2008.12.08
Mike Groh to leave UVa staff
As released by Virginia sports information office:
Statement from Virginia head football coach Al Groh regarding the Cavalier
program:
"Since the end of the season, I have done the annual review of every aspect
of our program in order to make our plans to move forward to the next
season. Part of that moving forward will involve changes in our systems and
staff.
"The change in systems will be made to utilize the player talent available to
us from our current roster and incoming players, and the changes in the
staff will be made to accommodate those schemes. Accordingly, Michael Groh,
Steve Bernstein and Levern Belin will step down from their positions. Steve
will retire and Mike and Levern will pursue career opportunities.
"These men have served Virginia football with commitment, integrity and
loyalty and I appreciate them and their efforts. There are no scapegoats
here, the head coach is responsible for the team.
"Bob Pruett will move to the position of assistant head coach/defense with
Bob Diaco becoming defensive coordinator. Anthony Poindexter will move from
running backs to defensive secondary.
"We are excited about the options and opportunities open to our team and the
positive energy they will generate."
Virginia head coach Al Groh will not comment further on the current staff
vacancies until they are filled. He will immediately begin a national search
to complete the Cavalier football staff.
It is always a sad and unfortunate incident when someone looses a job from the personal point of view. From the professional point of view, it must have been what Coach Al Groh thought was needed for his football program. It must have been difficult to part ways with his son, that does not need to be forgotten.
Comment by Frank — December 8, 2008 @ 1:02 pm
Virginia should create and then fill one more vacancy, Head Coach.
Comment by James Salenger — December 8, 2008 @ 1:07 pm
Ditto James.
Comment by Niles — December 8, 2008 @ 1:29 pm
Traditionally, major staff changes forced upon a program are followed by the dismissal or resignation of the head coach within a couple of years. Unless Groh can beat Va Tech and get to the ACC Championship game by 2010, his fate is already sealed. I do agree with Frank though, what is lost in all this craziness is that some very good people lost their jobs today and the impact it has on them and their families.
Comment by Spencer — December 8, 2008 @ 3:18 pm
Im glad Anthony is the secondary coach considering the fact that he played safety. We also really needed a change at offensive coordinator.
Comment by Mason — December 8, 2008 @ 5:03 pm
Pretty sad. We had seven games in pocket this year, with eight a distinct possibility. Just one or two moves by the H.C. earlier on this season and this isn't happening. Why Al Groh stuck with the pass-pass approach in the Miami game will haunt us all for a long time. The Vic Hall non-decision too. We'll see if there is a second act next year for Al Groh, or whether he'll really dig into his stubborn ways. Probably the latter, but I'm hoping for a miracle. Beamer is the guy Groh should look at closely, not the guy at Texas Tech. The real model for bringing together the Commonwealth's best talent and producing success on the field is in Blacksburg. And the flagship is in C-ville. Let's hope Groh honors his son and the lost coaches by changing his thinking and embracing the state he coaches in, and perhaps less so the state he used to coach in. Let's also hope he learns, finally, the 18 year old kids might need to have their heads knocked in DURING THE SEASON to get them to go to class, not get drunk, and not steal beers from off-track bars.
Comment by theodore — December 8, 2008 @ 7:14 pm
Well, we're back in the early 1970's with UVa football: the Board of Visitors and the school president just want football to have a winning season now and then.
The head football coach and athletic director want to go to major bowls.
The end result is that the best players in the state, and by that I mean the top 1-3 players, no longer go to UVa, because the school isn't perceived as being a big time football school.
Virginia has what: one blue-chip football player on it's entire roster?
All of this is just my opinion, of course, as someone who lived through the Sonny Randle era.
Comment by Nelson — December 9, 2008 @ 1:30 am
I never could understand why the best position player I have ever seen at Virginia, Anthony Poindexter, was not coaching his position. How many interceptions has the free safety at Virginia averaged in the Groh era? And its not like teams don't pass against them.
Comment by Niles — December 9, 2008 @ 7:11 am
The UVA administration managed to do something no other person, media outlet or institution has been able to do before (at least publicly). They have humbled Al Groh. While he may not change on the outside, he will be forever changed on the inside. How this impacts his coaching is yet to be determined.
Comment by Joe — December 9, 2008 @ 8:42 am
Pitiful and spineless response by C Littlepage, the UVa AD, to a serious deficiency. As Groh said, the Head Coach is responsible for the football team and its performance. Groh should be forced out one way or another now.He has been Head Coach for 8 years and the team, with excellent players, has failed to meet anyone's reasonable goals as an ACC "big time" football team. Forcing out his son and other assistants while leaving Groh in place simply stinks.
Comment by kellogg — December 9, 2008 @ 10:37 am
Anyone that thinks that this was Al Grogh's decision has blinders on. It disappoints me that Al would allow the administration to dictate that Mike Grogh had to go... As a previous poster stated, the performance of the team is ultimately the head coach's responsibility. Perhaps all head coach's should take this (and Bobby Bowden's situation a couple of years ago) as a lesson learned, keep your family out of your business...
Comment by e. williams — December 9, 2008 @ 11:00 am
I agree this was not Groh's decision alone but it's good to see him taking the advice given to him even if losing his job was the alternative. Let's see if he does the same with the Vic Hall situation.
As for those of you worrying about these three guys losing their jobs I wouldn't lose any sleep. One of the guys is retiring and I'm sure the other two are getting a nice severance package. Not to mention they were probably making a good chunk of change anyway. I don't think we'll see either of these guys at the VEC applying for jobs.
This has got to be eating the VT fans up right now. UVA let the OC go after 3 years on the job. How many years has Stinespring been around?
Comment by Greg — December 9, 2008 @ 11:51 am
Greg..you're right about Stinespring..he should have been fired 5 years ago..Think he must have some "nude pictures" of Beamer so as to keep his job!! As far as Groh is concerned..Hokie fans are thrilled he'll be around another year so we can stomp the Hoo's once more!
Comment by Jim — December 9, 2008 @ 12:29 pm
Even in business, blood is supposed to be thicker than water.I can't respect any coach who fires his son and does not resign himself. His conversation with Mike when he decided to give him the job as OC should have gone like this: "The job is yours, but we either succeed together or we fail together". He should resign immediately so the University can replace him with a coach who understands the college game. There will be some great candidates available in about a month after they finish coaching in their bowl games, quite often with teams that shouldn't even be able to regularly compete with Virginia.
Comment by Niles — December 9, 2008 @ 12:40 pm
Niles,
Why would he give up $6,000,000 in guaranteed payments over the next three years to save his son's job. Mike will have another job with equal pay and benefits before the first of the year. Only an idiot would do what you have suggested. Al may struggle with the college game, however; he is no idiot.
Comment by Joe — December 9, 2008 @ 3:11 pm
I never want to see anyone lose their job especially in today's economy. But for the amount of money we are charged for UVA season tickets and for the amount of money UVA pays its coaching staff to produce a winning football team and season, the question is not whether the change should have been made, but why the change had not been made before now. After sitting in UVA's football stadium for the past five years in the rain, heat, cold, and snow supporting and watching UVA's football team in turned out to be losing or moderate seasons, one has to wonder whether Mike Groh should have ever had the job in the first place. As a matter of fact, we should probably ask the same about Al.
Comment by Matt — December 9, 2008 @ 3:57 pm
Joe,
I think the list of idiots involved in everything concerning the Al Groh era at Virginia is quite extensive. One of them needs to step up and fire him. And by the way, Lou Holtz resigned at South Carolina under similar circumstances after humiliating his son (who we now find out is a pretty good coach). I am tired of hearing about the compensation issue concerning Al Groh. If compensation was so important then why has he been overpaid since day one? I am just saying that Al Groh is using his son as a scapegoat for his abysmal record. They were lucky last year to win all of those close games.... without the best defensive player in the country they probably don't win four games.
Comment by Niles — December 9, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
The only thing Groh has done during his tenure is disrespected fans, tore through traditions, silenced critics, and wasted amazing talent, while promising ACC championships and national contention. I can take a mediocre team that makes me proud (see UVA basketball last three years) and I can take some missteps in return for wins. What we have settled for is neither victory nor pride. Replace "Sea of Orange" with "Sea of Groh must Go" and turn the page.
Comment by Mike — December 16, 2008 @ 11:49 am
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. This is very useful.
Comment by Kristina — February 6, 2009 @ 8:11 am