2008.11.23
Bud Foster and UVa
Just saw this e-mail from "Moash" at the bottom of a Randy King post on Bud Foster:
nine years ago al groh promised the uva faithful a national championship.
he has been given everything he needs to get it done, but has failed to produce one. let alone an acc one. following todays game with clemson, it is now easier to see, that it is time for al groh to GO. maybe bud might be the man for the job.Foster was interviewed by Virginia athletic director Terry Holland following the 2000 season, when George Welsh announced his retirement, but Holland was concerned about what kind of staff Foster would have at his disposal after spending most of his career at Virginia Tech.
Both Al Groh and another finalist, Jerry Sandusky, knew that they would bring current Temple coach Al Golden to Charlottesville as their defensive coordinator and Groh's first staff had four future Division I-A or I-AA head coaches -- Golden, Ron Prince, Danny Rocco and Mike London -- as well as a big-time offensive coordinator, Bill Musgrave.
I don't know if it's Groh's time to go. He's done a masterful job with the defense but the offense has stagnated under his son, Mike. Athletic director Craig Littlepage has until next Sunday to decide whether to roll over Al Groh's contract, which would make for an opportune moment to discuss the coordinator situation.
As for Foster and Clemson, I think there is a good chance that the Tigers retain interim coach Dabo Swinney if they beat South Carolina to finish 7-5. Without knowing all the particulars, I think Cincinnati would be a great fit for Foster if the Bearcats lose coach Brian Kelly to a more prominent program, say, Tennessee.
Cincinnati athletic director Mike Thomas, by the way, spent seven years at Virginia.
-- DOUG DOUGHTY
I think VT's AD needs to get on the stick and offer Bud 'The Deal.' Let's talk about another VT Coach. Guess which one...the words start with an O and a C. Relieve Stiney of the OC duties and keep him in recruiting. Bring in Long who is getting sacked at San Diego State, Phil Fulmer, or Ralph if he get's sacked in Maryland. All of them are proven OCs that really are much better OCs than Head Coaches. If Newsome is a problem, show him the road. The OL is much worse since he arrived. A good OL can enable VT to run an offense where everyone knows the playbook as well as the VT offense. At the LEAST, the OL coach will have to go. The offense's performance against Duke was..well....Offensive. Which brings us full circle. Thank God for Bud Foster!!!!!
Comment by David — November 23, 2008 @ 3:02 pm
Virginia Tech needs to offer Bud Foster more money now and promise him in writing that he will be the next head coach at Tech. This might not keep him at Tech but it is worth a try. He is far and away the best coach at Tech. Frank Beamer often says that he deals in results. Bud Foster gets results, year after year. He needs to be at Tech and all of us Tech fans know this. As far as other coaches at Tech, everyone seems to have an opinion on that. Most of the opinions of Tech fans agree on this matter, and everyone knows what the opinions are on this. When Newsome was brought to Tech some fans said that it was because he recruited the Tidewater part of Virginia and that it was to keep him from going to UVa.. As far as the offensive coordinator position is concerned, a good question is, what about the results of the offensive ranking nationally the last three years? All Tech fans know the answer to that question. OFFER BUD FOSTER WHAT WE KNOW THAT HE DESERVES AND HOPE THAT IT WILL KEEP HIM AT TECH!!! GO HOKIES!!!
Comment by Frank — November 23, 2008 @ 4:49 pm
The only people who can correct UVa's football problems and "retire" John Casteen, Craig Littlepage, Al Groh, and Mike Groh, are the Board of Visitors.
John Casteen isn't going to do it.
Craig Littlepage isn't going to do it.
Al Groh isn't going to retire.
Al Groh isn't going to fire his son.
The question is: does UVa even HAVE a problem in football? Or when John Casteen let VA Tech in to the ACC, did that ruin UVa's recruiting for the state of Virginia, no matter who the UVa coach is?
Maybe UVa football right now is as good as it's going to ever be!!
Comment by Nelson — November 24, 2008 @ 3:48 am
Al groh and Bryan Stinespring should partner up and open a hamburger
joint.
It could be named TWO DUDS.
Comment by James Salenger — November 24, 2008 @ 8:15 am
As a 1985 UVA alum -- yes, that means I was a first-year when we went 1-10, and a second-year when we went 2-9 -- I can tell you without even a mild amount of hesitation, Team Groh is kaput. What's left are the excuses of the establishment that stands to get burned themselves by burning Groh. All the king's horses, though, as they say -- this thing is finished. It was predicted after the Maryland win (just ask the R Times-Dispatch reporter who asked littlepage if groh would be fired) that UVA would be facing Virginia Tech needing one more win to be "bowl eligible" and that we'd be throttled. All that's left is the final score -- I predict something like 42-10 -- and then there will be a cacophony of screams calling for UVA to plot a new course with a new captaincy. So, let's just skip to that now, and put our requests in. I favor a two-headed move: Poindexter for Coach, and his mentor, George Welsh, to do a stint as D-Coordinator. Two-year contract, with an option for a third. Brings energy, youth, passion and Blue Chip Virginia credentials and credibility, and at the same time gives the alums the sense of "stability" of the program until AP is ready to manage everything. Yes, alums will call for George at the first sign of difficulty, but the old Coach will make it very clear that he is there to see to it that AP takes flight. AP goes, so does Welsh. Then we re-capture in-state recruiting (NO one will outhustle Poindexter in his back yard) in the Obama era (oh yes we can!).
Comment by theodore — November 24, 2008 @ 2:53 pm
Coach George Welsh got UVa. football started on its way to being respectful and successful. This started with a win at Virginia Tech around 1980-1982 or close to it. He was probably forced out before he wanted to get out of coaching. He was a good coach. Al Groh started out at UVa. as a little arrogant and as if he was better than everybody else because he had coached in the NFL. Lately he has shown a side of himself that people probably did not know that he had. This was when he dismissed some problem players from the team and they were highly rated recruits. He and his wife were sympathetic toward Virginia Tech in the wake of 4-16-07.This was very nice. As far as UVa. football, it has come a long way since the 1960's and before when it was not very good. UVa. fans seem to have their own set of problems the same as other schools do. Good luck with them. That is hard for a Hokie fan of over 40 years to say but it is well intended. Still though, GO HOKIES!!!
Comment by Frank — November 24, 2008 @ 6:36 pm
Okay, here's another Hokie fan chiming in on UVa. First, Theodore, thanks for predicting a 42 - 10 final score. You must think the Hokie defense will score 4 or 5 TD's. I for one hope they do. This is going to sound strange coming from a Hokie. but I admire what the Wahoo coaches and players have been able to do this year. After the Duke lose, writers were saying the Hoos wouldn't win another game and Al was gone for good. They beat Maryland and Ga. Tech on the road, both commendable wins. I think that turnaround should earn Coach Groh another year at least. See some of you folks Saturday in B'burg.
Comment by Justafan — November 25, 2008 @ 7:45 pm
A Hokie here. I will make a trade. Tech will take Mike Groh and UVA can take Stinespring. As a matter of fact, I will get some Tech faithful to chip in and pay for Groh's move to Blacksburg and Stinespring's move to Charlottesville.
At least UVA will stick with a QB, call some screen passes, get the tight end involved in the passing game, run outside instead of....you guessed it....up the middle or off guard about 15 - 20 times during a game to no avail and most importantly will not promise your star recruit's father playing time if you take off a redshirt.
UVA guys....say what you will....but for all of Groh's faults (and I do kind of agree with the Poindexter and Welsh idea as I still root for UVA until they play Tech), at least he has some balls and does not let a player's parent determine when and if the kid will play.
Comment by John — November 26, 2008 @ 11:28 am