Weak Side Late Assignment: Bon Voyage, Al Groh

Little surprise, except possibly the expediency, that Al Groh departs as the head coach of the University of Virginia football program Sunday after what we can assume was a brief conversation with Craig Littlepage and John Casteen.  Groh is dismissed with a severance package unlikely surpassed by anybody except Ken Lewis: a $4.3 million buyout for the two remaining years on his contract (careful, the federal government might get involved).  A negotiation was never feasible.  Groh wanted to be the coach at Virginia, or at least was not willing to not be the coach on any terms other than those that weren’t his.

And so, more transition for Virginia athletics.  For those of you surprised that I am spending an entire post on the topic, I graduated from U.Va. and spent quite a bit of time down in Charlottesville.  A couple of thoughts to follow, please proceed at your convenience.

First, the Departure: Groh’s last public comments (aside from his personal statement) turn out to be a poem that he actually got wrong…  The Guy in the Glass is actually The Man in the Glass.  You can ask my mother: it was pasted as a reminder on our bathroom mirror at home growing up and is still there today.  I read it again last week.  Nevertheless, in those comments, Groh’s last “holier-than-thou” moment.

No surprise here, as it’s been happening for years.  It started with Kevin Mawae and Keyshawn Johnson in New York, and continues today.  Groh was always the “NFL guy” in a small town with a mid-tier ACC football program.  Like Dan Devine in Rudy, he was most often – literally or figuratively – on the tower at practice, watching from on high.  Just in case you were worried, old Al will sleep just fine on his new mattress of Benjamins supplied by you, me, and anyone else who has given money to U.Va. athletics.

I was at the press conference several years ago before Pete Gillen was fired as U.Va. basketball coach.  Pete was always a much more approachable and personable character than Al (you could usually find him at St. Maarten’s with a pitcher after a game, win or loss), but even then us reporters glanced awkwardly at one another waiting for someone to ask him the obvious.  “Pete, do you think this is your last game as coach at UVA?”  an elder statesman of the group and Associated Press writer finally asked.  I’ll never forget his face as he told us that only time would tell.

Groh preempted this situation on Saturday evening with the poem, but was asked a similar question on November 1, quoted again today in the Washington Post.  “I know a lot more about the situation than probably anybody,” he said then. “Maybe someday I’ll say what that is.”

I think you’re probably naive about the program if you think that there isn’t a fair amount of jockeying behind the scenes to negotiate academic standards for admission of athletes, particularly football players.  Virginia has standards of admission that are above the NCAA standards, and rightfully so.  The consensus is that these standards were not applied to only one player during Groh’s reign, at the coach’s request: Ahmad Brooks, then the No. 1 recruit in the country with intentions to spend at least a couple years in Charlottesville.

Not long after those first few recruiting classes, Groh struggled to maintain the talent pipeline.  He tried to work with Admissions to bring in several talented players over the last three years, only to have each deemed academically ineligible.  Unfortunately, Groh also never worked to maintain positive relationships with high school coaches in Virginia; he was, as always, the NFL “guy” blessing us with his presence.  As a result, in-state recruiting stopped to nearly a halt as folksy good-old-boys from Virginia Tech like Jim Cavanaugh and Bud Foster made inroads and took the time to develop relationships with coaches and players in Northern Virginia, Tidewater, and even Charlottesville.  It’s no surprise that these coaches would encourage their players to head to Blacksburg if given the opportunity.

There are a few lessons to be learned, here.

First, Virginia needs to decide where to place its eggs amongst the major collegiate sports – football or basketball.  Very few programs are able to achieve a high level of success at both, and almost never at the same time (Florida is the only recent example).  You don’ t hear much about Duke, Memphis, or Kentucky football, like you only rarely hear much about Oklahoma, USC, or Alabama basketball.  Pick one and make it a priority.

Second, make a decision if you will hold academic standards far higher than the NCAA, and all that implies.  It’s no secret that the nation’s best athletes are often far less successful students.  This is not always the case, but often it is.  Competing at a national level, therefore, often requires academic standards below the NCAA.  The interesting point is that this requirement is more frequently the case with football than with basketball.  There are simply more roster spots, more athletes on the field, and you need more talent on both sides of the field (to field) a nationally competitive football team.

(Just as a note, my vote: keep your academic standards high and put your “eggs” in the basketball basket.)

Finally, I hope Al tells us what was wrong, and what specifically he means when suggesting that he “knows more than anybody” about the situation in Charlottesville.  Are they the factors named above, or something else altogether?

Next, the Contract: Anyone in their right mind and a decent guess on Charlie Weis’ future could see that Groh’s rolling option, five-year, $2+ million-per-year deal was a great deal for him and a really bad one for Virginia.  Most of you have probably heard the rumors, never to be confirmed nor denied, that Littlepage walked out of those contract negotiations and University President John Casteen signed the contract without him.  We shall probably never know, but can now say with confidence that this contract – whomever negotiated and signed it – was an incredible waste of University resources for a coach who had proven his ability to recruit and prepare first-round draft picks but not much else at the time his signature blazed the parchment.

And finally, the Successor: The common sentiment – and a correct one, in my opinion – is that Richmond head coach Mike London or Temple head coach Al Golden, both former Virginia assistants, are front runners for the position.  I know both individuals well and would strongly recommend either, with London slightly ahead because of his connections with Chesapeake and the Tidewater.  Yet Virginia owes itself a nationwide search, which apparently Littlepage is ready to commence with.

First, talk to alumni and notable individuals who are close to the program for an honest assessment.

Talk to Howie Long.  Talk to Tiki and Ronde Barber.  See who they can put you in touch with for a few thoughts.  Heath Miller.  D’Brickashaw Ferguson.  Chris Long.  Matt Schaub.  Thomas Jones.  James Farrior. Wali Lundy.  Patrick Kerney.

Second, talk to guys who might not have an interest, but who you should speak with nonetheless.  I think you learn more about yourself and how your program is regarded by talking to people who might even have no interest in the job (say, Tommy Tuberville).  Jim Grobe.  Charlie Strong at Florida.  Hell, even Bud Foster, if he’ll talk to you.

In the end, you will probably find that the most interested, most feasible, and most likely to appease an apathetic fan base will be London or Golden.  Either would be a fine hire, regardless of any prior connection to Groh.

Some fans claimed that neither of these men should be hired, as they were “part of the problem” with Al.  I would strongly disagree.  Haven’t you ever worked for somebody and wished you had the authority to do things differently than they do?  Ask them, and I bet you they will provide a few instances – respectfully, of course – where they would have made different decisions than Al Groh.  Use these instances and the alternatives that they may volunteer as part of your evaluation.

As for his eminence, I say good luck and bon voyage.  Certainly not a wasted nine years, if the list above is any judge.  But his approach to the program rubbed a lot of people – myself included – the wrong way.  Remnants of years with Bill Parcells, perhaps. When you win, nobody cares how you rub them; losing is another case altogether.

An NFL hire was a solid, splash-worthy risk earlier this decade.  For the next, I hope Virginia will refocus on rebuilding relationships throughout the state with a down-to-earth coach who is humble enough to engage on an individual level rather than just read a soliloquy from his watchtower.