White: Arena Applauds Protégé's Feat
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 12/15/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Gene Bartow was given the unenviable job of succeeding John Wooden at UCLA.
George Gelnovatch had to follow Bruce Arena at UVa.
As a college coach, Arena did not surpass in men's soccer what Wooden achieved in men's basketball, but he guided the Cavaliers to five NCAA titles in a span of six seasons.
The last of those championships came in December 1994. In January 1996, Arena left Virginia for Major League Soccer's D.C. United, and his top assistant, Gelnovatch, got promoted to head coach.
The Cavaliers continued to win under Gelnovatch, advancing to the NCAA tournament every year, but each of his first 13 seasons ended with a loss.
No. 14 had a happier finale. The Wahoos edged previously unbeaten Akron in a penalty-kick shootout Sunday afternoon to capture their first NCAA title since 1994.
Arena, now general manager and head coach of MLS' Los Angeles Galaxy, was in Cary, N.C., for Friday night's semifinals and saw UVa beat Wake Forest 2-1 in overtime.
Two days later, Arena watched on TV as his protégé ascended to the pinnacle of the college game.
"I think it's fabulous," Arena said Monday. "George has never had an easy job there, and he's consistently had a team that's in the top 10 in Division I soccer. And that's remarkable.
"The championship, I believe, validates the fact that he's an outstanding coach and he's done an outstanding job at Virginia."
Gelnovatch, an All-America forward under Arena in the '80s, has compiled a record of 214-79-25 as the Cavaliers' coach. During his tenure, UVa has reached the College Cup three times and won the ACC tournament four times.
This season, the 'Hoos (19-3-3) allowed only eight goals, and they closed with a 16-game unbeaten streak.
Virginia defeated Maryland, Wake and N.C. State to win the ACC tournament. In the NCAAs, UVa beat Bucknell, Portland, Maryland, Wake and, finally, Akron.
Of the four teams that reached the College Cup, three were from the ACC: North Carolina, Wake and UVa.
"It's a fabulous year for the team, and again I think it was a great year for the ACC as well," said Arena, whose son, Kenny, played for Gelnovatch at UVa.
In 18 seasons at UVa, Arena went 295-59-5 after starting with what he called "more or less a fraternity team."
His first season was 1978. The Cavaliers' first ACC title under Arena came in 1983, their first NCAA championship in '89.
Of college soccer then and now, Arena said, "I think the eras are different. Not that the [modern] accomplishments aren't as great, if not better. Don't get me wrong. But the circumstances are different."
College players today "are more experienced from top to bottom," Arena said. "The facilities are greatly improved, and on some campuses it's a result of Title IX, because the facilities were built for the women. At Virginia, it was different. We built [Klöckner Stadium] to build a national power. We had that kind of support."
Arena had such stars as Gelnovatch, Jeff Agoos, Jeff Causey, Jeff Gaffney, Brandon Pollard, Damian Silvera and A.J. Wood for four seasons each. With the growth of Major League Soccer and increased interest from pro leagues overseas, elite players today are less likely to spend four years on college teams.
Asked about the effect of pro soccer on the college game, Arena said, "I think it motivates kids at the youth levels now that they believe that they have a future in the game if that's the way they want to go. And certainly it's not to the extent that it is in football and basketball, and all of that, but it's probably going to happen.
"We have Americans that are making fabulous livings off the sport, not only in the United States, but obviously all over the world. So I think that's a motivating force. I do think it makes it somewhat difficult on college campuses in that if you have an elite player, there's a chance you're going to lose him early."
Two years after he won his first NCAA title as UVa's coach, Arena collected his second. Gelnovatch's program has a strong foundation, and it's realistic to expect more trips to the College Cup for the Cavaliers.
"Will [the first championship] make it any easier for him to another one?" Arena said. "Perhaps. Who knows? From year to year, it changes. You can see, there's very little that separated the four teams that were in Cary."
 

Unlikely Hero Emerges for NCAA Champions
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 12/15/2009
Dec. 15, 2009
4:28 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- With an NCAA championship about to be decided by penalty kicks, the tension was palpable Sunday afternoon in Cary, N.C.

Into that pressure-packed situation at WakeMed Soccer Park, UVa coach George Gelnovatch sent out No. 16, Sean Hiller, for his team's third kick.

Sean Hiller?

In the shootout that followed 110 scoreless minutes between NCAA finalists Virginia and Akron, Gelnovatch went first with Tony Tchani and then with Ari Dimas, and each converted.

Both were starters.

Hiller, a redshirt freshman from Colts Neck, N.J., was a virtual unknown. He did not play Friday night against Wake Forest in the semifinals, and he hadn't played against Akron.

The 5-11, 170-pound midfielder/defender had appeared in only 12 games all season, in fact.

"Most of the kids you see out there [for penalty kicks] are like Tony and Ari, kids that were starting and playing every minute," Hiller said Tuesday afternoon. "I don't think I've ever seen somebody not really have a part in the game and then just go out for penalty kicks."

Gelnovatch gave Hiller that distinction.

For more than a month, the Cavaliers had been taking penalty kicks at the end of each practice, and in these sessions the left-footed Hiller had been "almost 100 percent -- just banging 'em in, banging 'em in, banging 'em in," Gelnovatch said Tuesday afternoon.

And so Gelnovatch turned to Hiller on Sunday, "with the understanding that he's not on the field, he's not loose, he's potentially nervous because he wasn't playing. But we just felt like the percentage was so high."

Had Hiller missed, the college soccer world might still be second-guessing Gelnovatch's gamble. But Hiller put his shot on target, inside the right post, to give the 'Hoos a 3-1 lead.

"Even in my high school years, that's the way I would always go," Hiller said. "I would always go on the inside of the right post, unless I'd see the goalie moving that way immediately, and then I'd go down the middle or to the left. But basically 99 percent of the time I usually go to the right."

Hiller's teammmates and coaches knew that. The Zips didn't, and why would they?

Akron had no videotape of Hiller's high school and club games to study. In UVa's only other shootout this season, against Wake in the ACC tournament, Tchani, Dimas, Greg Monaco, T.J. Cyrus, Jonathan Villanueva and Neil Barlow had taken the penalty kicks.

"There's an important part of how you approach your PK, your run-up, and Sean's approach is so unpredictable," Gelnovatch said. "It's a fast, straight-on approach, and a goalkeeper just doesn't know what the hell to expect."

In the fourth of five rounds, the Zips pulled to 3-2. But neither Monaco nor Akron's Blair Gavin converted in round No. 5, and the Cavaliers were champions.

History will show, then, that Hiller's penalty kick was the one that secured Virginia's first NCAA men's soccer title in 15 years.

"There was a lot more pressure on Sunday," Hiller said, "but things were just happening so fast, I guess I didn't have time to think, 'This is the national championship, and I'm coming off the bench.' It didn't really sink in till afterward."

-- Jeff White

 

National Titles: 19 and Counting
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 12/15/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The first came in 1938, when the UVa boxing team shared the NCAA title with Catholic and West Virginia.

The latest came Sunday, when Virginia beat Akron on penalty kicks to capture the NCAA men's soccer championship.

The coronation in Cary, N.C., marked the 19th national championship by a UVa team.

(Virginia also has won two ITA team indoor titles in men's tennis -- in 2008 and '09 -- but those aren't included in the University's total, because the NCAA crowns a champion in that sport.)

The NCAA awarded 16 of the 19 titles. The exceptions: men's lacrosse in 1952 and '70 and women's indoor track and field in 1981.

The breakdown, by sport:

Boxing -- 1938

Women's Cross Country -- 1981, 1982

Men's Lacrosse -- 1952, 1970, 1972, 1999, 2003, 2006

Women's Lacrosse -- 1991, 1993, 2004

Men's Soccer -- 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2009

Women's Indoor Track & Field -- 1981

Looking ahead to the spring, UVa could contend for NCAA titles in several sports, including men's tennis, women's lacrosse, men's lacrosse, rowing, women's golf and baseball.

 

Miami Dolphins: Virginia coming after Dolphins assistant Jim Reid?
Posted by Mike Berardino on December 14, 2009 12:14 PM

One of the biggest reasons for Cameron Wake's rapid development this season has been outside linebackers coach Jim Reid.

"He really cares about his players," Wake says of Reid. "He always wants you to do better. He gets really, really involved with your success. Having a coach like that who cares more about his players than he does himself, you can’t really ask for anything more."

So you can imagine the concern on Wake's face when I told him the current scuttlebutt around the Atlantic Coast Conference has new Virginia coach Mike London -- father of former Dolphins receiver Brandon London -- targeting Reid as the next defensive coordinator for the Cavaliers.

Reid has deep Virginia roots, spending a combined 13 seasons working in the state as head coach at Virginia Military (2006-07) and Richmond (1995-2003) as well as defensive coordinator at Richmond (1992-93).

Reid's entire career was spent at the college level until Tony Sparano brought him on board soon after his arrival in 2008.

"Oh, say it ain't so, Jimmy," Wake said.

Jeff Ireland, the Dolphins general manager, would neither confirm or deny whether Virginia has asked for permission to speak with Reid. Nor would he say whether he would grant permission for such an interview during the Dolphins' season.

"It would be a case-by-case basis," Ireland said after Sunday's game at Jacksonville.

But there's no doubt that Reid, who has made a big impact on the Dolphins' defense in his two seasons in South Florida, would be missed.

Not only did Reid coax a strong comeback season from Joey Porter in 2008 -- 17 1/2 sacks, co-MVP of the team -- but he has found ways to rotate a deep group of contributors at the position, which Tony Sparano recently ranked second only to nose tackle in terms of importance in a 3-4 defensive scheme.

Wake called Reid "one of the reasons I came down here" from the Canadian Football League.

"Just look at his resume," Wake said. "It's not only his experience and knowledge of the game, but how involved he is in the progress and the success of his players. I've been around football as a game and as a business. You get around coaches who really don't care. You're just another tool in the toolbox.

"He really cares about you as a person and a man. He really wants you to do well. He uses that in his coaching, and I think that's what makes him successful."

So how would you handle Virginia's interest if you're the Dolphins? Would you allow Reid to interview and possibly even leave? Would you make him wait until after the season, which might very well remove him from the running considering the importance of recruiting in that job?

And how would you feel if Reid indeed left for Virginia and was replaced, ironically enough, by former Cavaliers head coach and longtime Friend of Bill (Parcells) Al Groh?

North Carolina RB sets two national high school career rushing records
University of Virginia-bound senior K.P. Parks completes legendary football career at Mt. Ulla West Rowan (N.C.).
Monday, December 14, 2009
By: Dave Krider

Named the game’s offensive MVP with 155 hard-earned rushing yards and four touchdowns, Parks helped the high-flying Falcons finish their banner campaign with a 16-0 record and 30-game winning streak.

In the process, the dynamic 5-foot-7, 195-pound senior running back established two national career records. One record was 55 games with at least 100 rushing yards. The previous record was 47 by Michael Hart of Onondaga (Nedrow, N.Y.) from 2000-03.

The second record, however, is even more mind-boggling – Parks carried the pigskin more times than any other high school player in history: 1,370. The previous record was 1,353 by Brad Hocker of Archie (Mo.) from 1988-91.

In addition, he finished his four-year career with 10,895 rushing yards, which is No. 3 in prep history. The record of 11,232 by Ken Hall of Sugar Land (Texas) has stood since 1953.

Parks, who never missed a full game due to an injury, attributes his records to "how durable I am and how much the coach trusted the ball in my hands. It takes place in the weight room and I take good care of my body.

"It’s a great honor. I believe it’s a program award and a team award, too."

Coach Scott Young calls his superstar’s amazing records "a testament to how solid of a program we’ve had the last three years and how durable he’s been. It shows we are committed to running the ball, and K.P. has stayed injury-free against good competition. He’s a great one and the best one I’ve ever coached. Obviously his numbers make him one of the best ever to play at the high school level."

Salisbury Post assistant sports editor Mike London says, "Every time you see him, he does something you’ve never seen before. That’s what he was born to do. Coaches have been conscious of records, but at the same time they have taken pains not to run up the score on people."

Parks missed only one game in his career. As a sophomore he did a flip into the end zone (more for joy than showmanship) and was penalized by the officials, forcing him to sit out the following contest. London estimates it probably cost him 200 yards.

London said that Parks played with painful injuries several times during his career, but he "answered the bell every time and always wanted the ball." Even in the state-title game, he noted, "He was bloody (nose) and bruised at the end."

Parks, who has committed to the University of Virginia, concedes that he probably is playing with a chip on his shoulder because at 5-7 he doesn’t fit the mold of a powerful running back.

"I tell everybody that it’s a motivating factor," he pointed out. "It keeps me working harder and harder. I won’t change anything (at Virginia)."
 

NC back Parks ready to turn Virginia into ACC contender
By Kevin Melton
kevin.melton@shj.com
Published: Monday, December 14, 2009 at 8:17 p.m.

The 5-foot-7, 195-pound running back from West Rowan High School in Mount Ulla (N.C.) has led the Falcons to two straight 3A state titles, including a four-touchdown performance in a 28-21 victory against Eastern Alamance.

“It's the best feeling in the world to go out on top and be a winner,” Parks said.

Parks holds the state record — previously held by N.C. State's Toney Baker — with 10,912 rushing yards and has 158 career touchdowns.

He also broke the state's single-season rushing record formally held by New York Giants running back Andre Brown (3,478 yards).

Parks also set the county rushing record with 353 yards and two touchdowns against Carson, he said.

Next he's hoping to rewrite a few record books at the University of Virginia next year.

“I have to come in and work hard and give it everything I've got to see if I have a chance,” Parks said following Monday's Shrine Bowl practice at Dorman High School. “If I get a redshirt, it's not a bad thing. We'll see what happens though.”

Parks committed to the ACC school in February and says his decision is firm despite the recent firing of former Cavaliers coach Al Groh.

“I already kind of knew that Al Groh wasn't going to be there too long from what I was hearing at the beginning of the season,” he said. “It's kind of a bad thing and sad thing. Coach Groh is a great man, but things didn't work out.”

Parks added he's happy with Virginia's recent hiring of former Richmond coach Mike London.

“We're getting a new coach in Mike London, and I feel he can turn things around,” he said. “I believe in his word and hope that's what is going to happen.”

The Cavaliers finished last season 3-9, including a six-game slide to end the season, and were 5-7 in 2008.

Parks said he feels Virginia will become a contender sooner rather than later.

“It's not going to be long,” he said. “I feel like they need more leadership on the team. When that happens things will start clicking for them.”

West Rowan coach Scott Young, who is the offensive line coach for the N.C. Shrine Bowl team, says Parks can provide that leadership once given the chance.

“We've been blessed to have good running backs (at West Rowan), but (Kevin) is the best we've had so far,” Young said. “I think it's his durability. There's a knock on K.P. that he's too short or too slow sometimes, but he always produces.”

Parks says he's ready to get his shot.

“I feel like I can hit the hole hard and use my quickness to my advantage,” he said. “I just want to come over (to Virginia) and help the program get to the top where it should be.”
 

The South's oldest rivalry

It's the game Tar Heel fans circle on the schedule at the beginning of the season. It's the game that can define a successful season or make or break a coach. If the Heels win, it's the game that alumni and fans brag about for the rest of the year.
What game is it? Well, these days many would argue that it is any basketball game against Duke University. The "Battle For Tobacco Road" is the ultimate in college rivalries.

However, for the first few decades of the 20th century, "The Game" was the annual contest in "the South's oldest rivalry" -- the football game against the University of Virginia.

Just what made this game so special? It could have been how similar the schools were, and how they saw themselves. Both schools were (and are) large, proud state institutions, with long and storied pasts.

The University of North Carolina was the first public university in the United States, and the University of Virginia was founded by former president Thomas Jefferson in the early 19th century. In addition, for many years North Carolina was seen by outsiders as a "vale of humility between two mountains (South Carolina and Virginia) of conceit." Virginians had the attitude and air of superiority that comes from producing multiple presidents and innumerable generals, and the Old Dominion's smug outlook surely rubbed Tar Heels the wrong way. What better way to erase the Cavaliers' cockiness than to beat them on the football field?

Both schools began their football programs in the late 19th century, and the first two games between the rivals occurred in 1892. To accommodate the growing crowds, the game was played in Richmond, Va., in 1893. For most of the next 20-plus years, the rivals played in this city, and "On to Richmond" became a rallying cry for Tar Heel supporters.

UNC students and fans would take the train to Richmond, and the game and trip became one of the most significant athletic and social events of the year.

After an exhibition win in 1892, the Tar Heels did not defeat Virginia again until 1898. They came close in 1895, but Virginia fans twice ran onto the field to stop UNC backs from scoring and preserve a 6-0 "win" for the Cavaliers.

After 1898, the teams traded wins for the next few years. Starting in 1907, Virginia won the next eight games, once again establishing their dominance in the series.

This almost decade-long supremacy caused the Tar Heel faithful to place even more prominence on this game. Finally, in 1916 the Tar Heels broke their losing streak, winning 7-0 in front of 15,000 spectators in Richmond.

As reported in Ken Rappoport's "Tar Heel: North Carolina Football," Tar Heel player Raby Tennent remembered that Carolina "fans carried us around the field at Richmond on their shoulders... And when we got to Chapel Hill, fans met us at the bottom of South Hill, and for two miles they shouldered us up that hill."

World War I intervened to cancel the game in 1917 and 1918, but when it resumed in 1919, the game was played for the first time in Chapel Hill. The Heels won 6-0 in front of 9,000 fans at Emerson Field. At the time, it was the largest crowd to see a football game in the state of North Carolina.

J. Maryon "Spike" Saunders, executive secretary of the Alumni Association at Carolina from 1927 to 1970, remembered "[T]he Virginia Game... those three words for old-timers carried an unusual depth of significance.Win, lose, or draw, it was a season's high spot."

Although the rivalry has lost some of its intensity, the football game against Virginia still is worthy of the title, "the South's oldest rivalry."
 

Jamil Tucker's Absence Furthers Virginia's Basketball Frustrations by Ben Gibson
Ben Gibson
Featured Columnist
Written on December 11, 2009

It's true—absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

After all, Virginia forward Jamil Tucker is far from an all-star. For his career, he has averaged a modest 7.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

However, as Virginia basketball continues to struggle out the gate, fans can only hope to see the senior swingman return to the lineup as soon as possible. Otherwise, the season might be over before it even begins.

Tucker is perhaps a player tailor-made for new coach Tony Bennett's system. More so than anyone else on the roster. Bennett bases his offense on players making shots, and Tucker is clearly the best shooter on the team. For his career, the big man has shot over 40 percent from behind the three-point arc and would provide a pivotal cog in an offensive machine that is clearly struggling early on this season.

Instead of emerging as a leader for this developing team, though, Tucker has taken an indefinite leave of absence. While few details exist to explain why this leave has taken place, what we do know is that he has, once again, began practicing with his teammates. Even if he remains absent on the sidelines.

The rumors were that Tucker would return for Virginia's ACC/Big Ten Challenge contest against Penn State and yet 40 minutes passed without even a sighting of the 6-9 forward.

The situation worsened last Monday, when the Cavaliers took on Auburn. Not only did Tucker not make the trip, but Virginia's only true frontcourt player, Mike Scott, got a high ankle sprain that kept him out of the game.

In many ways, it was truly miraculous that Virginia was able to hold on in the game and even take a one-point lead with 7.7 second remaining. However, poor defense in the final seconds gave the Cavaliers the result they deserved, even if it was not the one they wanted.

The Cavaliers stand at 4-4 heading into exams this season. Three of the four losses have been very close, decided by a combined nine points. With an offense struggling to find any continuity, fans cannot help but wonder if Tucker's offense could have been the difference between 4-4 and 7-1.

Still, it is important to keep things in perspective. Tucker was never a defensive specialist, so it would be hard to know just how many minutes he would get in Bennett's system if he continued to let his opposite number score. Tucker is also limited in his offense; he certainly can shoot the three, but he has very little inside game, and that one-dimension could be taken away by most college coaches.

However, Tucker represents what this team desperately needs: a spark.

Rebuilding a team is not easy—just look at Bennett's face. The former Wazzou coach must be thinking "What have I gotten myself into?" when he watches this team. Sure, Virginia is capable of playing solid basketball for stretches of time. It quickly fades away, though, when the chips are down and the pressure is up.

The old adage goes that winning teams find ways to win and losing teams find ways to lose.

Well, Virginia is a losing team. Ever since the Cavaliers took on Syracuse nearly two years ago to lose only their second game at home since the John Paul Jones Arena opened, the wheel fell off of the Virginia bandwagon.

The Cavalier team simply does not believe it can win these games. Certainly the players want to, but mentally they cannot get over that hump. Even Sylven Landesberg, Virginia's best player by far, cannot seem to achieve that level of success he had last season.

Virginia is a team that continues to take one step forward and one step back, leaving the coach, the players, and the fans in agony.

Will Sherill, an unknown walk-on, provided a boost earlier this season when his 18-point outburst helped lead Virginia to a win over Cleveland State. That joy has faded, however, and there is a vacuum of leadership at the moment to replace it.

Can Tucker be that new spark? Probably.

Will it last? At this rate, we may never get to find out.
 

UR names Scott football coach
By John O'Connor
Published: December 16, 2009
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University of Richmond Athletic Director Jim Miller called Dave Clawson a few days ago. The subject: Latrell Scott, whom Miller was considering as the Spiders' football coach.

Clawson, UR's coach during 2004-07 and now Bowling Green's coach, acknowledged the conventional wisdom that Scott, 34, was probably a couple of years away from having the background expected of a head-coaching candidate. But Clawson, for whom Scott worked at Richmond, also made a point that Miller noted.

"In two years, you're not going to be able to get him as a head coach," Clawson told Miller. "If you wait, he may not be available."

Miller did not wait. UR named Scott its coach yesterday after an eight-day search that began with Mike London accepting the University of Virginia job vacated by Al Groh. Miller met with Scott, a Virginia assistant this season, over the weekend.

Scott never has been an offensive or defensive coordinator, which bothered Miller less than it would have several years ago.

"I think we're on the cutting edge of that, on the front side, of having more coaches who specialize in being the CEO of the program," Miller said.

Scott said, "Sometimes you just don't have the opportunity to be a coordinator because of where you are. But I've been experiencing game-planning, experiencing managing games, and doing those things. We'll be fine.

"It's a dream come true, and I accept the challenge."

Of the many factors Miller considered, continuity was among the highest priorities, he said.

"We have a good football program and what we need to focus on is continuity," Miller said. "How can we keep this thing going like we have?"

Scott worked at UR from 2005 through 2007 and recruited several players who helped the Spiders to three straight trips to the FCS playoffs (2007-09) and the 2008 national championship. Opening next season will be Robins Stadium, the on-campus facility that will replace off-campus UR Stadium, the Spiders' football home since 1929.

"I think our greatest tool is that stadium outside," Scott said. "That stadium now gives us the opportunity to invite the city of Richmond to the University of Richmond. Lots of times, there have been people who have played in games and been to games down at [UR] Stadium, but they've never seen Richmond's campus."

Clawson was 36 when he became Richmond's coach in 2004. London was 47 when he became Richmond's coach in 2008.

"You're getting a guy who's young, but he's organized, he can represent your school well," said John Shuman, the coach of the postgraduate program at Fork Union Military Academy, where Scott played and coached. "I think it's a home run."

Scott's staff has not been formalized. Former UR offensive coordinator Wayne Lineburg, who was with Scott at Richmond and Virginia, may rejoin him with the Spiders.

"Obviously, there are decisions that we have to make and we're going to do the best we can do to put together the best possible staff to continue what's going on here at Richmond," Scott said.

Fourteen prospects in the Class of 2010 orally committed to UR while London was the coach. Scott said one of his first acts as Richmond's coach would be to contact or visit those players. Prospects cannot sign binding letters of intent until February.

UR was also interested in Kevin Higgins, The Citadel's head coach, and Pete Lembo, Elon's head coach, according to those coaches.