Virginia football coach Al Groh said that he is wrapping up arrangements that are expected to bring Ron Prince back to UVa as an assistant coach.
A highly placed athletic-department official confirmed that Prince will be returning, most likely as associate head coach and special-teams coach.
Prince was the Cavaliers' offensive coordinator until Kansas State hired him as head coach following the 2005 season.
"I have no comment," said Diaco, Virginia's newly named defensive coordinator, when asked if he will be leaving Virginia for the University of Cincinnati.
On my way back from the UVa-Clemson men's basketball game, I had learned that Jeff White had reported on his Richmond Times-Dispatch blog that Diaco is leaving.
I don't who know White's source is, but I've since had Diaco's departure confirmed independently. Read more »
CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The late-game heroics of freshman Sylven Landesberg enabled Virginia to end an eight-game men's basketball losing streak Sunday with an 85-81 overtime victory over 12th-ranked Clemson.
Landesberg finished with a game-high 23 points, including the tying basket in regulation and six points in overtime as Virginia improved its record to 8-12 overall and 2-8 in the ACC.
Terrence Oglesby had 17 points to lead the Tigers (20-4, 6-4). Clemson missed its first 10 3-point shots in falling behind 33-25 at the half, then went on a 14-0 run to start the second half.
Virginia made 17 of its last 25 shots in regulation and shot 53.1 percent for the game.
One of this morning’s first e-mails came from former Charlottesville sports reporter and rivals.com honcho Andrew Joyner, who wanted to know the identity of Virginia’s next defensive coordinator.
I think a lot of people had the same question when they heard that 65-year-old Bob Pruett was retiring.
They needed to read the fine print.
At the time of the announcement Wednesday that he was retiring for good, Pruett was the Cavaliers’ assistant head coach for defense. Read more »
Virginia Tech will make two appearances on ESPN's Thursday night football for a sixth consecutive season this fall.
The Hokies will play ACC foe North Carolina on Oct. 29 in Blacksburg, and then face nonleague opponent East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., the next Thursday (Nov. 5).
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football schedule released today by Commissioner John D. Swofford is comprised of 96 games, including 48 conference matchups, over a span of 13 weeks.
The schedule is capped off with the Fifth Annual Dr Pepper Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game, which this year will be played on Dec. 5 in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Read more »
Thursday, September 3
South Carolina at NC State, ESPN
Saturday, September 5
Northeastern at Boston College
Middle Tennessee at Clemson
Richmond at Duke
Jacksonville State at Georgia Tech
Maryland at California
The Citadel at North Carolina
William & Mary at Virginia
Alabama vs. Virginia Tech (Ga. Dome)
Baylor at Wake Forest
Read more »
Bob Pruett, Virginia's defensive coordinator for the 2008 season, is retiring from coaching for a second time.
Pruett previously was the head coach at Marshall for nine seasons before retiring during the winter of 2005. He agreed to take a position on Groh's staff last spring.
Pruett cited family reasons for his decision. At 64, he is in mostly good health but has required shoulder surgery in the past year.
Pruett recently was named assistant head coach for defense in a UVa staff realignment that left Bob Diaco as the defensive coordinator.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Virginia got a season-high 19 points and five assists from sophomore guard Jeff Jones but was little match for third-ranked North Carolina in a 76-61 at the Smith Center.
The Tar Heels (21-, 7-2) led 33-25 at the half and then opened the second half with a 7-0 run that made it a 15-point spread. UVa (7-12, 1-7) got no closer than 12 (44-32) although the Cavaliers could have trimmed the deficit to 10 if Sammy Zeglinski had knocked down a 3-pointer with 44 seconds left.
Carolina has now won seven games in a row and UVa, a 24-point underdog Saturday, has lost seven in a row. Wayne Ellington had 20 points to lead the Tar Heels.
Doug Doughty just reported in that Al Groh called to tell him that Chad Wilt, a 30-year-old assistant football coach at Liberty, is headed back to Charlottesville as Virginia's new defensive line coach. Groh said Wilt will start his new job Monday.
Wilt previously served as a graduate assistant at Virginia during the 2004 and 2005 seasons, then followed Cavalier colleague Danny Rocco to Lynchburg.
Wilt has coached the Flames' defensive line and has served as special-teams coordinator. He played at Taylor University in Upland, Ind., where his father, Steve, was the head coach.
