London’s 1st task: Recruit more talent
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: December 9, 2009
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The legendary Bear Bryant once told this columnist that there really weren’t any secrets to winning, but there was one thing that is absolutely necessary: talented players.

Bryant had a favorite expression that summed up his philosophy.

“Did you ever see a jackass win the Kentucky Derby?” The Bear used to say. “Thoroughbreds, son, thoroughbreds.”

Bill Dooley, who won at North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, used to have a favorite saying as well when he talked about building winning football programs.

“Recruiting is the lifeblood of any successful football program,” Dooley used to say.

Top priority

Thusly, we now come to new Virginia head football coach Mike London’s biggest challenge: recruiting.

There is some talent in the program he inherited, but not an abundance, thus the 3-9 record that led to a coaching change and London’s sudden arrival.

Certainly, London is familiar with the culture of UVa football and recruiting by having spent six years of his career in Charlottesville in two separate stints. He was on former head coach Al Groh’s first staff, lured away from Tom O’Brien’s staff at Boston College as the Cavaliers’ defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.

His second stint was as defensive coordinator, but he worked hard as a recruiter as well.

Having received a strong endorsement from the Virginia High School Coaches Association has already opened the door for London and his soon-to-be hired new UVa coaching staff. The Cavaliers have lagged behind in recruiting efforts this past year, partly due to the anticipated coaching change.

Looking up at Tech

Still, Virginia Tech has ruled the state in recruiting for quite some time now, a fact that London must change in order for Virginia to become competitive once again.

“I am a product of — and I’ll use it as the kids say — 7-5-7,” London said of his roots in the talent-rich Tidewater area. “I want to make sure that we connect with the high school coaches here in the state of Virginia. This is a great place.

“My coaching stints have allowed me to recruit every area of this state,” continued the Hampton native, who has also worked at the University of Richmond and William & Mary during his career. “I know we’ve got to do a better job in recruiting the in-state players, but we’ll do that, because 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 said he is big on developing relationships with his players with an open-door policy. He believes that if a coach shows he cares, then players will run through walls for that coach, something he hopes will help lure some of the state’s best talent to Charlottesville.

“I think that we have to recapture the state of Virginia, make ourselves accessible to the coaches of Virginia — the high school coaches, particularly,” London said. “Go into those schools and then go into the communities also. I think that’s critical because a lot of young kids grow up seeing somebody at the boy’s clubs or local organizations ... they grow up and they want to be just like so-and-so.

“Well, so-and-so is at the other school. There are a number of things you can do with the coaches in those communities, the pee-wee league coaches, those individuals that have an influence on those young men,” London continued. “And unless you show you have an interest in going into their community, then why would they have an interest in coming to yours?”

London believes that by getting his staff and getting UVa face time in those schools, in those communities, will have an impact on the program’s perception in those places.

He has a saying, too.

“People don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care,” London said.

Perhaps not as colorful as Bear Bryant’s, but it is a good first step in trying to turn the tide on state recruiting, one community at a time.
 

White: Football Schedules Coming into Focus
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 12/08/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As Mike London starts rebuilding a football program that's lost 16 of its past 24 games, UVa's new coach has a good idea which opponents his team will face in coming seasons.

Non-conference opponents on future UVa schedules include Southern California, Southern Mississippi, TCU, Penn State and UCLA.

In the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision, the regular season consists of 12 games. In UVa's case, that means eight ACC and four out-of-conference games.

Dates have yet to be set, and some games must be added, but the Cavaliers' schedules for the next six seasons are taking shape.

Here are the Wahoos' confirmed non-conference games during that span:

2010: Eastern Michigan, Richmond, Virginia Military Institute at home; Southern California on the road.

UVa opens the season against UR, London's former team, Sept. 4 at Scott Stadium. Virginia visits USC in Los Angeles a week later.

2011: Idaho, William and Mary, Southern Miss at home; Indiana on the road.

2012: Penn State and Richmond at home; TCU on the road.

2013: Penn State on the road.

2014: Richmond and UCLA at home.

2015: William and Mary at home; UCLA on the road.

UVa's ACC schedules during that span:

2010: Maryland, North Carolina, Florida State, Miami at home; Duke, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech on the road.

2011: Duke, N.C. State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech at home; Maryland, UNC, FSU, Miami on the road.

2012: Maryland, Wake Forest, UNC, Miami at home; N.C. State, Georgia Tech, Duke, Virginia Tech on the road.

2013: Clemson, Georgia Tech, Duke, Virginia Tech at home; Maryland, Wake, UNC, Miami on the road.

2014: Maryland, BC, UNC, Miami at home; Clemson, Georgia Tech, Duke, Virginia Tech on the road.

2015: FSU, Georgia Tech, Duke, Virginia Tech at home; Maryland, BC, UNC, Miami on the road.

 

Some Numbers to Ponder
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 12/08/2009
Dec. 8, 2009
2:28 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- In his final season as UVa's football coach, Al Groh played 14 true freshmen.

Only one other time in his tenure did Groh play so many newcomers -- in 2002, his second season.

Fourteen true freshmen saw action that year, too, and the newcomers helped the Cavaliers finish 9-5.

UVa went 3-9 this season.

One of the true freshmen who played this year, tailback Dominique Wallace, suffered a season-ending foot injury in the third game.

Wallace is expected to get the year of eligibility back because of his medical hardship.

Here's how other true freshmen's participation breaks down by plays and games:

-- WR Tim Smith, 318 plays (317 on offense/1 on special teams) in 11 games

-- TB Perry Jones, 205 (25 on offense/180 on special teams) in 11 games

-- LB Tucker Windle, 159 (85 on defense/74 on special teams) in 8 games

-- DB LaRoy Reynolds, 98 (all on special teams) in 10 games

-- OL Oday Aboushi, 95 (94 on offense/1 on special teams) in 6 games

-- WR Quintin Hunter, 89 (all on offense) in 9 games

-- DE Will Hill, 84 plays (19 on defense/65 on special teams) in 12 games

-- LB Connor McCartin, 69 (4 on defense/65 on special teams) in 5 games

-- DB LoVante Battle, 44 (all on special teams) in 7 games

-- TE Paul Freedman, 24 (all on offense) in 5 games

-- DB/KR Javanti Sparrow, 23 (all on special teams) in 4 games

-- *PK Drew Jarrett, 18 (all on special teams) in 8 games

-- **DB Corey Lillard, 10 (all on special teams) in 3 games

* Jarrett kicked extra points.

** Lillard played eight snaps in UVa's Oct. 3 win at North Carolina. He didn't play again until the penultimate game of the season. Lillard was in for one play against Clemson and one play versus Virginia Tech in the season finale a week later.

-- Jeff White

London quickly gets 1st recruit
By Norm Wood 247-4642
10:31 p.m. EST, December 8, 2009

When quarterback Michael Strauss arrived in Charlottesville on Saturday night for a visit to Virginia's campus, he had no idea he'd come face-to-face with the man that would convince him to play football for the Cavaliers.

By Sunday evening, Strauss had met new U.Va. coach Mike London, and the deal was sealed. In 20 minutes, Strauss knew enough about London to become his first commitment as coach of the Cavaliers.

Strauss already had heard plenty from his high school coach, Earl Sims, about U.Va. and London. Sims played linebacker from 1997-2001 for the Cavaliers and graduated from U.Va. London, a Bethel High graduate who was an assistant coach at U.Va. for six seasons, came to U.Va. in '01 as a defensive-line coach. Of course, getting the chance to meet London in person was a lot better than hearing secondhand stories.

"It was a surprise to meet coach London," said Strauss, who was recruited by Bob Price, the tight-ends coach and recruiting coordinator under former U.Va. coach Al Groh. "It was the highlight of the day.

"I was supposed to go up to a conference room (Sunday) to meet (U.Va. athletic director Craig) Littlepage. When we walked in the room, coach London was sitting there. He introduced himself and we talked for a while. It was like listening to coach Sims. I really felt comfortable with (London) because it was like I was hearing the same things I hear from coach Sims."

Strauss, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior at Gulliver Prep in Miami, is considered by many recruiting analysts to be among the nation's top 100 quarterbacks. He's the 13th commitment for U.Va.'s 2010 recruiting class.

While Strauss became London's first commitment at U.Va., Fork Union Military Academy offensive tackle Cody Wallace also has confirmed his commitment to the Cavaliers. Wallace, a 6-5, 265-pound recruit from Moorestown High in Moorestown, N.J., originally committed to U.Va. in June '08 before heading to FUMA this fall.

Feb. 3 will be the first day recruits can sign a letter of intent with a university. In addition to U.Va., Strauss has scholarship offers from Tulane, Alabama, Alabama-Birmingham, Buffalo, Western Michigan, Akron and Florida International.

Strauss, who passed for nearly 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns this season in Gulliver's shotgun spread offense, committed in late June to Tulane. He wasn't planning to visit any other schools unless an offer interested him. U.Va. offered around Thanksgiving, causing Strauss to ponder his options.

Strauss said he knew at the time U.Va. made the offer that there might be some turnover in the coaching staff. Sims made Strauss aware of the fact London, who was the coach at Richmond, would likely be a top candidate for the U.Va. job.

"I definitely have a great deal of respect for coach London," said Sims, who added he hasn't been in touch with London in a few years.

After the weekend and the meeting with London, Strauss knew he was in the right place.

"I wasn't going to commit anywhere unless I knew who the head coach was," Strauss said. "It happened to be that the new head coach was (at U.Va.) when I was there. After talking to him, I wanted to play for him."

 

QB Strauss commits to Virginia
By The Daily Progress Staff
Published: December 9, 2009
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What former players said about Mike London and what current players echoed the day of his hiring essentially helped the new Virginia coach land his first commitment.

Michael Strauss, a three-star (out of five) quarterback from Miami, verbally committed to London and the Cavaliers on Monday after taking a well-timed unofficial visit to the school.

A one-time commitment to Tulane, the 6-foot-3, 208-pound signal caller had a direct connection to the Virginia football program — his coach at Gulliver Prep, former Cavaliers defensive end Earl Sims, played at UVa while London served as an assistant coach.

With the addition of a quarterback to the upcoming class fills a pressing need, Strauss, who was offered a scholarship by former UVa coach Al Groh, fits the bill for what was desired — a pro-style quarterback. He is currently ranked as the nation’s 42nd-best quarterback by one recruiting service, and he picked Virginia over offers Tulane, Alabama and a host of schools in the Mid-American Conference.

Over the past two seasons, Strauss passed for over 6,000 yards and over 60 touchdowns.

Strauss was recruited directly by former defensive line coach Chad Wilt, who raved about the quarterback after watching him in person the night prior to the Cavaliers’ game at Miami.

“He is the real deal,” Wilt said.

Strauss, who is attempting to enroll in January to join spring practice, is the 13th commitment in place for Virginia and the only quarterback in the class. Tyler Brosius of Waynesville, N.C., had previously committed to UVa before switching to N.C. State.
 

UVa football notebook: Diversity groups applaud UVa hire
By Doug Doughty | The Roanoke Times

Readers of "the nation's newspaper," USA Today, could turn to the sports section Tuesday and see a photo of new Virginia football coach Mike London atop the front page.

Virginia has slipped from the national stage while suffering losing records in three of the past four seasons, but the choice of London has been well-received by groups seeking diversity in college coaching.

London became the second black head coach in a Bowl Championship Series conference, joining Miami's Randy Shannon.

"I understand the significance of being an African-American -- or the second -- at a BCS school," London said. "That's a tremendous honor. And I don't look at it as a burden because people say, 'Well, you're going to be scrutinized more.'

"When you have seven kids, you're scrutinized all the time because every decision you make is not always popular with them. Isn't that right, Korben?"

Son Korben, sitting in the front row, nodded his head in affirmation.

"I always want it to be known that [Virginia] hired me because I'm the best candidate," London said. "You can talk about the historical significance of it. I don't think about it when I'm coaching. The players don't. The coaches don't because all that matters is how [the players] are playing or how I'm coaching them."

When NBC analyst Tony Dungy commented Sunday night that the shortage of black head coaches in college football was "disgraceful," host Bob Costas hastened to mention that Virginia was set to introduce London.

First commit

Michael Strauss, a 6-foot-3, 208-pound quarterback from Gulliver Prep in Miami, announced Monday that he will not follow through on an oral commitment to Tulane and will sign a letter-of-intent with Virginia.

Strauss, who passed for more than 2,900 yards and 29 touchdowns this past season, took an official visit to UVa this past weekend and saw London during his trip.

By then, UVa had requested permission to speak to London, who was on campus Sunday.

Top-ranked Alabama was one of eight Division I-A programs that had extended scholarship offers to Strauss, who had passed for 3,193 yards and 32 touchdowns as a junior.

The football coach at Gulliver Prep is Earl Sims, a linebacker on the 2001 Virginia team. London was the defensive-line coach on that UVa team, the first with Al Groh as head coach.

The Gulliver connection came back to haunt UVa this year, when Duke wide receivers Donovan Varner and Conner Vernon each had more than 100 yards in receptions in Duke's 28-17 victory in Charlottesville.

Odds 'n' ends

UVa athletic director Craig Littlepage said that school president John Casteen was traveling Monday and was "deeply disappointed that he could not rearrange his schedule to be with us today."

There were unconfirmed reports that Casteen was in London, of all places. Casteen will be retired by the time Mike London coaches his first game.

n Fork Union Military Academy coach John Shuman held a practice session for college coaches Tuesday and said that Virginia was represented by the Anthony Poindexter and Bob Price from the Groh staff but that London was occupied by transition matters in Charlottesville.

n The name most closely linked with the defensive coordinator post is Jim Reid, formerly the head coach at Richmond and VMI and currently the linebackers coach for the Miami Dolphins.

Longtime Richmond defensive-line coach and top Reid aide Jeff Hanson is seen as a likely UVa hire.

Update on UVa football staff

The word out of Morgantown, W.Va., is that West Virginia running backs coach Chris Beatty will be leaving to join Mike London's staff at Virginia, but that's not what I heard from Beatty on Tuesday night.

"I think it's kind of logical," said Beatty, formerly the head coach at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, as well as the offensive coordinator at Hampton University.

"Mike and I are friends, [but] I have not talked to Mike."

As to whether he might have discussed the Virginia situation with a third party, Beatty responded, "I have not."

UVA NOTES: Evans’ left leaves a big impression
By Whitey Reid
Published: December 9, 2009
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AUBURN, Ala. — Using the opposite hand to shoot layups on drives to the hoop is a lost art for most players.

Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to have been lost on Virginia freshman guard Jontel “Bub” Evans.

In Virginia’s tough 68-67 loss at Auburn on Monday night, the former Bethel High (Hampton) standout showed off his left hand — a vital skill for smallish players.

“Ever since I was little, my dad used to always make me practice my left hand,” Evans said. “It’s just always stuck with me.”

Against Auburn, Evans played his most minutes (18) since the season opener against Longwood — and he produced. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder scored four points and dished out a career-high five assists.

On two separate occasions, Evans drove the ball right into the teeth of the Tiger defense and finished the play with left-handed layups.

“He’s fast and he’s strong — he’s tough to contain,” said Virginia guard Sylven Landesberg. “He can really get to where he wants on the court, so I wasn’t surprised at all when he made those moves.”

Evans, who also had three steals and didn’t commit any turnovers, was the first man off the bench for Virginia, ahead of senior Calvin Baker. Evans replaced junior Mustapha Farrakhan, with whom Bennett seems to be losing patience.

Evans said he just wants to build on his strong performance.

“I knew that I could always do it,” he said. “The coaches and players have made me fee real comfortable with the offense and stuff.

“Coach gave me the opportunity, and I just took it and ran with it and made the best out of it.”

Evans said the team’s spirits are OK.

“I know some of the guys are really disappointed by the loss,” he said, “but we’re going to stay in the gym, get shots up and just try and build off it.”

Ice Man

Late in the game, Virginia guard Sammy Zeglinski was like Val Kilmer’s “Ice Man” character from the movie “Top Gun.” The redshirt sophomore, who was extremely emotional after missing the last shot against Penn State the previous Monday, came through in the clutch against Auburn.

With Virginia trailing by two, Zeglinski showed no hesitation in taking a long 3-pointer with 7.7 seconds remaining. On the play, the Philadelphia was fouled, then calmly sank three free throws to give Virginia a brief one-point lead.

Auburn called timeout just before Zeglinski’s third free-throw attempt.

“They tried to ice him and he stepped up and made all three,” said Virginia coach Tony Bennett. “That was certainly good to see ...

“For him to knock down all three, that should give him some confidence. That’s not easy to do, especially when they call timeout.”

Worn down?

After Virginia’s loss, Auburn coach Jeff Lebo said that Landesberg, who played 35 minutes, seemed tired in the second half. Landsberg scored 17 points in the first half, but just three in the second.

“In the second half, he was a little bit more fatigued,” Lebo said. “I thought [guard] Frankie [Sullivan] was everywhere with him and just did a great job of defending him.”

Defense?

In the first half, Virginia held Auburn to 44 percent shooting. In the second half, the Tigers started taking the ball to the basket and shot 50 percent.

“We have to keep working,” Bennett said. “That is a never-ending process. We have to keep making adjustments.

“It compromised our defense when they would get so 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, it was hard to stop them.”

Hitting the books

With nearly two weeks off before the next game against UNC Wilmington on Dec. 19, Bennett said it’s time to really focus — off the court.

“They have to lock in and prepare for their exams,” he said. “It’s no easy task at Virginia. They will get as ready as they can for that. We’ll give them a couple of days off and then we will carve out some practice times.”
 

Cavaliers throttle Paladins
By Jay Jenkins
Published: December 9, 2009
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Fans sitting in the rows behind Virginia’s bench did a double take.

Despite the lopsided 19-point margin that the Cavaliers enjoyed on the scoreboard, coach Debbie Ryan screamed at a decibel level that left those in awe.

The message during a 30-second timeout obviously reached its target — No. 19 Virginia regained its form as the lineup was shuffled and went on to complete its trouncing of Furman, 74-43, at John Paul Jones Arena.

“I was just really mad,” Ryan said. “I am not going to put up with that anymore. It is not happening. I don’t care if you are a first-year, second-year, third-year, it’s doesn’t matter to me.

“If you are not going to defend, you are not going to play.”

Virginia, which got 30 points and nine steals from Monica Wright, improved to 7-2 overall as a 12-day break for exams looms. Furman, from the Southern Conference, dropped to 2-8.

After the timeout that Ryan used to demand defensive intensity — which came with 12:50 left in the game — Virginia finished the contest on a 27-15 run.

That scoring spree, however, was clearly overshadowed by one that came in the opening half.

After Furman tied the game 8-8 on a layup by Kaitlin Murphy with 17:05 left, UVa exploded on offense and shined on the defensive end.

Wright started an impressive 22-0 run for the Cavaliers with back-to-back 3-pointers.

In all, Furman went almost 13 minutes without scoring a point and trailed 38-15 at halftime.

“No matter who you are playing, it’s hard to do, because everybody at this level can score,” Ryan said. “I was really pleased that we did a great job holding them scoreless for quite a long time.”

After losing 75-73 to James Madison on Sunday, Ryan spent Sunday’s practice session stressing the importance of defense.

Furman paid the price — the Lady Paladins were held to 32.7 percent shooting from the field (16 of 49) and turned the ball over 26 times.

“We spent a lot of time working on us as opposed to focusing on the scouting report,” Ryan said. “We really spent most of our time working on things that we had to work on.

“I think it paid some dividends. Most of the [four-minute segments were fairly well defended.”

Wright, who scored 20 points in the first half, had help offensively. Sophomore guard Whitny Edwards scored a career-best 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

“Coach just told us before the game to be aggressive, to try to get our feet in the paint as much as possible,” said Edwards, who added nine rebounds to help Virginia enjoy a 47-28 advantage on the glass.

“My teammates did a great job finding me on the fast break. Fortunately, my shots fell tonight.”

Freshman center Simone Egwu added 12 rebounds in the victory.

Raegan Thompson came in off the bench to pace Furman with nine points.

Virginia will not play again until it travels to Georgia on Dec. 20.
 

Perdue, Robison Tabbed ACC Performers of the Week
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 12/08/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Freshman swimmer Lauren Perdue has been tabbed the Atlantic Coast Conference women's performer of the week, while junior Scot Robison was named co-performer, the league office announced Tuesday.
Perdue won three individual events, helped five winning relay teams, and clinched a total of eight "B" cuts at the UVa Invitational, as the women scored 1,542 points and claimed first place out of five teams. Perdue set a pool record in the 100 freestyle with 49.46, and broke it again with a 49.08 leadoff split in the 400 free relay. The Greenville, N.C., native also helped the 800 freestyle relay team to set a pool record with a 7:12.80 performance. In addition, Perdue won the 50 freestyle (22.51), 200 freestyle (1:46.56), and helped guide the 200 freestyle (1:31.60), 400 freestyle (3:19.35), 200 medley (1:40.36), and 400 medley (3:51.64) winning relay teams. It was the second career honor for Perdue, who was also named the performer of the week on Nov. 10.
Robison, who shared the honor with Duke freshman diver Nick McCrory, won two individual events and helped four winning relay teams at the UVa Invitational, in which the men's team scored 1,561 points and finished first out of four teams. Robison took first place and clinched national qualifying "B" cuts in both the 50 freestyle (20.23) and the 100 butterfly (48.61). Additionally, the Charlotte, N.C., native helped guide the 200 freestyle (1:21.37), 400 freestyle (2:59.74), 800 freestyle (6:40.25) relay teams to first-place finishes. The 200, 400, and 800 freestyle relay squads each made "B" cuts, while the 200-yard medley relay team also finished first (1:31.65).
Virginia is back in action with a dual meet against Tennessee on January 9 at the Aquatic and Fitness Center.
 

Greer Named Freshman All-American By Two Publications, Highlighting UVa Selections
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 12/08/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - Three Virginia football players were named to Phil Steele's Postseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) football team, announced Tuesday, including linebacker Steve Greer who earned Freshman All-America accolades and also received an All-America nod from CollegeFootballNews.com.

Greer nabbed second team Freshman All-America honors from Phil Steele's postseason list and CollegeFootballNews.com, while also grabbing third team All-ACC recognition by the Phil Steele publication. Defensive tackle Nate Collins was named to the Phil Steele All-ACC first team, while cornerback Ras-I Dowling earned third-team accolades from the publication.

Phil Steele's College Football Preview is one of the nation's most informative preseason football magazines, while CollegeFootballNews.com is a comprehensive daily outlet for all of college football.

Greer led the UVa and all ACC freshmen in tackles with 92, earning All-ACC Honorable Mention honors. The Solon, Ohio native also ranked No. 5 among the nation's freshmen with his 92 stops, which included a career-high 14 tackles at Miami.

Collins emerged on the scene during his senior campaign by earning ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors following stellar career outings against then-No. 11 Georgia Tech and at Maryland. The Port Chester, N.Y., native finished the season ranked No. 5 in the ACC with 6.0 sacks, on his way to earning All-ACC first team honors and being named the Touchdown Club of Richmond's Defensive Lineman of the Year. A part-time starter a season ago, Collins started all 12 games and set a career high with 16 tackles against then-No. 11 Georgia Tech. Collins also snared his first career interception and returned it 32 yards for the go-ahead touchdown at Maryland. On the season Collins finished second on the team with 77 tackles.

Dowling, a junior, earned his second straight second team All-ACC nod, anchoring the ACC's No. 4 and the nation's No. 21 pass defense. The Chesapeake, Va., native finished the season ranked No. 6 in the ACC in passes defended (11) and No. 11 in interceptions (three). After recording a career-high nine tackles, including his first career sack, against Indiana, Dowling earned the ACC Defensive Back of the Week nod by the league. He also averaged 3.4 tackles per game and had two tackles for loss.