wife Regina have seven children, Michael, Jr., Brandon, Kristen, Ticynn, Korben, Jaicyn and Madicyn. The 49-year-old London was born in West Point, N.Y. in 1960.

His son, Brandon, led Massachusetts in receiving in 2006 and finished his career as the school's second leading receiver. He was signed to the Miami Dolphins active roster in 2008 after spending the 2007 season on the Super Bowl Champion N.Y. Giants practice squad. One of London's daughters, Kristen, played on the UVa women's basketball team during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. His younger brother, Paul, was a defensive back at UVa from 1991-95.

The parties have agreed to a contract that will pay London $1.7 million annually for five years.

London's financial agreement is the responsibility of the Department of Athletics. The department is a stand-alone auxiliary that relies on a number of different revenue streams, including ticket and merchandise sales, student fees, ACC television revenues, and philanthropic gifts to support its day-to-day operations. The department does not receive any state funding.
 

U.Va. increasing staff pay 29 percent

Following Mike London's introduction as Virginia's football coach this afternoon, executive associate athletic director Jon Oliver told us that the school has budgeted $2 million in 2010 salary for London's staff.

That represents a 29-percent increase from this season's comparatively low $1.55 million.According to a USA Today survey, Virginia ranked last among the ACC's eight public institutions in assistants' pay -- Virginia Tech's was $2.04 million.

Granted, the Cavaliers saved money by not employing a defensive coordinator -- deposed head coach Al Groh ran the defense -- but that does not account for all of the disparity.

Oliver also confirmed that Virginia's four non-conference opponents next season will be Richmond, Southern California, Eastern Michigan and Virginia Military Institute. The Cavaliers have never before played two FCS teams, such as UR and VMI, in the same year.

Virginia and VMI last met in 1991, the Cavaliers breezing 42-0.

Since only one FCS victory can count toward the six required for bowl eligibility, Virginia would have to go 7-5 in 2010 to qualify for a postseason, presuming two of the wins were against the Spiders and Keydets.

The move was calculated to give London a break in a season during which the Cavs figure to struggle and also must play at USC.

Posted by David Teel
 

London reconnecting at U.Va.
By Norm Wood | 247-4642
December 8, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - It's hard to tell whether the "whew" Mike London exhaled into the microphone at the outset of his introductory press conference Monday at Virginia was meant to be a sigh of relief after a head-spinning 48 hours or a realization of what he has just taken on.

Either way, he made it clear before a room full of media, former U.Va. players, boosters and athletic department personnel he was ready for the challenge of turning around a program that has endured losing seasons in three of the last four years.

It's why London, a 49-year-old Bethel High graduate, decided to leave a perfectly comfortable situation as Richmond's coach to return to a place where he already had served six seasons as an assistant coach under recently fired coach Al Groh.

With his wife, Regina, and four of his seven children seated in the front row, London spoke of his primary goals, which included restoring excitement in the program, graduating players and recapturing the attention of in-state recruits.

"I am a product of — and I'll use it as the kids say — the '757,'" said London, who was U.Va.'s defensive-line coach from 2001 to '04, and defensive coordinator in '06 and '07.

"To make sure that we connect with the high school area coaches here in the state of Virginia. This is a great place. My coaching stints have allowed me to recruit every area of the state, and I know we've got to do a better job in recruiting the in-state players, but we'll do that. I think I want the high school coaches to know that if Virginia hasn't been there, we'll be there — and if you have a player you want to recommend to us, then we'll evaluate and we'll listen."

London, who led Richmond to the Football Championship Subdivision national title last season and to the FCS quarterfinals this season, agreed to a five-year contract worth $1.7 million annually. While he still has big decisions to make regarding his coaching staff, the decision already has been made to keep one assistant coach from Groh's staff — defensive-backs coach Anthony Poindexter.

It was London's level of awareness of U.Va.'s core values — as well as athletic director Craig Littlepage's familiarity with London's coaching abilities and personality — that made London such an attractive candidate. In essence, he was the only candidate.

During a meeting with the team Nov. 29, the same day Groh was fired, Littlepage asked members of the team for the attributes they sought in their next coach. An image of London appeared in Littlepage's head as the team spoke.

"I was making eye contact with (U.Va. executive associate athletic director) Jon (Oliver), who was in the back of the room, as (the team) started to go through this list," said Littlepage, who confirmed he asked Richmond for permission Sunday to speak with London and worked through the afternoon to close the deal.

"It was almost like we were checking off (London).

"He doesn't know this, but there have been a lot of athletic directors who have asked me about him. I was hoping they wouldn't hire him (so that) maybe one day we'd have this sort of predicament."

London, who attended Tabb High before graduating in '79 from Bethel High, already has a lot of plans for changes in Charlottesville — not the least of which will be switching U.Va. from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defensive alignment, which he employed at Richmond.

U.Va. defensive end Matt Conrath said he welcomes the challenge of working in the 4-3, as he has experience playing both interior and outside positions on the line from his high school days. Conrath, a Chicago native, was recruited by London when London was a U.Va. assistant.

On Monday, London met with his U.Va. players for the first time. Conrath was impressed with what he heard from his new coach.

"It was just his energy that he brings," Conrath said. "He's a very passionate guy, and you can see that through the way he coaches. It's still the same coach London (as the one that recruited him). He genuinely cares about people. You can see that. It just shows."

Chris Slade, a Tabb High graduate and U.Va.'s all-time sacks leader with 40, stood in the wings watching London's press conference. Slade, who just finished his first season as a sideline reporter for U.Va.'s football radio network, was optimistic the addition of London could help the Cavaliers make inroads in recruiting in the state, particularly in the Hampton Roads area.

"I'm a little biased because I'm a Tidewater guy, so I think that's an area where we really need to get some of the top players," Slade said. "You know, the Tyrod Taylor's of the world that skip right on past Charlottesville and head to Blacksburg. We need to get those types of players here. The relationship that Coach London already has with a lot of those coaches on the Peninsula, like the (Hampton coach) Mike Smith's of the world, I think it's really going to help a lot."

Aaron Brooks, a Ferguson High graduate who played quarterback at U.Va. from 1995-98, said he had spoken to several friends from the Hampton Roads area about London's hiring. The overwhelming response has been positive.

"There's optimism amongst the guys I've talked to," Brooks said. "What comes out of a lot of those conversations is that Coach London is a guy who we all feel that can really bring some change in that area in terms of getting some of those athletes to come to the University of Virginia. By the same token, it's not as easy as one may think just to recruit kids. Obviously, we have (high academic) standards."

London won't need a road map to find his way around the high schools in Hampton Roads. He recruited the area as an assistant coach at Richmond ('89 and '90), William and Mary ('91 to '94) and U.Va., and as Richmond's coach. Now, he realizes the relationships he has cultivated in the area over the years will have to be put to good use.

"We're committed to being down there and being accessible and calling and talking to Coach Smith and (Landstown coach) Tommy Reamon and (Bethel coach) Jeff Nelson — any of the guys that are down there," London said. "They know the talent. They know what's going on down there. Sometimes you've got to utilize the coaches' knowledge of the area, particularly the ones that have been around a while and can say 'Hey, that guy's a player.'

"I'm looking forward to getting back down there, getting my hands in it, going to get a meal with Wilson and Mae London [his parents] and see the various schools around the area."

dailypress.com
Inheriting dregs, time for London to prove he's worthy
David Teel
December 8, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

Mike London inherited gold in 2008, a University of Richmond football program that returned 17 starters from a team that reached the national playoff semifinals.

Nice gig for anyone, let alone a rookie head coach.

On Monday, London inherited dregs, a last-place University of Virginia program fresh off its worst season in 27 years.

Onerous job for anyone, even an incurably upbeat ex-cop with a national championship ring stashed in his bling drawer.

"It's OK to expect great things," London said during his introductory news conference.

The Cavaliers, 3-9 this past season, are years from even approaching greatness. But London brings a sense of optimism absent since George Welsh's coaching prime during the 1980s and '90s.

London, 49, exudes hope, from his life story — he's worked the streets of Richmond as a detective and donated bone marrow to a now-healthy daughter — to his coaching chops to his engaging manner.

He's a proven recruiter, motivator and educator, and as a first-year big whistle won the 2008 Football Championship Subdivision national title at Richmond, his alma mater.

Perhaps most important, London feels like a long-term solution rather than a temporary Band-Aid. His predecessor, Al Groh, arrived with a checkered résumé and never looked the part of potential icon, even when his teams won.

"I think it's important to have cohesion and continuity on a staff," London said.

A graduate of Bethel High, London has run the professional treadmill for two decades. Four years there, three here, two there.

"All the moves that we've made, whether it was four years, three years, eight months, it was to get to this level," said London's wife, Regina, a Newport News native. "Yes, it was a lot of moves. But we're here, and this is where we worked hard to get."

"Here" is Charlottesville, where the Londons have twice lived already — Mike served two tenures as a Groh assistant. "Here" is Virginia, the state the family calls home.

Barring an unexpected belly-flop, or a sudden urge to run an NFL franchise — London is far better suited for college — this is his destination job.

Just as it was Welsh's. He arrived from the Naval Academy in 1982 at age 48. He remained 19 seasons and guided the Cavaliers to their first 11 bowls and two shared ACC championships.

The mid- and late-80s were halcyon times for not only Virginia football but also men's basketball, where Terry Holland was coaching the Cavaliers to nine NCAA tournaments and two Final Fours. Holland lasted 16 years before exiting to administration.

Call it a hunch — cynics would say a reach — but in London and first-year basketball coach Tony Bennett, Virginia appears to have leadership capable of matching the Welsh-Holland era.

"You're thinking right," athletic director Craig Littlepage said. "There's a profile, if you will, a certain feel, a certain look. These are people whose careers are ascending."

Jon Oliver, Littlepage's top lieutenant, researched all of the basketball and football candidates.

"We really got back to the basics on both of these searches, to figure out, OK, who are the right people for this institution now, and what will it take for them to come and build the program, put their mark on it and have a long-lasting impression?" Oliver said. "I think in both of these searches, that's where we arrived."

As comfortable a fit as London may be, staff will be critical. He is a skilled delegator, and assistants will be invaluable strategists and recruiters.

Toward that end, Oliver said that Virginia has budgeted $2 million in 2010 salary for London's nine assistants, a 29-percent bump from this season's $1.55 million. According to a USA Today survey, Virginia this season ranked last among the ACC's eight public schools in staff compensation.

Given that increase, expect some high-profile hires in the coming weeks.

Absent Bowl Subdivision head-coaching experience, London is not high-profile enough to suit some fans. Those doubters also question whether the one week that transpired between Groh's firing and London's hiring was enough time to identify the best candidate.

But that's a red herring. Littlepage and Oliver knew for months that Groh was finished, and during that time they conducted background checks and inquired through intermediaries of potential interest.

"I don't think there are many people who thought we wouldn't be making a change," Oliver said. "We knew in the early fall that if things didn't work out we might be in this situation, so you can imagine when I started the process of research.

"That's not meant to be disrespectful to anybody else, but part of athletics administration is being prepared at all times and having a short list of people you would target if you have an opening. I don't think we're unique in that regard."

But Oliver and Littlepage say they hired a unique coach.

"Yes, one coach, just one, stood out among many excellent coaches as the search was in progress," Littlepage said. "This coach stood out as a leader, teacher and coach. He stood out with his insight and respect for this great institution. He stood out as a winner and as one around whom we can and must all rally."

Quite the endorsement. Time for Mike London to prove himself worthy.

dailypress.com
The man is Dr. Phil with blitz package
Dave Fairbank
December 8, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

It was mighty kind of Armanti Edwards and Appalachian State to hasten the University of Virginia's football coaching search.

When Edwards and the Mountaineers dramatically ended the University of Richmond's season Saturday night, Spiders coach Mike London suddenly was available.

Cavaliers honchos wasted no time on the guy who appeared to be their first, second and third choice.

Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage talked about how he and his fellow searchers examined many candidates. Yet less than 24 hours after the Spiders' loss, the Cavaliers had a new coach, and 38 hours later, that coach formally was introduced.

"We have the right person and the best fit for the university," Littlepage said. "He's the best person that we could ever get for building the program at this time."

London's six years as an assistant at Virginia, in two different stints, essentially was his job interview. His two years at Richmond, which included a national championship and a playoff quarterfinal appearance, was finishing school.

"It's a great opportunity to be here," London said. "I'm so thankful to be given this privilege. I'm a caretaker and I'm a servant, because I serve the student-athletes in which I'm in charge of and the coaches and their families.

"I'm a caretaker of the university's reputation, in the athletic and academic arenas, and that's a challenge I'm looking forward to."

London is the stylistic antithesis of his predecessor and former boss, Aggrieved Al Groh.

London wears his heart on his sleeve. If he mentioned the importance of relationships once in Monday's nearly hourlong press conference at John Paul Jones Arena, he mentioned it a dozen times.

Relationships with players, with recruits, with high school coaches, with fans and alumni, with professors and academic administrators, with the community, with the entire state. The man is Dr. Phil with a blitz package.

Many of those relationships had been, shall we say, compromised under Groh. Fans stayed away in droves last season, and the program suffered as many of the state's top-shelf recruiting targets increasingly turned a deaf ear to the Cavaliers and leaned toward Blacksburg.

"When you say, 'Come to my game or come to my venue,' if you haven't been to theirs, if you haven't been in their communities, then why would they come to yours?" London said. "So there's a lot of work to do. But we'll be hard at work in making sure we get that corrected."

London will be more visible and less verbose than Groh, who rarely used 10 words when 25 would suffice and who didn't permit his assistant coaches to speak to the media, lest it interfere with the "one program, one voice" edict practiced by his NFL mentors and compadres, Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick.

Granted, access to assistants might seem a niggling annoyance outside the realm of us media gerbils. Perhaps it is when a team wins, and everything is jake, and the head coach is happy to talk about all topics from his scheduling philosophy to third-string linebackers.

When the program careens toward the dumper and the citizenry begins to grumble, however, that sort of policy comes across as arrogant and a bit like Capt. Queeg minus the strawberries.

Anyway, when asked whether his assistant coaches will be available to talk, London offered a simple and wry, "Yes."

From the X-and-O side, where Groh was wedded to the 3-linemen, 4-linebacker scheme as Virginia's base defense, London said he plans to employ a 4-3.

Schemes, though, aren't what separate London from Groh, or from many others, for that matter. London, in fact, always minimizes his playbook chops. For him, it always has been, and always will be about people.

"In any situation," he said, "it's all about the players playing for you. Everyone that knows me knows I'm a big relationship guy. And I think that's a critical element in any team, in any organization, in any relationship."

London talked about the idea that committed relationships with his players off the field can translate to more comfortable and confident performances on the field.

A couple of times Monday, he used the old coaching bromide: "People don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care."

London's personal commitment and passion put Virginia's wheels in motion as soon as Appalachian State defeated the Spiders.

"As much as I wanted Mike to win on Saturday," Virginia executive associate athletic director Jon Oliver said, "it really helped for us to be able to get him in here today."

A fruit basket and maybe a nice holiday wreath made of fresh-cut greens might be on the way to Boone, N.C., as we speak.

Hampton High coach Mike Smith endorsed London before hire
By Dave Johnson 247-4649
December 8, 2009

The day after Al Groh was fired at the University of Virginia, Hampton football coach Mike Smith placed a call to Cavaliers athletic director Craig Littlepage. Smith had some thoughts on the coaching vacancy and wanted to share them.

"I told him Mike London had the full endorsement of the (Virginia High School) Coaches Association," said Smith, the group's executive director. "He asked how many other coaches I had talked with, and I told him one. It was an executive decision."

Of course, Littlepage already was headed in that direction. But that voice of approval from the winningest coach in VHSL history spoke volumes.

"Mike London is certainly a good fit for them," Smith said Monday morning just before London was announced as Groh's replacement. "And it's a great fit for him, too. That was what I passed along to Craig Littlepage."

As a 1979 graduate of Bethel High and former assistant at William and Mary, London has deep connections to Hampton Roads. That's a talent-rich area U.Va. found difficult to recruit over the years, especially without London.

From 2005 through '08, only 38 of the program's 89 signees were from Virginia. Only 10 of those were from Hampton Roads, which traditionally produces some of the better prospects in the commonwealth.

"He's one guy you know is going to heavily recruit this area," Phoebus coach Stan Sexton said. "He knows the area well and he'll make sure to hit it hard, which (the Cavaliers) haven't done in a long time."

Dennis Kozlowski, London's head coach at Bethel High School in the late 1970s, said he could take it a step further.

"Maybe he'll even challenge Virginia Tech for some kids," Kozlowski said.

Smith said London, who coached Richmond to the FCS national title in 2008, will help ease relations with area coaches. He added it will be significant what assistant London assigns to recruit Hampton Roads.

"That's big," he said. "Because he'll have to be a mighty good man to compete against (in Tech assistant) Curt Newsome, I'll tell you that right now.

"And it's not just this area, it's the entire state of Virginia. There were a lot of bridges burned. (The old staff) managed to alienate a high percentage of coaches in the state by saying they were going north to recruit."

(Groh said in 2005 that while some teams go south to recruit, "we've chosen to go in the northern direction.").

Monday's announcement didn't make everyone happy.

"I'm real disappointed, because I was looking forward to playing for Coach London," said York quarterback/receiver Ben Edwards, who committed to Richmond in August. "But I'm happy for him getting to coach in Division I-A.

"I'm going to let things play out and not make a decision immediately on how this affects me. I'm going to talk to Coach London, a couple of the Richmond coaches and, most importantly, my family, before deciding on what I'm going to say or do."

Jamestown tight end/defensive end Andrew Cordasco also committed to the Spiders in August. Surry County quarterback Montel White also is a UR commitment.

Cavaliers get their man: Virginia introduces Mike London as football coach
London was a member of Groh's original UVa staff, serving as defensive-line coach and recruiting coordinator from 2001-04, at which point he became a position coach for the NFL's Houston Texans. He returned to UVa as defensive coordinator from 2006-07.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- For as much attention as Virginia's search for a football coach required last week, athletic director Craig Littlepage could have taken vacation.

As it was, Littlepage traveled to Tampa, Fla., for Saturday's ACC championship game and returned Sunday to wrap up negotiations with new coach Mike London.

"There wasn't a Plan B," Littlepage said Monday on the occasion of London's appointment.

UVa's athletic brass knew when nine-year coach Al Groh was dismissed Nov. 29 that he would be succeeded by his one-time defensive coordinator, London.

The only mystery was when that would occur. For the past two seasons, London has served as the head coach at Richmond, which won the Division I-AA national championship in 2008 and met Appalachian State on Saturday night in this year's quarterfinals.

"We were prepared to wait for as long as it took," executive associate athletic director Jon Oliver said.

The Spiders' season could have lasted until Dec. 19, but an Appalachian State touchdown with 10 seconds remaining lifted the Mountaineers to a 35-31 victory at Richmond's City Stadium.

By the next morning, Virginia had requested permission to speak with London, a 49-year Hampton native who had a 24-5 record in two seasons as the Spiders' head coach.

"It's no secret that we went into the season knowing that a change was possible," Oliver said, "so, that was a process that started early on. We had our list [with candidates] ranked 1-2-3-4-5.

"It was clear very early that this guy would be the perfect fit, and it became crystal clear when we met last week with the players. The response we were getting from calls and e-mails suggested the same thing."

There was no contact with other potential candidates following Groh's dismissal and nobody but London received an offer, Oliver said.

London agreed to a five-year contract that will pay him $1.7 million per year.

London's salary does not approach the nearly $2.2 million that Groh was receiving by the end of his tenure but matches the five-year, $1.7-million contract signed last spring by UVa's new men's basketball coach, Tony Bennett.

Like London, Bennett was the only men's basketball target who received an offer, and that two-week search was also relatively short.

In contrast, the selection of Groh following the 2000 season came 19 days after George Welsh's retirement.

Littlepage said in his introduction Monday that he was looking for a coach who "would unify and rally the various stakeholders, including current and former players, alums, faculty, donors, fans [and] friends of the university."

Season-ticket sales and donations dropped dramatically this season, when the Cavaliers went 3-9 and suffered their third losing season in the last four years.

Virginia lost to Virginia Tech for the eighth time in the past nine seasons and an inability to compete with the Hokies for top in-state talent was seen as a major factor in Groh's demise.

London played at Richmond and has recruited the state as an assistant at William and Mary, Boston College, Virginia and Richmond.

"He's been in my school probably 1,000 times," said Hampton High School coach Mike Smith, executive director of the Virginia High School Coaches' Association. "I think they made an excellent choice."

William Fleming High coach Rob Senseney said he had no problems with the Groh staff but hailed the London hiring as "a no-brainer."

London was a member of Groh's original UVa staff, serving as defensive-line coach and recruiting coordinator from 2001-04, at which point he became a position coach for the NFL's Houston Texans. He returned to UVa as defensive coordinator from 2006-07.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Groh," London said. "He allowed me to grow within this system, this university. But, I'm my own man. I'm my own person."

London said he will allow his coaches to speak to the media, a break from the "one-voice" policy that Groh instituted. Another Groh signature was the 3-4 defense, but London said he will play a 4-3.

Former UVa All-American Anthony Poindexter, who coached the secondary under Groh, will have a spot on the new staff. Other than that, London did not give out any names but indicated that he would bring several assistants from Richmond.

Monday's news conference was attended by a host of former UVa players, including 87-year-old Lynchburger Bill Dudley, a member of the college and NFL halls of fame who has been dubbed "the greatest living Wahoo."

London's wife, Regina, sat in the front row with four of their seven children. An older daughter, Kristen, played for the UVa women's basketball team and a younger brother, Paul, was a starting cornerback on the 1995 UVa team that handed Florida State its first defeat in ACC play.

"The last couple days have been ... a whirlwind," said London, who said it was hard to ignore the rumors that had linked him with the UVa job since the start of the season. "I'm human, [but] I wanted to make sure that the players got the message about all that matters is what happens with the Richmond family."

The introduction of London came before a standing-room-only crowd in the same John Paul Jones Arena meeting area where Bennett had been introduced barely eight months earlier. Virginia doesn't change football coaches very often, witness the 19- and nine-year tenures of Welsh and Groh.

Said Littlepage: "We don't plan on being back here anytime soon."

High school coaches approve of UVa's hiring of Mike London
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

Tommy Reamon has tweaked a few college coaches in his four stops as a high school coach in Virginia, but he's produced enough elite players that no new coach would want to be on his bad side.

Virginia gets a thumbs-up from Reamon for its selection of Mike London, introduced Monday as the Cavaliers' head football coach.

Reamon said he can remember London coming to his camps as a 14-year-old and described his hiring as "absolutely phenomenal."

Reamon currently is the coach at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach but might be best known for coaching former Virginia Tech All-American Michael Vick at Warwick High School in Newport News.

Before that, Reamon coached another future pro, Aaron Brooks, at Ferguson High School. Brooks starred at Virginia and was at the London news conference Monday.

Reamon said he has been following UVa's coaching saga and had "no question" that London would get the job. He thinks that London's ability as a recruiter will help the Cavaliers become more competitive with Virginia Tech in that arena.

"He's one of the best," Reamon said. "There's nobody better. And, I think I've been around long enough to know. They got something special there."

Guests at London's installation Monday included John Shuman, the head coach at Fork Union Military Academy in nearby Fluvanna County. Shuman received an invitation at approximately 11:30 a.m. and was in John Paul Jones Arena for the ceremony at 1 p.m.

London's son, Brandon, played for Shuman at Fork Union. However, UVa-Fork Union relations soured when ousted UVa coach Al Groh elected not to offer a scholarship to Shuman's older son, Ryan.

Ryan Shuman went on to become a three-year starter at Virginia Tech and his younger brother, Mark, committed to the Hokies last summer. Mark Shuman is a consensus choice as one of the top 10 prospects in the state.

"I asked him before I came over here if he wanted to change his mind," John Shuman said. "He told me 'no.'"

Shuman and several other state coaches said they were surprised by the suddenness of London's appointment, less than 48 hours after his team's loss in the Division I-AA playoffs.

"But, as soon as I heard about it last night, I was ecstatic," Shuman said.

Virginia's top in-state signee last February, offensive lineman Morgan Moses, is taking a postgraduate year at Fork Union. Moses technically remains committed to Virginia but took an official visit to South Carolina this past weekend.

"We met with Morgan this morning and told him the right guy got the job," Shuman said. "We want Morgan to honor his commitment to Virginia."

Bill McGregor, the football coach at perennial national power DeMatha in Hyattsville, Md., said that defensive back Kyrrel Latimer remains solid in his commitment to Virginia.

Another DeMatha prospect, uncommitted offensive lineman Shawn Johnson, plans to visit UVa.

"Mike has recruited our school forever," McGregor said. "He's a worker and the kids like him a lot. He's a great guy. I'm just so happy he's getting the job."

Lou Sorrentino, the head coach at Hylton High School in Prince William Country, said he isn't sure London has ever been responsible for recruiting one of his players but described him as "pretty charismatic."

"I think the big thing for coaches around the state is that he's a known quantity," Sorrentino said. "I can't speak for other guys, but I'm excited about it."

Tech's success spurs Virginia
The pipeline from the state's most fertile recruiting ground has gone straight to Blacksburg for much too long, the UVa people say.
By Aaron McFarling

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- He spoke for 53 minutes and never said the two key words.

Mike London didn't need to. They hung in the air here Monday afternoon, as he was introduced as the new football coach at the University of Virginia. They drove the quick and decisive search process of athletic director Craig Littlepage.

They helped get Al Groh fired, and they almost assuredly got London hired.

The two words?

Virginia Tech.

They talk a lot about standards here in Charlottesville. Academic standards, character standards, performance standards. But the standard that matters most to the UVa football program at this juncture is the one being set two hours away by the Hokies.

It's a standard of winning in the ACC, and it's fueled by recruiting the top in-state talent.

"We've got to beat our rivals," former UVa quarterback Aaron Brooks said a few minutes after London finished speaking. "We do that, everything else will take care of itself."

He's right, you know. Since joining the ACC, the Hokies have made it easy for UVa football to see where it stood. The first goal is to catch them by winning the battles in the living rooms; the next is to overtake them on the field.

Easier said than done, but that's why London is here. London is not a schemes genius or a sexy name. His hiring is not going to lead "SportsCenter" or force Notre Dame to move down its list of candidates.

But none of that matters. What matters is he is a Virginian, a self-described "7-5-7" guy who grew up in Hampton and just departed Richmond, a man who knows the lay of the land in this state. That's why UVa gave him $1.7 million annually over five years and turned him loose a week after jettisoning Groh.

"The Tyrod Taylors of the world that skip right on past Charlottesville and head to Blacksburg?" former UVa linebacker and Newport News native Chris Slade said. "We need to get those type of players here."

London has a plan to do it. To his credit, he didn't shy away from the academic demands of UVa. He spoke about finding the guys who want the best of both worlds -- a valuable degree and a high-level football experience. He's determined to try to lure them in a way his predecessor never did.

London said it's all about relationships, not only with the prospects themselves but also with the people who shape them. Parents. High school coaches. Even Pee Wee coaches. The only way to earn their trust, he said, is to become visible to them. Reach out.

"If you haven't been in their communities, then why would they come to yours?" London said. "So there's a lot of work to do. But we'll be hard at work in making sure we get that corrected."

No other candidate who had been mentioned -- realistically or not -- during this hiring process would bring the immediate in-state recruiting credibility that London will. Given that, Littlepage could look past London's relative inexperience as a head coach. He could shrug off the fact that most of Richmond's players, who surged to a 24-5 record and a Division I-AA title under London the past two years, were recruited by somebody else.

The pipeline from the state's most fertile recruiting ground has gone straight to Blacksburg for much too long, the UVa people say.

"When it comes to the Tidewater area, he's the guy you have to think of first," Slade said of London. "Because he played at Bethel High School, went to Tabb High School before that, which is where I went ... He has the pedigree of being a Peninsula guy."

London also had the reputation of being a Groh guy, which gave many UVa fans pause. But there is no discipleship here. London said he plans to run a 4-3 defense, something Groh wouldn't do. He plans to allow his assistants to speak publicly, something Groh wouldn't do.

And when asked about his connection to the former coach, London was respectful of Groh but drew a clear line between them.

"I'm looking to provide my own mark and do my own things and make my own way," he said.

The former players on hand Monday liked that about him. And even if London never mentioned the key words, they did.

"I'm deeply involved into the football program because I want the best and I want success," said Brooks, who retired from the NFL in 2007 "But most of all, I want to beat the Hokies. And I think he's the guy to understand that rivalry and get this done."

The Cavs are counting on it.

Only time will tell if London is right for U.Va.
Bob Molinaro
Virginian-Pilot sports columnist
The Virginian-Pilot
© December 8, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

If Virginia fans are ready to wrap their arms around Mike London, the emotion is understandable, if premature.

On first impression – and taking into account his brief, but brilliant track record at the University of Richmond – London appears to be an extremely huggable figure at a school in need of redirecting and energizing its football program.

I don’t know anybody who doesn’t agree with this sentiment. But what does anybody really know? And doesn’t every coach look like The Answer on the day he’s introduced?

Before Cavalier fans announce that Christmas has arrived early at U.Va., it’s at least worth a passing reference that London has been a head coach for only two years – and at a lower level of competition than the ACC.

London’s Richmond teams won the 2008 Football Championship Subdivision title and reached this season’s FCS quarterfinals with players recruited by his predecessor.

Even so, he arrives with a reputation as an excellent recruiter (he was Al Groh’s recruiting coordinator for three years), an area in need of improvement at U.Va.

Telegraphing his intentions, London noted that he is “a product of – and I’ll use it as the kids say – the 7-5-7.”

London, who grew up on the Peninsula, intends to mine a talent-rich Hampton Roads area that went largely unrecruited by U.Va. under Groh.

“I want the high school coaches to know that if Virginia hasn’t been there, we’ll be there,” he said. “And if you have a player you want to recommend to us, than we’ll evaluate and we’ll listen.”

More about recruiting: “I am a Virginia product from elementary school through college. We have to recapture the state of Virginia.”

As he spoke, London, 49, sat in front of a U.Va. banner that included the words “uncompromised excellence.”

As it pertains to academics in the big-time college football world, the words amount to an oxymoron. No compromise means, in many cases, no bowl games. That’s a cynical way of looking at U.Va.’s problems, but one that’s hard to resist.

London said he will deal with that impression the way U.Va. always has, “by making sure that it’s OK to embrace the academic qualifications and expectations here at the university.”

While he’s intent on recruiting the 757 – moving into terrain dominated by Virginia Tech – he offers a caveat to potential prospects. “If you just want to play football,” he said, “this is probably not the best place for you.”

U.Va. believes that London’s familiarity with the school and his recruiting ties, along with his personality, make him a great hire. “I wear my emotions on my sleeve,” London said. “I will provide energy and passion.

“I’m a big relationship guy. I want a relationship with players where they know they can knock on my door. I think that my style is a style that may be different from a lot of people’s style.”

It’s a style that will quickly win him friends at U.Va, while the assessment of his coaching skills – and whether his program can challenge Virginia Tech on the field as well as in recruiting – will be a much more gradual process.

“I’m looking to provide my own mark and do my own things and make my own way,” London said.

U.Va.’s new coach offered a lot of smart, passionate answers Monday afternoon.

None tells us if he’s The Answer.

Virginia’s new coach moves fast
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: December 8, 2009
» 0 Comments | Post a Comment
vote
nowBuzz up!

If only Mike London could have called a quick timeout, just to catch his breath and reflect on the emotional ride of the past few days.
Instead, his whirlwind continued Monday afternoon after he was named Virginia’s new head football coach. Press conference, meet and greets, photo ops, meeting his new team, chatting it up with former Cavalier players about what needs to be done to restore Wahoo football.
All that came on the heels of his former Richmond team losing in the waning moments of the FCS playoffs on Saturday night, being offered and accepting the UVa job, and a tearful goodbye to the players that he nurtured to a 24-5 record and a national championship the past two years.
No wonder the first word out of his mouth when introduced to the Virginia crowd was an emphatic “Whew!”
Work to be done
His 49-year-old life will only get busier in the days ahead as he puts together a coaching staff, reconnects recruiting ties around the Commonwealth and examines all the other hurdles in attempting to put Virginia football back on the map.
When officially offered the job by UVa athletic director Craig Littlepage, London
didn’t have to do much soul searching.
Even though his agent, Dennis Cordell, told him to not jump quickly because there were other opportunities out there, London knew what he wanted.
A perfect fit
“I wasn’t in it to be the head coach at Richmond to go to school X, Y, or Z ... out in the West Coast or anything,” London said. “I could have been perfectly happy to stay at my alma mater. It’s just that I had been [at Virginia] and spent six years of my life here and this is a fit. So, when the opportunity came about, then it made the decision easy.”
The salary, $1.7 million annually for five years, probably didn’t hurt either. Because London coached at a private school, his contract was never made public, but it is believed his UR salary of an estimated $300,000 per year was among the highest of any FCS coaches.
If there were any questions the coach needed to be answered before relocating down
I-64, it was that of salaries for assistant coaches. A recent poll revealed that Virginia’s assistant coaching staff ranked at the bottom in pay of any ACC school, although those figures are a bit skewed since former head coach Al Groh was his own defensive coordinator, which saved money.
Littlepage assured London that the funds would be there to attract the type of coaches necessary to get the job done.
London said that he will not rush to put a staff together that he can count on.
“The staff is ongoing,” he said. “There’s some people that are still playing and some people that still have seasons going on.
“There’s some that I’ll bring with me and there’s some here that I’ll have to talk about in terms of whether to retain or not,” the new coach continued. “But it’s an ongoing process. I want to make sure that I get the right individuals, the right men, men of honor and integrity, guys who are going to do it the right way, be a reflection of myself. If you see me, you see them. If you know me, you know them.”
There has already been speculation that Bill Musgrave could return as offensive coordinator. Musgrave, who was on Groh’s original staff as OC, has been the quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons for the past four years, having worked with former UVa passer Matt Schaub and current Falcons starter Matt Ryan.
Other potential job candidates being whispered are West Virginia running backs coach Chris Beatty, a native Virginian with Tidewater roots, and former UVa assistant coach Corwin Brown, most recently defensive coordinator at Notre Dame.
While London’s strength has been mostly on the defensive side of the ball, he understands that Virginia’s offense must improve. For the past four seasons, the Cavaliers have been ranked mostly No. 100 or lower out of 130 FBS schools in the majority of offensive statistical categories.
Offensively speaking, he knows what he wants.
“Score fast and as often as you can ... how about that?” London said, drawing approving laughter from his audience. “I think you have to utilize your playmakers, you have to find and identify who those guys are and then do your best to get the ball into their hands.”
While he served two stints at Virginia under Groh’s tutelage and first became involved with the former Cavaliers coach with the New York Jets, he noted they are both alike and dislike when it comes to coaching.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for coach Groh,” London said. “He allowed me to grow within this system. But I’m my own man. I’m looking to provide my own mark and do my own things and make my own way.”
Certainly, it won’t be easy. There isn’t an abundance of talent in the program, at least in terms of depth, and state rival Virginia Tech has controlled the recruiting borders on its way to prominence in recent years.
Can he rebuild UVa into a winner? Can Virginia win an ACC championship?
“I know we have the facilities to compete for young men’s attention,” he said. “I know we have the opportunity for those who are looking for — again, I go back to the best of both worlds opportunities [football and academics].
“You’ll have a head coach who is going to foster an environment that’s conducive to you achieving academically and make sure that you get the type of coaching and have a relationship that’s going to be able to at least help you achieve athletically also,” London said.
All of that in good time. Right now, he’s too busy to worry about a championship. He needs to land talent.
So, it’s not at all surprising that today, Virginia’s new head football coach will be attending a talent combine at Fork Union Military Academy.
There’s no time to rest.
 

Virginia introduces London, a familiar face to the program
Cavaliers' newest football coach gets five-year deal
By Zach Berman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 8, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- During a meeting on the day Al Groh was fired, Virginia's top two athletic department officials asked the returning players on the Cavaliers' football roster what they sought in a head coach. As players relayed those wishes -- a personal relationship, someone who can inspire and provide passion -- Athletic Director Craig Littlepage locked eyes with Executive Associate Athletics Director Jon Oliver.

"It was almost like we were checking off the person seated to my right," Littlepage said Monday at a news conference to introduce Mike London as Virginia's newest football coach.

London received a five-year contract worth $1.7 million per season and will receive a $2 million allotment to pay assistant coaches.

London, a former Cavaliers assistant who spent two seasons coaching Richmond, was assured that the resources for a successful program were in place during conversations Sunday, the day after the Spiders' season concluded with a division I-AA quarterfinal loss to Appalachian State.

Littlepage, who was in Tampa during the latter portion of last week for the ACC championship game, requested permission to speak with London on Sunday morning. They had "very anxious hours" throughout Sunday and reached an agreement Sunday night.

"This is a situation where having known this gentleman and having worked alongside of him and having respected him as a coach and a person, there wasn't a lot of interviewing that had to be done," Littlepage said.

London, who described his past few days as a "whirlwind," said he has had ambitions of leading a Bowl Championship Series conference school and playing for a championship. He also described Virginia, where his brother played and eldest daughter attended, as the right fit.

All of London's college coaching experience has been at schools with demanding academics, including Virginia, Richmond, William & Mary and Boston College. He said he will "embrace" Virginia's academic qualifications and expectations, and believes the program can succeed even with the school's restrictions.
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"If you just want to play football and, okay, I think I might get an education, this is probably not the place for you," London said. "If you just want to get a great education and I think I'll play a little football, this is probably not the place for you. But if you want the best of both world opportunities, this is the place for you."

London placed an emphasis on recruiting the state of Virginia, which has been a source of criticism during Groh's tenure. He specifically mentioned the Tidewater region -- London is a Hampton Roads native -- and said that Virginia must win back the "757."

He met with his new players for the first time after the news conference, explaining his ambitions of playing for a championship. Many in the room already knew London, having played for him or been recruited by him.

"He's a hell of a guy, and he's the same on the field as he is off the field," said Virginia sophomore defensive tackle Nick Jenkins, who was recruited by London out of Good Counsel and played for London during his redshirt season. "He has all that. Great leader. Great coach. Great with his players. Very family oriented."

Jenkins said London was the coach the players wanted. Oliver said both former and current players recommended London by name. Athletic administrators always keep a short list, Oliver said, and London had been high on that list throughout the autumn. His experience at Richmond only enhanced what they already knew.

"He's a CEO" now, Oliver said.

But winning the news conference counts only so much, and London still must alleviate skepticism about the jump from division I-AA to the ACC and his associations with Groh. Littlepage said Virginia's familiarity with London trumped any concern about lack of experience.

And though London expressed appreciation toward Groh for providing him an opportunity as a young assistant, he also distanced himself from his predecessor -- going as far as confirming that the Cavaliers will switch from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense -- while subtly mentioning what is believed to be the primary difference between the new and the old.

"I'm my own person," London said. "I think if the players and the head coach have a relationship that's really special or that we're both on the same page in terms of understanding the expectations in the classroom and on the field, then I think that makes for something special. So, I'm looking to provide my own mark and do my own things and make my own way."

New coach eager to revitalize team
By Jay Jenkins
Published: December 8, 2009
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Before Craig Littlepage uttered his first word, the University of Virginia athletics director posed for photos with his latest acquisition.

For obvious reasons, smiles and a roaring applause filled a room inside John Paul Jones Arena that included some of the greatest football players in school history.

Moments later, former University of Richmond coach Mike London was officially introduced as Virginia’s 39th head football coach.

“One coach, just one, stood out among many excellent coaches as the search was in progress,” Littlepage said of London. “This coach stood out as a leader, teacher and coach. He stood out with his insight and respect for this great institution.

“He stood out as a winner and as one around whom we can and must all rally.”

Although a previously planned trip abroad kept UVa President John T. Casteen III from attending the event, he also offered his support through a statement.

“Mike’s personal values and commitment to excellence combined with his understanding of university culture and his proven ability to build a strong team will make the London era in Virginia football a good time, perhaps the best of times, for players, fans, and the university generally.”

London, 49, inked a five-year contract with Virginia that will pay him $1.7 million annually. That was the exact figure that former coach Al Groh was paid in 2005 after he was given a six-year extension that included a 5 percent cost-of-living increase annually.

Groh’s salary for the 2009 season was $2.066 million, and a group of donors helped Virginia buy out the remaining two years on the contract for an additional $4.33 million.

“It’s one thing to talk about being a coach, but it’s also another thing to really get involved with your players, get involved with the community and get involved with whatever the university’s mission is,” said London, who was joined at the news conference by his wife, Regina, and four of his seven children.

“I’m blessed and I’m honored to be back involved with a university that I have a familiar background with.”

London, who went 24-5 in two seasons at Richmond, his alma mater, served as the defensive coordinator under Groh in 2006 and 2007. He also served as the Cavaliers’ recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach from 2001 to 2004.

London stressed during the 60-minute session that he would “embrace” Virginia’s prestigious academic standards, often seen as restrictions in football circles.

“If you just want to play football and, OK, I think I might get an education, this is probably not the place for you,” London said. “If you just want to get a great education and I think I’ll play a little football, this is probably not the place for you.

“But if you want the best of both world opportunities, this is the place for you. You’ll have a head coach who is going to foster an environment that’s conducive to you achieving academically and make sure that you get the type of coaching and have a relationship that’s going to be able to at least help you achieve athletically also.”

While London has served as an assistant coach at the Football Bowl Subdivision, which includes a stint at Boston College, he has never been a head coach at that level.

That was not a concern during the national search, Littlepage said.

“I and we at the university have had the benefit of seeing Mike over a long period of time, knowing his abilities, knowing his character, knowing what kind of coach he is, knowing how he feels about the university, how he feels about the players,” he said. “The question of whether there was any hesitation, no. There are ample examples of coaches that have made the move from assistant coach to head coach from offensive or defensive coordinator to head coach.

“If a person has the instincts of a leader and knows the game and feels as deeply and cares as much as Mike does, [it] causes no hesitation at all.”

London did not specify his plans to complete his coaching staff, but said coaches from his staff at Richmond were among the potential candidates. He also said he was confident with the compensation that could be offered to attract top-level assistants.

Coming off the heels of a 3-9 season, however, one that led to Groh’s firing and saw attendance figures drop at Scott Stadium, London is aware that it will take a major overhaul to win back the fanbase and produce a winner. Virginia also went 1-8 against in-state rival Virginia Tech during Groh’s tenure.

That is not solely on his shoulders, he said.

“I want everyone to know that I can’t do this by myself. I need the help of everyone here,” London pleaded. “I need the help of the fans out there, the students, the professors.

“I need the help of the community, the administration, coaches and players. I need the help of everyone.”
 

Cavs will make switch to 4-3
By Jay Jenkins
Published: December 8, 2009
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Mike London answered a question tugging at the hearts of Virginia football fans with one word.
What defensive scheme will the Cavaliers play with their new coach in place?
Would it be the 4-3 scheme, a set that London employed at Richmond the past two years as the Spiders coach?
“Yes,” he replied.
For the past nine years, Virginia lined up on defense in a 3-4 scheme, meaning that three defensive linemen were complemented by four linebackers.
Virginia will now showcase an additional defensive lineman, dropping a linebacker off the base defense.
That quickly caught the attention of middle linebacker Steve Greer, the lone starter returning at the spot after Darren Childs completed his eligibility.
“That definitely makes me excited because I played the 4-3 in high school,” Greer said. “I know it is a lot different in college, but I am definitely excited to play the 4-3.”
The move makes sense in regards to the trenches, too.
Virginia welcomes back defensive ends Matt Conrath and Zane Parr and nose tackle Nick Jenkins. All three of the returnees started at points during the season.
Given the shift, Greer could challenge for the school’s career tackle record, which is held by Jamie Sharper’s 435 career stops. This season as a rookie, Greer collected 92 tackles.
“That’s one of the fun things about being a middle linebacker in the 4-3,” he said. “You really can make a ton of tackles.”
The look of the 4-3 formation itself is not something
completely different than what UVa showcased at times the past few seasons under former coach Al Groh when outside linebacker Cam Johnson or Clint Sintim would slide towards the offensive line as a hybrid player that could blitz.
“There were definitely times where Coach [Groh] had a couple of formations that set up like a 4-3 out of the 3-4,” Greer said. “We were in that a good amount of the time, but I would say a majority of the time we were in the 3-4.”
 

Former Virginia players show their support
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: December 8, 2009
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A large ensemble of former Virginia football players — including perhaps the greatest of all time, “Bullet Bill” Dudley — turned out to greet new Cavaliers’ coach Mike London on Monday and expressed their hopes that the program could get back on the winning track.
“I think [London] will bring back what’s been missing the last few years,” said Charles McDaniel, star UVa linebacker from 1982-85. “And that’s building the program with players from this state.”
After three losing seasons in the last four years, former coach Al Groh, a UVa alum, was replaced after nine years on the job, including five bowl appearances. Critics often complained that Groh didn’t sign enough in-state players, while Virginia Tech controlled the state’s recruiting circles.
“I don’t think that [recruiting focus on the state] was understood during this past regime, of just how important a state this is,” McDaniel said. “This is THE state school. We have not done as good a job as we’ve needed to in this state.”
Chris Slade, who established the UVa and ACC career sacks record (40) from 1989-92, said he believed London’s reputation as a recruiter and his success as Richmond’s head coach the past two seasons (24-5) should help bring in more in-state players, particularly from the talent-rich Tidewater area.
“That should be a huge advantage,” said Slade. “I’m a little biased because I’m a Tidewater guy, but you’ve got to get in there with the Mike Smiths [legendary Hampton High coach] of the world and all those players. They’re all going to Blacksburg right now. I mean, why can’t we get a Tyrod Taylor here?”
Taylor, of course, is Virginia Tech’s starting quarterback, who signed with the Hokies out of the same recruiting class that brought former Cavalier Peter Lalich to UVa.
Slade wasn’t being critical of Groh, for whom he played in the NFL at New England. Instead, he was being supportive of London, who he got to know while playing for the Patriots. At that time, London was the defensive line coach for Boston College under Tom O’Brien, a former UVa assistant who recruited Slade from Tabb High School to the Wahoo program.
“What I like about Mike London is that he’s always the same guy,” Slade said. “Some guys, when the lights go on, they change. But Mike’s always the same.”
Former UVa quarterback Aaron Brooks, who led the ACC in passing in 1997, said he returned to show support for a coach from his area of the state (also the Tidewater area) and to encourage London to study former UVa coach George Welsh’s methods in building the Cavaliers’ program.
“We need to go back to Welsh’s blueprint,” said Brooks, who played for several NFL teams, but starred with the New Orleans Saints. “I think coach London understands that and will do his best to bring the program back to where it needs to be.
“I felt like it would be right to come back and talk to coach London and share the history of the program and how successful we were in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and for that to continue on,” Brooks said. “I think no one could do that better than former players.”
Because London grew up in the Tidewater area, several of UVa’s former players from that region believe he will manage to restore the Cavaliers’ recruiting efforts there.
“I know he’s respected back home because of who he is and what he has accomplished,” Brooks said. “That’s a pretty good start.”
 

London to emphasize state recruiting at U.Va.
By John O'Connor
Published: December 8, 2009
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CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Recognizing Mike London as the man to "give the University of Virginia football program an exciting jump-start," U.Va. Athletic Director Craig Littlepage yesterday introduced London as the Cavaliers' coach.

London, 49 and a former U.Va. assistant, led the University of Richmond to the 2008 Football Championship Subdivision title in his first year as a head coach. The Spiders went 11-2 this season, sharing the Colonial Athletic Association championship and advancing to the FCS quarterfinals. UR was eliminated 35-31 by Appalachian State on Saturday night, and London said he was contacted about the Virginia opening Sunday.

"The last couple of days have been . . . a whirlwind," said London, whose Richmond teams went 24-5.

Al Groh departed as Virginia's coach after a nine-year stay. Littlepage and London emphasized the need for the Cavaliers to re-establish state-based recruiting, a priority that had slipped in recent years.

"I think we have to recapture the state of Virginia, make ourselves accessible to the coaches of Virginia, the high school coaches particularly," said London, a UR alumnus who's from Hampton. "Go into those schools and then go into the communities also.

"When you say 'Come to my game,' or 'Come to my venue,' if you haven't been to theirs, if you haven't been in their communities, then why would they come to yours?"

Current Cavaliers players, many of whom know London from his passionate presence on Virginia's staff, expressed approval of London's appointment. Matt Conrath, a defensive lineman, said, "I'm excited to get the process over this quickly. It's kind of nice to know who our head coach is going into Christmas break."

London signed a five-year deal worth $1.7 million annually. He was making about $300,000 a year as Richmond's coach. London, a former Spiders defensive back, in June signed a UR contract extension that ran through 2014.

"I think that's part of college athletics," said Jim Miller, UR's athletic director.

London's predecessor, Dave Clawson, agreed to a five-year contract when hired by UR in 2004, then signed a two-year extension following the 2005 season. That extension ran through 2010, but Clawson became Tennessee's offensive coordinator before the 2008 season. He is now Bowling Green's head coach.

London yesterday thanked Dr. Edward L. Ayers, UR's president, and Miller "for giving me the opportunity to be the head coach at my alma mater."

Littlepage said he was seeking someone who was a leader, educator and coach, someone who understood U.Va.'s environment, someone who could connect with high school prospects and their coaches, someone who had high character, and someone who had shown he could win.

London's head-coaching success came on the FCS level rather than in a BCS league and was accomplished almost exclusively with players Clawson brought to UR. But Littlepage said those weren't significant considerations because of his familiarity with London, a Cavaliers assistant coach during 2001-04 and 2006-07 (defensive coordinator).

Memphis also inquired about London through UR, and Littlepage said London was well-known as a rising star among athletic directors and conference commissioners.

Postgame extra: Auburn defeats Virginia
Michael Phillips
Dec 08, 2009

Before we get to the extended version of tonight’s game story, a few quick bonus notes:

—Freshman Jontel Evans looked good in his 18 minutes of playing time, including a few plays where he showcased his speed, as well as a trio of left-handed lay-ups as he drove the lane from the left side. It’s a play that his counterpart - Calvin Baker - has struggled to make. After the game he told me that he’s always had that play as a specialty, and that he’s comfortable from either side.

—Sammy Zeglinski’s 18 points were a season high.

—Here’s Auburn oach Jeff Lebo on Landesberg: “I thought we did a great job. He’s excellent off the ball, he’s always in motion, he’s crafty, he hesitates with it, he’s got size when he gets in there, being able to score, get to the foul line a ton. He’s a hard guy to have to defend. He had to play a lot of minutes, 35, and in the second half he was a little bit more fatigued.“

On to the story:

——————————-

AUBURN, Ala. – Twice Tony Bennett made the long walk across the court and into the tunnel heading to the Virginia locker room. Both times he was shaking his head.

At halftime he was laughing off a fadeaway 3-pointer that kept Auburn within striking distance after a half the Cavs dominated.

After the game, he was lamenting another basket, this one a last-second tip-in that gave the Tigers a 68-67 victory.

And while it’s unlikely that either team needed this one for RPI purposes, both fought it to the finish in a battle of equals. It was the second game in a row for U.Va. where a late comeback fell short at the buzzer.

“We’re building up a fighting spirit,” guard Sylven Landesberg said. “We kept fighting, it just didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to. If we keep fighting like this, game will start finishing our way.”

Down two with the ball, the Cavs put it in the hands of guard Sammy Zeglinski, who was fouled while attempting a game-tying three.

After making the first two shots, Auburn called time out to ice him. In the huddle, the talk wasn’t about the shot – it was about what would happen in the next seven seconds defensively. Even Zeglinski was focusing in on what was next.

“I just do my routine every time I step to the line,” he said. “Honestly, I was more worried about defense, about getting back.”

Those fears proved prescient after he made the shot. Auburn’s DeWayne Reed drove down the court, tossed up a shot from the paint, and missed, but with 1.4 seconds remaining big man Brendon Knox was right behind him to tip it in and win the game for the Tigers.

With no timeouts remaining, the Cavs only option was a last-second heave that missed.

“We kind of feel a little empty right now,” Bennett said afterward. “Our guys fought back when they were down, they didn’t die, but it’s empty because you didn’t come away with victory.”

Sitting in a classroom outside the locker room, Landesberg gave credit to the Tigers for studying up at halftime and devising a plan to shut him down.

Auburn was sluggish in the first half – perhaps feeding off a nearly-empty home crowd – and allowed Landesberg to drive at will as he scored 17 points. They adapted in the second half, holding him to just three points – all free throws. He was sent to the bench for Will Sherrill during a key sequence with six minutes remaining.

“They just started collapsing and stuff every time I was driving,” Landesberg said. “I just wasn’t getting good looks.”

Zeglinski had the key play that got the team back in the game from an eight-point deficit, forcing a turnover near the Tigers bench that was scooped up by Jeff Jones, who took the ball the remainder of the way for a layup.

Jones had 29 minutes off the bench as the Cavs fought both personnel issues and foul trouble. The Cavs committed 14 fouls in the first half, with six players each getting a pair. Less than a minute into the second half, Jerome Meyinsse picked up his third, severely limiting the amount of time he was available for.

Meyinsse was needed because Mike Scott suffered a high ankle sprain during practice late last week, watching the game from the bench with a boot on his right foot. With Jamil Tucker still out, that opened a starting spot for walk-on Will Sherrill.

Sherrill became the first walk-on to start on a non-senior day since Billy Campbell did exactly four years ago. Campbell started in place of Sean Singletary as U.Va. lost to Fordham. Sherrill finished 0-for-4 behind the arc.

“I thought we had a couple good looks for Will, he just didn’t seem to be able to knock them down,” Bennett said.

Virginia now heads into its finals break with the same lament – the Cavs couldn’t deliver the knockout blow to Penn State or Auburn. As Bennett’s first year rolls on, he again finds himself taking comfort in a late comeback.

“They didn’t fall apart, and we’ll take that as the positive,” he said. “And we’ll address the areas that were breakdowns.”

Late basket lifts Auburn past UVa
By Whitey Reid
Published: December 8, 2009
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AUBURN, Ala. — Earlier on Monday, back in Charlottesville at the John Paul Jones Arena, Virginia — to the delight of many — introduced Mike London as its new football coach. With London’s arrival, a much-needed wave of optimism surrounding the program was ushered in.
Some eight months ago, Tony Bennett sat in the very same seat as London, and a similar wave rolled through the school’s basketball program. On that day, however, Bennett warned that things weren’t about to change overnight. There would be some tough times along the way.
Monday night in Auburn was one such instance.
Virginia gave up a put-back basket to Auburn’s Brendon Knox with 1.4 seconds to go and lost a heartbreaker, 68-67, on the road in front of a generously listed crowd of 5,493.
“It was a hard-fought game,” said Bennett, whose team
doesn’t play again until a Dec. 19 home tilt with UNC Wilmington. “I kind of feel a little empty right now…
“The one thing that I thought was positive was that our guys fought back when they were down. They didn’t die, but it’s empty because you didn’t come away with the victory.”
After a 3-pointer from the corner by Auburn’s Tay Waller, Virginia trailed 66-58 with 4:24 remaining. However, a put-back basket by Will Sherrill (who was starting for the injured Mike Scott), a Jeff Jones steal and fastbreak layup, and five straight free throws by gave Virginia a 67-66 lead.
The last three, from Sammy Zeglinski, came with Virginia
(4-4) trailing by two. Zeglinski, after being fouled on a 3-point attempt with 7.7 seconds left, calmly drained all three free throws.
But Auburn (5-4) inbounded the ball to DeWayne Reed, who zoomed up the court and drove into the paint. Reed, as Virginia 7-footer Assane Sene came flying out at him, missed a short shot, but Knox was there for the easy put-back.
“The play was meant for me to screen for [Reed] and I just followed him to the hoop,” Knox said. “When I saw it come off the rim, I knew had the opportunity.”
Virginia’s final gasp was a half-court heave from Landesberg.
“I think we’re definitely building up a fighting spirit,” said Landesberg, who scored a team-high 20 points. “As you can see, we were down eight with four minutes left and just kept fighting, but it didn’t turn out the way we wanted.
“But if we keep fighting like this, things will finish out in our way.”
Bennett didn’t seem to think there was much Virginia could have done differently on the final play.
“We got him to miss,” he said, “but the ball obviously bounded in the right spot and there was nobody there to get a body on him.”
In the first half, Virginia, buoyed by Landesberg and Jeff Jones, led by as many as 11.
But the momentum began to shift toward the end of the stanza. With Sene running out at him, Auburn’s Frankie Sullivan hit a deep 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded to pull the Tigers to within two points at the break.
After the intermission, Auburn began to attack the basket — something the Tigers
didn’t do at all in the first 20 minutes. Four of their first five buckets came on drives to the hoop.
Virginia clearly missed Scott on both ends of the floor.
“When Mike’s in there it gives us a little more of inside presence and some rebounding, some athleticism to go up and rebound,” Bennett said. “Certainly that affected us, but guys responded well.”
Bennett, much like after the losses to South Florida and Penn State, didn’t appear completely disheartened.
“We’ll keep going to the drawing board and keep trying to improve,” he said. “I want these guys to understand that it’s a process.
“We’ll take the good from it and learn from the breakdowns.”
Dunks
Bennett said there was no timetable for Scott’s return. “Obviously, it’s not broken,” he said, referring to Scott’s right ankle sprain. “It improved, but you’ll have to ask [trainer] Ethan [Saliba] about that.”
Senior Jamil Tucker didn’t travel with the team.
 

VIRGINIA BASKETBALL
Postgame Virginia Quotes
Auburn 68, Virginia 67

Virginia head coach Tony Bennett
Opening Statement:
“It was a hard fought game. I feel a little empty right now. We felt
pretty good being up one. That offensive rebound really hurt, but it was
positive that our guys fought back when they were down. They didn’t
die, but it is empty because they didn’t come away with the victory.
There were some good things that happened, but also some breakdowns. Our
zone at the end gave us a little lift. They were hurting us with their
ball screen action and they were making some shots. It is what it is.
We’ll keep going to the drawing board and keep trying to improve. I
want these guys to understand that it is a process. We will take the
good from it and learn from the breakdowns.”

On the last play:
“We were talking about maybe going man to man or maybe staying in the
zone at the timeout. The way it played out it probably didn’t matter
because of how he drove into the lane deep. He missed the lay-up and
Assane Sene came across. I’ll have to look at the tape and see if he
had a legitimate chance to block the shot or if he should have maybe
stayed at home to block out. It is a mad dash at the end of the game. We
got him to miss, but obviously the ball rebounded at the right spot and
there was nobody there to get a body on him.”

On playing without Mike Scott:
“I thought the guys stepped up. We got good looks from Jontel Evans
and Jeff Jones. They gave us nice lifts. When Mike is in there, it gives
a little more of an inside scoring presence and some rebounding. That
affected us, but the guys responded well and we had a chance to get it
done. It allowed them to key on Sylven Landesberg and collapse on him in
the second half. We were predominately trying to score off the dribble
or get some screens for some mid range shots and three-pointers. We
didn’t have a lot of post up action tonight. I thought the players
handled it well without him.”

On the foul situation:
“We had some foul trouble early. That is why you always have to be
ready when called upon. Guys did a good job at giving us lifts. I
thought we had some good looks for Will Sherrill. He just didn*t seem
to be able to knock them down. There were chances out there. They
didn*t just fall apart. I’ll take that as a positive and we’ll
address the areas with the breakdowns.”

On Sammy Zeglinski’s confidence:
“They tried to ice him and he stepped up. He made all three free
throws to put us in that spot. That was good to see. I thought Jeff
Jones passed up a good look on that play. I’ll have to look at the
tape to see how hard he got hit, but that should give him some
confidence when he steps to the line. That isn’t easy to do, especially
when they call a timeout.”

On first half defense:
“It was okay, but we have to keep working. That is a never ending
process. We have to keep making adjustments. It compromised our defense
when they would get some deep in the lane. They would roll guys back on
the other side and we were playing catch up. When their feet were set
when they shot it was hard to stop them. We have to keep working on
that. It is hard when they have four guards. We tried to switch when we
could. We couldn*t corral the ball when the five man would set the
ball screen. That put us behind and made us chase.”

On the upcoming break for exams:
“They have to lock in and prepare for their exams. It is no easy task
at Virginia. They will get as ready as they can for that. We’ll give
them a couple days off and then we will carve out some practice times.
When we practice, it is all business. Hopefully it will be a good time
to heal for Mike and everybody else. We’ve been playing a lot of games
in a short amount of time. This was actually our longest break in
between games leading up to the Auburn game. I thought offensively we
were able to do some things early on to get some good shots. We will
keep addressing those things and the defensive end.”
Virginia Sophomore Guard Sylven Landesberg

On Auburn*s 2nd half adjustments:
“I wasn*t getting good looks. We were moving a lot in the offense,
a lot of ball movement. Everyone was getting good shots. In the second
half, they started collapsing on me more so it got tougher.”

On last two losses:
“I think we are building up a fighting spirit. We were down eight
with four minutes left, but it didn*t turn out the way we wanted. If we
keep playing like this, games will start going our way.”

On Jontel Evans* improvement:
“He's fast, he's strong and he's tough to contain. He can get
to where he wants on the court, so I wasn*t surprised at all when he
made those moves.”

On playing 35 minutes:
"I don't think I was tired at all. I felt pretty good on both ends.
I don't think that was much of a factor."