White: 'Hoos Hoping for Storybook Ending
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 12/12/2009
By Jeff White

CARY, N.C. -- The local forecast calls for rain Sunday, seemingly less-than-ideal conditions in which to determine an NCAA men's soccer champion.
UVa coach George Gelnovatch isn't complaining. His second-seeded Cavaliers (18-3-3) play top-seeded Akron (23-0-1) at 1 p.m., and he won't mind if it pours from start to finish during ESPN2's broadcast.
"We've been money in the rain, man, with the exception of Clemson," Gelnovatch said Saturday afternoon at WakeMed Soccer Park.
On a soggy Saturday night in late September, the Wahoos fell to the unheralded Tigers, 1-0, at Klöckner Stadium. It was a game UVa "absolutely should not have lost at home," Gelnovatch recalled, but the defeat taught him much about his team's character.
"We were all really disappointed," he said, "but nobody was looking at each other funny, nobody was pointing the finger, and we just showed up for business on Monday and just kept staying the course."
That loss came during a stretch of the season when the Wahoos struggled to score. Their defense has been superb all year -- they've allowed only eight goals -- but goals proved elusive early.
"It was discouraging at first, and we definitely got down on ourselves, but we saw little sparks every now and then, little pieces of what we were capable of," senior Neil Barlow said.
"So Coach kept telling us that if we could put those pieces together throughout a whole game, we could put something special together this year."
That's exactly what has happened. Virginia is unbeaten in its past 16 games, a streak that began five days after a double-overtime loss to North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
"I don't think we ever got too low," Gelnovatch said. "That's the great thing about this team. But I don't think there was any particular game where all of the sudden the switch went on. It was a gradual process for us. Certainly the Virginia Tech game on the road was one of the things I can reflect back on where the ship started to turn around a little."
In Blacksburg, the 'Hoos surrendered the game's first goal Oct. 17, then rallied to hammer the Hokies 3-1. After that, UVa started to convert shots into goals more often, and the victories began to pile up.
UVa won three games in Cary last month to capture the ACC tournament. In the NCAAs, the 'Hoos have outscored their four opponents 11-1.
And now, with one more triumph in 2009, they can add to the school's storied tradition in this sport. Under Bruce Arena, UVa won NCAA titles in 1989, '91, '92, '93 and '94.
Gelnovatch succeeded Arena in January 1996. In Gelnovatch's second season as coach, the Cavaliers reached the NCAA championship game, where they lost to UCLA.
He would not have believed then that 12 years would pass before UVa made it back to the NCAA final. The 'Hoos also advanced to the College Cup in 2006, but they lost to UCLA in the semifinals.
"It's just a reminder that winning's a tough business," Gelnovatch said. "You know, it's tough as heck to get to the College Cup, and once you get to the College Cup, it's tough as heck to get to the final. We're happy to be in that position right now."
T.J. Cyrus, a junior defender from Virginia Beach, said: "When you first commit to Virginia, you dream of going to the College Cup every year. And then you actually start playing college soccer, and you realize that it's tougher than it looks.
"Just by wearing the crest of Virginia, you're not going to get there every year ... So you enjoy it as a player, you relish it, but you also want to take advantage of it."
In 1994, UVa beat Indiana in the NCAA championship game. The Hoosiers' freshmen that season included one Caleb Porter, now Akron's head coach.
"Being at Indiana, certainly we didn't like the fact that [the Cavaliers] were winning [multiple] championships in a row," Porter said Saturday, "but we always respected them."
The Zips are seeking their first NCAA title. In 1986, they advanced to the championship game before losing to Duke.
When the College Cup opened Friday, Akron had an opportunity to become the first Division I men's soccer team in 35 years to finish with a flawless record. (NCAA champion Howard went 19-0 that year.)
The Akron-North Carolina semifinal, however, officially counts as a tie as for each squad. After 110 scoreless minutes Friday night, the teams went to penalty kicks, and the Zips prevailed 5-4.
UVa ousted defending champion Maryland in the quarterfinals and then eliminated Wake Forest in the semifinals. Had UNC advanced Friday night, then, Virginia would be preparing to meet an ACC foe for the third straight game.
Putting together a scouting report on the Zips on short notice is "a little more work, for sure," Gelnovatch said. "On other hand it's refreshing to play a new face, a new team, of the same caliber of our ACC [rivals]."
These schools haven't met in men's soccer since 1997. UVa's goalkeeper, though, has some knowledge of Akron's program.
In 2007, when Diego Restrepo played for the University of South Florida, he shut out the Zips in a double-overtime victory in the NCAA tournament's second round.
"The game before that, I had a shocker against Colgate," Restrepo recalled Saturday, "and one of [Akron's] coaches was there watching, and in the pregame he mentioned that I wasn't very good and stuff, and I actually came back and had the game of my life.
"So it was a good feeling. We played them in Akron, and it was an unbelievable environment. They were very good. I'll never forget that game, because it was a tough game."
Gelnovatch, 1987 graduate of UVa, was an assistant under Arena on the five teams that won NCAA titles.
Asked Saturday what it would mean for him to break through as head coach, Gelnovatch said, "To be perfectly honest with you, it's less on a personal level. I was a player in this program, I went to school here, I have a lot of pride in the University, in our athletic department and in the program. So winning championships -- ACC championships, national championships -- and just doing well and representing the University well, it means a lot to me.
"Winning a national championship would be the ultimate in pride for our school."
 

Virginia Faces Akron on Sunday for NCAA Championship
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 12/12/2009

CARY, N.C. - The UVa men's soccer team faces Akron in the 2009 NCAA Championship game Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN2, with J.P. Dellacamera and Kyle Martino calling the action.

Virginia (18-3-3) extended its unbeaten streak to 15 games and advanced to its first championship game since 1997 with a 2-1 victory over Wake Forest in the semifinal Friday night. Brian Ownby (Glen Allen, Va.) had the golden goal in the 93rd minute to send the Wahoos to the final.

Will Bates (Chester, Va.) leads the team with 12 goals and had a hat trick against Bucknell in the first round. He was a member of the ACC All-Tournament team, the All-ACC second team and the ACC All-Freshmen team.

First team All-America selection (NSCAA) Tony Tchani (Norfolk, Va.) had the Cavaliers' other goal, one-timing a rebounded shot by Jonathan Villanueva (Grand Prairie, Texas) into the back of the net for his eighth goal of the year.

Goalkeeper Diego Restrepo (West Palm Beach, Fla.) did allow a goal vs. the Demon Deacons, snapping a streak of 11-straight shutouts (a new UVa record and tied for the NCAA record). Restrepo also set a school record with a consecutive total of 1,176 minutes and 51 seconds of scoreless soccer. The Cavaliers are out-scoring their opponents in 2009, 37-8.

Virginia is making its 29th-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, dating back to 1981. That streak is the longest-active in the nation.

UVa holds a 51-25-4 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament, and has won five NCAA Championships (1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994).

Virginia's last appearance in the NCAA title game was in 1997 in Richmond, Va. The Cavaliers dropped a 2-0 contest to UCLA in that contest.

In all-time championship game appearances, Virginia holds a 4-1-1 record.

The teams have met three times and Akron holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series.

On Sept. 5, 1997, Virginia won 5-1 at the Coca-Cola Classic in Charlottesville, Va. Akron came up with two victories in the 1980 (1-0 on Oct. 12) and 1981 (2-1 on Oct. 4) regular seasons.

The Zips (23-0-1) are the No. 1 overall seed and unbeaten. Akron tied North Carolina in the semifinals, and advaned 5-4 on penalty kicks to the championship game.

Teal Bunbury leads the team with 17 goals and five assists, followed by Darlington Nagbe with 10 goals and three assists.

Goalkeeper David Meves has allowed seven goals in 24 games for a goals-against average of 0.29.
 

NCAA Championship Pregame Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 12/12/2009

University of Virginia
Head Coach George Gelnovatch

On facing an unfamiliar team after playing so many ACC opponents
“It’s a little bit more work for sure on one hand. On the other hand it’s refreshing. We’ll be playing a team of the same caliber of our ACC sisters.”

“Akron is a very worthy opponent. They would do very well in our league. I think the three games we played against Wake (Forest), the three games we played against Maryland, the game we played against Carolina – I think those games in our conference have prepared us for a game like that.”

“I have a lot of pride in the university, in our athletic department and in our program. Winning championships – ACC Championships, national championships – representing the university well, means a lot to us.”

On taking 12 years to get back to the national championship game
“It’s a reminder of how tough winning is. Winning is a tough business. Winning consistently is a tough business, winning at this level… It is tough as heck to get to the playoffs. It’s tough as heck to get to the College Cup. Once you get to the College Cup, it’s tough as heck to get to the final. We’re happy to be in this situation.”

Junior Forward Chase Neinken
On writing “15 Years” as Motivational Tool
“That was in our lockerroom at U Hall. Everyone comes to this school because of tradition and pride we get in putting on this jersey. It’s about bringing everyone back. We have alumni come all the time. It’s the pride you carry with coming to a school like Virginia. It’s taken a while to get back to the point we’re at today so we want to carry that as well as create some tradition of our own.”

Junior Goalkeeper Diego Restrepo
On knowing about Virginia’s tradition before transferring from USF
“I saw that they had five national championships and in the last 10 years 49 players went professional. I could tell what kind of program and coaches they had, and the facilities. Plus the school is the No. 1 public school in the country. You couldn’t ask for a better recipe.

Junior Defender T.J. Cyrus
On the College Cup experience
“When you first commit to Virginia, you dream of going to the College Cup every year. Then when you start actually playing college soccer you realize that it’s tougher than it looks. Just by wearing the crest at Virginia you’re not going to get there every year. Our coach told us last year at the ACC Finals that you have to appreciate every opportunity because you’re not going to get it every year. You enjoy it as a player, you relish it, but you also want to take advantage of it.”
________________________________________
University of Akron
Head Coach Caleb Porter
On being in the national championship
“It has been a great journey. We are really happy to be here and we have a big game ahead of us tomorrow. We are pleased more than anything to be in the National Championship game.”

Reflecting on last night’s game
”We’ve pretty much moved on from the game. We are focused on the game tomorrow and I personally am focused on physically turning around our team. We’ve also watched as a staff tape of Virginia and will introduce our team to them this evening. I think we played well. We could’ve had more of a killer instinct but going down helped them to be disciplined and good on the counter attack. We played defensively well also. In the end we moved on to the championship game and are not focused on that.”

On not scoring in regulation/overtime
”I don’t think it was frustrating. They were patient and needed only one play to win the game. We had chances but we were a touch off and a couple of times we got behind their back line. Lloyd put out a lot fires back there. We didn’t get a goal but we didn’t give up a goal.”

On UVA
”They are very talented. They play a different style defensively. They’ve allowed eight goals all year long because they’ve bought into the defense. I give credit to George Gelnovatch and the leadership. They can play.”

What a National Championship would mean
”It would mean a lot. I’d love to win it each and every year. It’s been a dream for a long time. We are going to go out there and have fun.”

Junior Midfielder Blair Gavin
On the process of PK
”I look at what the goalie does and react to him. I see the tendencies of the goalkeeper.”
 

Cavaliers face Akron for NCAA soccer title
By Michael Phillips
Published: December 13, 2009
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CARY, N.C. -- Following soccer tradition, the crest that Virginia's players wear on their team gear is ringed by five stars -- one for each national championship the school has won.

This afternoon, the Cavaliers have the opportunity to win a sixth as they face Akron in the championship game of the College Cup. The most recent star was added more than a decade ago.

"When you first commit to Virginia, you dream of going to the College Cup every year," junior T.J. Cyrus said. "Then you start playing college soccer, and you realize it's tougher than it looks."

U.Va. coach George Gelnovatch is also chasing his first title as a head coach. He steered the team to a title-game loss in 1997, his second year on the job, but hasn't returned since.

"It's just a reminder that winning is a tough business," Gelnovatch said. "It's tough as heck to get into the playoffs. It's tough as heck to get to the College Cup. And once you get to the College Cup, it's tough as heck to win it."

The job won't get any easier today for No. 2 Virginia, which will face No. 1-ranked Akron in the title match.

The Zips enter the game 23-0-1, with the "tie" being their penalty-kick victory against North Carolina in the semifinals. A game that goes to a shootout is considered a tie for scoring purposes.

Akron boasts the No. 1 offense in college soccer, while Virginia enters with the top-ranked defense. The two teams didn't face each other this season.

"It's a little bit more work, for sure," Gelnovatch said. "On the other hand, it's refreshing to play a new face, a new team -- all of the same caliber as our ACC sisters."

The coach kept things light in practice yesterday, with Friday's starters excused from the activities. Cavs goaltender Diego Restrepo was on hand. He faced the Zips in the NCAA tournament when he was playing for South Florida.

He told the story yesterday of the 2007 season, when he was with the Bulls. He played sluggishly as his team beat Colgate 2-1 in the opening round of the tournament.

"One of [Akron's] coaches was there watching, and in his pregame he mentioned that I wasn't very good and stuff," Restrepo said. "I came back and had the game of my life."

USF beat Akron 1-0 in two overtimes in that game.

On what is forecast to be a rainy day here in Cary, Restrepo could take center stage again if the game goes into penalty kicks.

Restrepo watched Friday's shootout with more than a bit of interest. Getting an advance look at the Akron shooters could help, he said. Even so, he said the key for a goaltender in a penalty-kick situation is to wait as long as possible, to see if the shooter reveals his chosen direction.

Similarly, that's how Akron feels. Zips standout Blair Gavin has gone 6-for-6 on penalty kicks this year, adjusting his direction as he gets a read from the keeper.

"I have a slow approach, and it's tough (for the keeper) to stand there for a while," he said.

The Zips are trying to build a soccer history of their own with 34-year-old coach Caleb Porter. This is the team's second title-game appearance, the other coming in 1986. No Zips team has won a national title in any sport.

Porter entered the media room yesterday with a Starbucks cup in his hand unaware of the NCAA's disapproval on non-sponsored beverages. He remembered losing to Virginia in the Cup finals when he was a freshman at Indiana in 1994.

Those were championship times for U.Va. soccer, and now this year's squad can add another layer of sheen to the tradition in Charlottesville.

"We have alumni come in all the time you see Bruce (Arena) and Claudio (Reyna), and it's just the pride you carry coming to a school like Virginia," junior Chase Neinken said. "We want to carry that on, as well as create some tradition of our own."

Zips, Cavaliers battle for Cup today
BY BRIAN CONLIN - Staff Writer
Tags: college cup | ncaa | soccer | sports

CARY -- For the second consecutive year, the ACC put three teams into the NCAA Men's College Cup. This year, Akron joined the ACC's party, but the Zips aren't exactly crashers.

Akron takes a 23-0-1 record to the College Cup, but most of those wins came outside the ACC, a conference that has put at least two teams among the final four each year since 2004.

"I don't see us as an inferior team," Akron coach Caleb Porter said Saturday. "Over the last couple of years, we've been competitive against the top teams in the country, not playing cupcakes."

This year, Akron played the toughest teams it could schedule, Porter said. Akron shut out all three teams it played that ranked 15th or higher.

Akron, the No. 1 team in the country in the Soccer America and NSCAA polls, was perfect heading into Friday's match, then it received the only blemish on its record, advancing on penalty kicks (5-4) past North Carolina, which was ranked fourth in the NSCAA poll.

If anyone thought that the Zips were only as good as their conference, Friday's game delivered proof they belong in the championship game.

"For the people who haven't necessarily followed our team, I think the perception was we had a padded schedule," Porter said. "We've come this weekend thinking we're the team to beat."

Akron's final test comes at 1 p.m. today against Virginia, winner of this year's ACC Tournament. Having played six of its past eight games against ACC teams, Virginia will take to the championship a defense that has given up one goal since Oct. 17 and carries respect for its unfamiliar opponent.

"It's refreshing to play a new face, a new team of the same caliber of our ACC sisters," coach George Gelnovatch said.

Virginia and Akron last played each other in 1997, a 5-1 win by Virginia, incidentally the last year the Cavaliers played for the national championship. Even though it's been 12 years, one player on Virginia's roster can bring some insight to Akron's game.

Cavaliers goalkeeper Diego Restrepo played with Akron's Blair Gavin and Anthony Ampaipitakwong on an offseason team and said both are strong players. Restrepo also remembers Akron from the 2007 NCAA Tournament when he was with South Florida before transferring to Virginia.

In the first round, Restrepo was in goal against Colgate. In the 54th minute, he got his hands on a knuckling ball shot from 40 yards out, but the ball slipped through and into the net for the only goal against him. South Florida went on to win that match 2-1 and face Akron in the second round.

Virginia would love for Restrepo to duplicate his past performance against Akron. In the second-round match, Restrepo held the Zips scoreless for 101 minutes and 52 seconds and made 10 saves, including several diving and jumping ones.

Restrepo again will have to be on his game. Akron averages 2.42 goals a game, the top scoring offense in the country.

Regardless of who wins or loses today, both coaches said that they're happy to be playing for the championship. Gelnovatch got to the final his second year as coach at Virginia and hasn't been back since.

"Winning is a tough business," Gelnovatch said. "It's tough as heck to get to the playoffs. It's tough as heck to get to the College Cup. Once you get to the College Cup, it's tough as heck to get to the final."
 

Cavaliers face Zips for NCAA crown
Associated Press
Published: December 13, 2009
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CARY, N.C. — The men’s soccer programs at Akron and Virginia have little in common from a tradition standpoint.

But as the top two teams in the country, they share some striking similarities this season. The top-seeded Zips (23-0-1) and second-seeded Cavaliers (18-3-3) will play for the NCAA Men’s College Cup championship today at 1 p.m.

“They’re a very worthy opponent and would do well in our league,” Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. “I think the three games we played against Wake Forest, the three games we played against Maryland, the game we played against North Carolina, those games in our conference prepare us for a game like this. I feel like we’re playing an ACC-caliber team, and we’re prepared for that.”

The Zips, champions of the Mid-American Conference and ranked No. 1 in the nation since early September, have proven that they belong. They made their presence known in an otherwise all-ACC affair, eliminating No. 5 seeded North Carolina on penalty kicks in Friday’s semifinal round.

The Cavaliers, unbeaten in their last 15 matches, advanced with a 2-1 overtime victory over league rival Wake Forest. While Virginia has won five NCAA championships in 10 College Cup appearances, Akron has reached the final four for just the second time. Still, the Zips don’t feel like underdogs.

“I don’t see us as an inferior team, even though I have a lot of respect for all these teams here,” Akron coach Caleb Porter said. “The last several years, we’ve been competitive against the top teams in the country and have not played a cupcake schedule. ... We’ve gone into this weekend thinking we’re the team to beat.”

Akron’s previous trip to the College Cup ended with a 1-0 loss to ACC foe Duke in the 1986 championship game, but Porter has encountered the Cavaliers on this stage before. He was a freshman midfielder on the Indiana team that lost to Virginia 1-0 in the 1994 national championship game.

That was Virginia’s last of four consecutive NCAA titles — and its last overall. The Cavaliers returned to the College Cup final in 1997, but this year marks their first trip back to the championship game since.

“Everyone comes to this school because of the tradition and the pride that we get with putting on the jersey,” Virginia forward Chase Neinken said. “It’s taken awhile for us to get back to the point we’re at today, so we just want to carry that as well as create some tradition of our own.”

It won’t be easy against Akron, which leads the nation in scoring (2.4 goals per game), goals-against average (0.29) and shutouts (18). But Virginia has been nearly as stingy. The Cavaliers (0.32 GAA) have recorded 16 shutouts, allowing just one goal over their last 12 matches.

Plus, Virginia goalkeeper Diego Restrepo knows a little bit about beating Akron in the postseason. When he played at South Florida in 2007, Restrepo made 10 saves in the Bulls’ 1-0 double-overtime win over the Zips in the NCAA second round.

“I’ll never forget that moment because it was a tough game, and I gained encouragement from that game,” Restrepo said.

The Zips are looking for an even bigger boost against Restrepo this time around. They already have set a school record for wins and tied the NCAA record for consecutive victories in a season, but their goal is to win their school’s first NCAA team championship.

“This program, with Caleb’s vision and the players we’ve brought in, has really come into sight now,” Akron midfielder Blair Gavin said. “I think this is one of many to come for this program. This is like the stepping stone.”
 

Cavs motivated by skeptics
UVa players felt slighted by their preseason ranking and no first-team All-ACC laurels.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CARY, N.C. -- Somewhere along the line, somebody must have gotten the idea that Virginia's storied men's soccer program had turned into chopped liver.

The Cavaliers won four consecutive national championships in the 1990s and played in the College Cup, soccer's version of the Final Four, as recently as 2006. However, when the preseason rankings were released this year, the Cavaliers were picked 22nd by College Soccer News and went unranked by the coaches' association.

Maybe some of those same coaches participated in voting for the All-ACC team. There wasn't a Virginia player on the first team.

Wake Forest had four first-team selections but that didn't make any difference Friday night, when Brian Ownby's goal in the third minute of sudden death lifted the Cavaliers past the Deacons, 2-1, in the College Cup semifinals at WakeMed Soccer Park.

Virginia (18-3-3) advanced to the NCAA championship game today at 1 p.m. against top-ranked Akron (23-0-1). An all-ACC final was avoided when top-ranked Akron defeated North Carolina 5-4 on penalty kicks.

Neither team scored in regulation or two 10-minute overtimes.

The Zips are led by Teal Bunbury, a sophomore forward who has scored 17 goals and was named first-team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Virginia sophomore midfielder Tony Tchani also made the first team, belated recognition for a UVa team that is 12-0-3 over the last 15 games.

Tchani, from Cameroon by way of Norfolk's Maury High School, was one of four UVa players to make second-team All-ACC. Joining him were senior midfielder Neil Barlow, freshman Will Bates and senior midfielder Ross LaBauex.

Virginia hasn't had a first-team selection since 2006.

"I have no idea why that is," senior midfielder Jonathan Villanueva said, "We obviously have a rich tradition and continuously have produced players who have gone on to [Major League Soccer]."

Junior goalie Diego Restrepo entered play Friday with the lowest goals-against average (0.29) in Division I and had not given up a goal in more than 11 games but didn't even make the All-ACC second team.

Neither did Villanueva, who made his 75th career start Friday night and assisted on both UVa goals. At least one service rated him the nation's No. 1 prospect when he came out of Grand Prairie, Texas, in 2006, but he has never made first- or second-team All-ACC.

"I feel like my college career has been a success," said Villanueva, who said he appreciated his selection as the nation's top prospect and never considered it a burden. "It's two College Cups now and going to the NCAA final. I feel like I've had a pretty decent career by any stretch of the imagination."

Nevertheless, Villanueva said the Cavaliers felt a need to prove the preseason pollsters wrong.

"Absolutely," he said. "Given the players who were returning, we didn't understand why we were unranked or [picked] so low. We used that as motivation."

Wake Forest (17-4-3) was picked third in both preseason polls and got as high as No. 1 before the Deacons were knocked off by then-No. 17 Virginia 1-0 in mid-September in Winston-Salem.

"They're right when they say it's hard to beat a team three times," Villanueva said. "We had to do it with Wake and with [preseason-No. 5] Maryland. Those are both big rivals."

Moreover, Maryland was the reigning national champion. Virginia was ousted by visiting Connecticut 2-0 in the second round of the 2008 NCAA tournament, but at least the Cavaliers made the NCAA field.

Virginia is playing in the Division I men's soccer tournament for the 29th straight year, the longest active streak, not that it was a given.

"We went 0-3 in the preseason," Restrepo pointed out to a reporter Friday. "So, you can see how far we've come."

Inspiring new U.Va. coach London is man of the people
By David Teel 247-4636
December 13, 2009

Scot Riddell never played a snap for Mike London. Not one.

But when the University of Richmond's football season ended Dec. 5, Riddell, a senior wide receiver, approached London in the coaches' dressing room at UR Stadium.

"Thank you," Riddell said as the two embraced. "I love you."

Several days later, the sting of the Spiders' playoff loss to Appalachian State still fresh, the news of London's subsequent move to the University of Virginia still percolating, Riddell reflected on the moment.

"We've all seen our share of coaches," he said, "and it's rare to find one who genuinely, genuinely cares about his players in all aspects of their lives. I said I loved him, and I meant it."

Talk to his players. Talk to his family and colleagues. Talk to London himself.

All will tell you that the man charged with rebuilding Virginia's tattered program is about people first.

Yes, zone blitzes, talent evaluation and fourth-and-goal calls are critical. But they are secondary to relationships.

"I could tell you stories about the players who have tragic situations in their lives, their personal lives," London said. "After you develop that closeness, they're willing to open the door, so to speak, to what their issues may be. …

"That provides an opportunity for you not to fix it, but to at least provide an avenue where they can go get an answer. And when they get that answer … they'll run through a wall for you."

Riddell wanted to run through that wall. He found London's energy, passion and devotion "indescribable" and a refreshing contrast to former coach Dave Clawson, whose record was sterling and manner more detached.

But as the Spiders trained for London's head-coaching debut in August 2008, Riddell tore the labrum in his left shoulder. He required surgery, and his redshirt junior season was over.

Riddell watched from the sidelines as London guided Richmond, his alma mater, to the Championship Subdivision's national title. His injury healed, Riddell vowed to contribute in 2009.

Days before the season opener at Duke, he tore the labrum in his right shoulder. He required surgery, and his career was over.

Not in London's mind. He met with Riddell each Monday and urged him to define his UR years not by football but by education.

As the season progressed, and as Riddell worked toward a double-major in business administration and communications, the two shared more and more.

Riddell revealed his father's eight-year battle against cancer. He described struggling to balance the demands of college with the obligations to family, especially after his father's death in 2006.

London spoke of his daughter Ticynn's rare blood disorder and the unbridled fear it caused his family. He recounted the privilege of donating bone marrow to Ticynn and the joy of watching her recover.

Riddell's story resonates with Marcus Hardy.

Hardy was a backup linebacker at Virginia when London became the Cavaliers' defensive line coach in 2001. Later moved to tight end, he rarely played and never connected with head coach Al Groh.

Throughout, Hardy sought London's counsel. He earned his Virginia degree in urban planning and in 2004 played his final season at Hampton University.

Only after he arrived at HU did Hardy learn that London had contacted then-Pirates coach Joe Taylor on his behalf. The call was unsolicited.

"He motivates guys to play for him," said Hardy, a Richmond school teacher. "He was hard, now. He was 100 percent real and he told you like it was.

"But at the end of the day, it was about more than X's and O's with him. It was about people, and it didn't matter if you were black, white, offense, defense, from Hampton Roads or Kentucky, he was just that way with everybody. He cared about you as a person rather than just as a player."

A graduate of Hampton's Bethel High, London honed his people skills on the streets of Richmond, where in the late 1980s he worked as a detective.

"You can defuse so many situations by communicating with people," he said.

London's wife, Regina, said he applies the same philosophy to family and their four young children. While many coaches bunk at the office or keep otherwise inhuman hours, London heads home at a reasonable time. He insists that his staff do likewise.

"The kids are very supportive because they know there's that block of time when he is coaching," Regina said. "But he always takes time for them, and whether it's a half an hour or two days, they make the most of that time. Sometimes for him it may be hard, but we understand."

Ticynn's story, often told, changed London profoundly.

His zest for everyday life? Off the charts.

His sense of priorities? Reordered to make family paramount.

"I think going through that whole process made him a better person," Regina said.

And why make that experience public?

"He felt he needed to tell that story, we felt he did, because we were very blessed with our daughter, who's been very healthy ever since," Regina said. "We want to share that story. It's not to make him look good or whatever. It's because it's just real."

Ticynn is 13 and lives a full childhood. She was front-row center, beaming, when her dad was introduced as Richmond's coach two years ago, as she was Monday at his Virginia unveiling.

And now she's old enough to grasp what her dad did April 29, 2003, at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

"She does understand it," Regina said. "She also knows that they have that bond. She knows that he was there for her, and maybe sometimes she uses it to her advantage a little bit because he has a soft spot for her.

"She went through a lot; they went through a lot. I wouldn't say he's more bonded to her, but theirs is a very personal connection."

But don't believe for a moment that the indulgent father translates to a lenient coach.

Paul London, Mike's younger brother and a former Virginia defensive back, saw the jagged edge in 2005, when Mike was the Houston Texans' defensive line coach.

In Week 2 of that season, Paul attended the Texans' home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger and running back Willie Parker shredded Houston's defense in a 27-7 blowout.

"He was (nearly) in tears because they had played so badly," said Paul, the finance manager at a Hampton automobile dealership. "He was apologizing to me. He really takes it personally, the success and failure of his players and teams. It shows how much it means to him."

London spent much of that bleak evening reconnecting with Virginia players he had coached the previous season as Groh's defensive line assistant. The Cavaliers had won at Syracuse the previous afternoon.

"What a lot of people don't realize is that Mike retained a relationship with a lot of (Virginia) players," said Jon Oliver, the school's executive associate athletic director.

But relationships, or as London says, investing in individuals, go only so far.

He was reminded as much in 2005 when the Texans went 2-14, prompting the dismissal of coach Dom Capers and his staff. He knew as much from working at Boston College, where the Eagles were 4-7 in 1997 and '98.

As three losing records in the last four years, and a 3-9 finish this season show, Virginia needs a talent transfusion. Indeed, the Cavaliers are the antithesis of the national semifinalists London inherited from Clawson at Richmond.

Still, Hardy believes Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage hired wisely.

"He's personable and charismatic," Hardy said. "He's firm, but he's fair. He's open and honest. He just has all the qualities of a great coach."

"Obviously … I'm biased," Paul London said. "But it all starts with recruiting, and I think my brother was absolutely the perfect choice because of his ties in-state and to (Hampton Roads) especially. Once (he) gets the players there, then it's up to (him) to coach 'em up.

"The program will have to take baby steps. It won't be an immediate turnaround."

London, 49, understands the scope of the challenge.

He considers himself a caretaker of U.Va.'s football and academic interests, and if past is prologue, he will yell and scream, fist-pump and chest-bump, teach and advise.

"When I was 6 years old I wore out the wheels on my tricycle," London said. "That's where the energy comes from. I'm always passionate and energetic about what I do. …

"I wear my emotions on my sleeve, and I'm proud of it. I was telling Coach Littlepage, when we won the championship, I was jumping up and down with the players and somebody said, 'Coach, you know, you gotta act like you've been there.' That's just it, I hadn't been there."

London hasn't been in charge of a major-college program, either.

"You make a lot of tough decisions," he said. "You pray for wisdom and discernment and hope you do the right things."

One week ago today, London decided to leave his Richmond team after two seasons. Scot Riddell, for one, doesn't mind.

Riddell will leave UR with a degree and championship ring, countless memories and a lifelong coach.

"Football is a business, but we all know he loved us," Riddell said. "Once he's by your side, he'll always be by your side."
 

Edwards emerges for Virginia
By Jay Jenkins
Published: December 13, 2009
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The RPI this a thing of beauty.

The record is considered acceptable with five freshmen logging minutes.

The dilemma lingers, however.

Should All-American guard Monica Wright struggle shooting or be taken out of a contest with double-team looks defensively, can Virginia produce enough offense to win?

An option emerged Tuesday in a 34-point win over Furman — sophomore Whitny Edwards dazzled the Paladin defenders, matching her career-best output by scoring 17 points.

“I felt like Whitny was very focused coming into this game,” Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. “She learned a lot from the film, she was very keyed in, and she just had a game that you want your players to have.

“She was solid tonight — very solid and very consistent in everything that she did — and obviously, she was hitting her shots.”

Edwards knows that if No. 19 Virginia (6-2) hopes to contend for an ACC title and postseason success that Wright will need help offensively.

“Somebody has to provide that,” said Edwards, the daughter of former NBA journeyman Blue Edwards. “It can change depending on the game, but we have to do our part.”

What happened against Furman, a game that saw Wright drop 30 points, showcased the shooting touch that Edwards boasts inside the paint and on the perimeter.

“Coach Ryan just told us to be aggressive and get our feet in the paint tonight, and I think I did that [against Furman],” Edwards recounted. “My teammates did a great job of finding me on the fast break, and fortunately, my shots fell.”

With the offensive output, Edwards now averages 9.0 points per game, which ranks third on the team — but she said defense is what the team is focused on improving prior to league play.

“I think we are starting to get better [defensively], but we are still not where we want to be. We will go back and work on that more,” she said. “We have to stop people and put stops together. We have not been good this year coming out in the second half.

“We have built up leads in the first half, but then let teams back in the game. So we will work on closing the door.”

Virginia returns to action Dec. 20 at Georgia.