A lot has happened since Virginia's season ended with a loss to Virginia Tech, 23-20, Saturday in Charlottesville. As expected, Mike London and UVa parted ways Sunday. During the game Saturday, it was leaked that Virginia Tech was hiring Memphis coach Justin Fuente to replace the retiring Frank Beamer. I really like Fuente and think his offense will pair well with Bud Foster's defense. Foster is staying in Blacksburg. Fuente was one of my favorite coaches to replace London after his Tigers beat Ole Miss earlier this season. Tech was hot on his trail for awhile, though.
Over the past couple days, UVa was said to be in the running to land Mark Richt, the Georgia coach who was fired Sunday. He would have been a huge get for the Wahoos. All he did for the Bulldogs over the past 15 seasons was compile a 145-51 record (83-37 SEC) and win nine bowl games. Virginia hasn't even been to a bowl since 2011 and hasn't won one since 2005. He had one losing season in 2010 (6-7) but went to a bowl every year. Richt was in the running as well to replace George Welsh when he retired as Virginia coach in 2000.
Early Wednesday evening, though, it was reported that Richt -- a Miami alum who played QB there from 1979-83 -- had accepted its job, which had been open since the Hurricanes fired Al Golden in the middle of the season. This came after reports said Richt was in Charlottesville interviewing for the UVa gig sometime Wednesday. Later on Wednesday night, however, it was unknown if Richt had actually been at UVa at all. We may never know. Hopes were high that Richt and the Cavs would be a fit this time around, but it was not to be. Supposedly, he had qualms about Virginia's stringent academic requirements for its players in 2000. Perhaps those worries surfaced again. Still, he was seen as more of a cultural fit at UVa than at Miami, because Miami had changed since he was there, going through its "the U" phase and having a history of sketchy players. However, I think Golden cleaned up that image, and that might have made the opportunity seem better for Richt. But, Miami has higher expectations than Virginia and I think his 8-10 wins seasons would be more appreciated in Charlottesville than there, and he would have had less stress. Also, UVa has an on-campus stadium, which Miami does not have, and a better fanbase that shows up to games (when things are going well -- still, UVa often beats Miami in attendance) and facilities that are competitive. Plus, Miami has only been marginally better over the last decade. Neither team has won the ACC's Coastal Division.
With Richt out of the picture, let's look at some other candidates that have been tossed about on Twitter and message boards by the fanbase. Some of these names have shown up on new outlets' lists as possible candidates, and some have not. Some are reportedly interested and some are not. This list isn't exhaustive, of course, but is a snapshot look at the names I have come across the most.
I will roughly try to order them from most mentioned to least mentioned, but that does not mean someone off the radar won't be hired. I will give my opinion of how surprised I'd be if said coach was hired, with 3 being surprised, 2 being not sure/neutral, and 1 being not surprised/person has been mentioned a lot or is a favorite choice of fans.
Jeff Brohm
Age: 44
From: Kentucky
College: Louisville 1989-93 (quarterback)
Current position: Western Kentucky head coach
Coaching record: 18-7 (two seasons)
Other relevant experience: NFL QB from 1994-2000. Assistant on offensive side of the ball/QBs at his alma mater for several years before moving on to Florida Atlantic, Illinois, and UAB. Became assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Western Kentucky under Bobby Petrino in 2013 and became the head coach last year when Petrino went back to Louisville.
Pros: Western Kentucky was good under Petrino, who spent 2013 there as head coach, but it appears to have gotten even better with Brohm running things. His offense is one of the best in the country this season and the team is 10-2 after going 8-5 last season. Brohm oversaw the team transform from run-first to pass-first once he became head coach. Last season, WKU broke 50 school and conference records on offense. He's had several QBs he's coached go on to professional careers.
Cons: Even more inexperienced as a head coach than Matt Rhule (further down this list), so you worry a little about if he is just building on what Petrino had already done, and if he can really turn around a program. Said to be interested in Louisville job if Petrino moves on/retires. Petrino is 54. Also, UVa plays Louisville every year. Would Brohm want to face his alma mater each season?
Surprise value: 1
Troy Calhoun
Age: 49
From: Oregon
College: Air Force 1985-88 (QB)
Current position: Air Force head coach
Coaching record: 67-48 (nine seasons)
Other relevant experience: Started career at Ohio before moving on to alma mater, then Wake Forest, and then stops in the NFL with the Broncos and Texans, including a year as Houston's offensive coordinator in 2006.
Pros: Offensively-minded coach. Lots of head coaching experience and an interesting mix of college and NFL in his background, which could give him unique perspectives. Said to be flexible as to type of offense he runs, tailoring it to talent. Known for an option-type offense at Air Force, but has run multiple offenses there. Would be used to tough academics/environment of UVa coming from Air Force. Former UVa coach Welsh was from Navy. Winning at a service academy is said to be a huge accomplishment.
Cons: Calhoun did have a 2-10 record in 2010. That's been his lone losing season, however. Could be tough to pry away from his alma mater. Has been out West a lot, would he be able to recruit in the East effectively? There was a rape scandal of at Air Force in 2010, which might have involved some football players. I don't know a ton about it, but for what's it's worth, his name is not mentioned in this article, if you want to brush up a little:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/11/05/operation_gridiron_espn_s_e_60_reports_on_the_air_force_academy_s_sexual.html
Surprise value: 1
Mack Brown
Age: 64
From: Tennessee
College: Vanderbilt and Florida State 1969-73 (running back)
Current position: Color commentator for ESPN college football broadcasts
Coaching record: 244-122-1 (30 seasons)
Other relevant experience: Texas head coach from 1998-2013. North Carolina head coach 1988-97. Tulane head coach for three years and Appalachian State head coach for a year. Started as a WR coach at Florida State, Southern Miss, and Memphis. Was an offensive coordinator for a year each at Iowa State and Oklahoma. Also coached QBs for a year at LSU.
Pros: Well, for one, he won a national title at Texas in 2005, with Vince Young at QB, in one of the best games ever, a shootout against an undefeated USC squad featuring Matt Linehart and Reggie Bush that had won a bazillion games in a row over two seasons. Also built programs at Tulane and North Carolina. Went 2-20 in his first two seasons at UNC, but never had a losing season and after that and won 10 games three times. By far the candidate with the most head coaching experience. He would give UVa football instant credibility, putting it in the spotlight while getting the Cavaliers more airtime on ESPN than they are used to, attracting potential recruits. No doubt that he can walk into a recruit's house with a championship ring and impress and swoon some guys. At the very least, even if he doesn't turn UVa into a nine- or 10-win team, he could be a good bridge to another younger coach and get things headed in the right direction and get UVa to some bowls, making the position more attractive.
Cons: He's getting old. He's been out of the game for two seasons. Has it passed him by? Can he connect with kids in high school and college now? For a stretch of 10 years, he did not lose more than three games at Texas. However, he lost at least four games his last four years there and had a 5-7 year. Would he be able to win at Virginia, where the talent he would get might not be as good as the talent he coached at Texas? He also left Texas somewhat barren in the talent department as his recruiting prowess waned in his final years. Second-year coach Charlie Strong has had to restock talent, and also rid the program of a sense of entitlement and some undisciplined players. Had Brown lost control or was he burnt out? Can he come back and coach somewhere else with energy and passion and make a difference? These are all burning questions for any school who might consider Brown. No doubt, he could really do some good work at Virginia, but if he is uninspired and more reminiscent of his later days at Texas, he might actually have a hard time turning UVa around. Supposedly, he is very interested in the job. So far, Virginia seems to want someone younger.
Surprise value: 2 (1 if other candidates turn down UVa)
Matt Rhule
Age: 40
From: Pennsylvania
College: Penn State 1994-97 (linebacker)
Current position: Temple head coach
Coaching record: 18-18 (three seasons)
Other relevant experience: New York Giants assistant offensive line coach in 2012; various assistant positions at Temple before that under Al Golden and Steve Addazio.
Pros: Appears to have built winner at Temple, which is 10-2 this year after going 6-6 last year and 2-10 in his first season. Said to have Owls playing very physical and smart brand of football. Has beaten new Tech coach Fuente twice already in his career, including this season.
Cons: Still relatively inexperienced with just three years of being a head coach. Background is on defense, too, and UVa might want to go the offensive route after having an offense stuck in a rut for seemingly a decade, and the Cavs' past two hires have had defensive backgrounds (London and Al Groh). Said to want Penn State job if it were to come open, and it seems like he actually just wants to stay at Temple for now.
Surprise value: 2
Sonny Dykes
Age: 47
From: Texas
College: Texas Tech 1989-93 (baseball first baseman)
Current position: Cal head coach
Coaching record: 35-38 (three seasons at Cal, three at Louisiana Tech)
Other relevant experience: Worked his way through several small schools as an offensive assistant until making it to the big stage under Mike Leach at Texas Tech. He was the Red Raiders' co-offensive coordinator from 2005-2006. Moved on to Arizona in the same capacity and as QB coach for three years before taking over as head coach at Louisiana Tech. Beat UVa, 44-38, in 2012.
Pros: Known as respected offensive mind who runs uptempo spread. Working under Leach surely was time well spent, as Leach has helped turned around a moribund program at Washington State with his offense. Would be used to working at institution with rigorous academics, since he is at Cal. Don't let 35-38 overall record fool you. He helped turn around Bulldogs and Golden Bears and improved his record each year at each school; (LT: 5-7, 8-5, 9-3; Cal: 1-11, 5-7, 7-5).
Cons: Reportedly is unhappy at Cal, possibly because of the academic rigors. However, it is known that Cal has even stricter standards than UVa, as it wants 80 percent of its incoming athletes to have high school GPAs of at least 3.0 by 2017. So while this could be a hangup, I don't think the issue would be as great for him in Charlottesville. Reports are he wanted the Missouri job more, but the Tigers promoted their defensive coordinator late Thursday night. Who knows if Dykes' heart would be 100 percent behind a move to Virginia?
Surprise value: 2
Mike Sanford Jr.
Age: 33
From: Born in Virginia, but his dad played for USC. Unclear where he mostly grew up.
College: Boise State 2000-04 (QB)
Current position: Notre Dame offensive coordinator
Other relevant experience: Offensive coordinator for Boise State in 2014. Three years at Stanford, including the 2013 seasons when he was QB coach and recruiting coordinator. Assistant experience at Western Kentucky, Yale, and UNLV as well. Besides Richt, Sanford has been the name most closely linked to the UVa job, as Roanoke Times reporter Doug Doughty was the first to mention it over a week ago. Why would he put a name out there just to do it, unless he was tipped off? Sanford has since said he was staying with Notre Dame, but things can change quickly when offers and money become real.
Pros: Has been around a lot of winning lately at both Notre Dame and Stanford, so he knows what it looks like. Considered a bright, young offensive mind. Brian Kelly, the Notre Dame coach, obviously saw something in him to hire him as offensive coordinator this season. The Irish have been impressive on offense this year despite losing several players to injuries, including their starting QB and RB. Was running backs coach on Andrew Luck-led 2011 Stanford team that also featured RB Stepfan Taylor, who rushed for more than 2,800 yards in two years under Sanford's tutelage.
Cons: Very fresh-faced, which could be a good thing, but could also blow up for Virginia. Has no head coaching experience -- London actually had more, albeit on the FCS level. Kelly calls the plays for the Irish, not Sanford, though I believe he did call plays at Boise State. Sanford's dad has been a head coach at UNLV and Indiana State, and has a sub-par record of 30-66.
Surprise value: 2 (because he has said he is staying at Notre Dame; 1 before that)
Bob Diaco
Age: 42
From: New Jersey
College: Iowa 1992-95 (LB)
Current position: Connecticut head coach
Coaching record: 8-16 (two seasons)
Other relevant experience: After some assistant gigs, got the co-defensive coordinator job at Central Michigan in 2005. Al Groh hired him to coach linebackers and special teams at UVa from 2006-08. After a one-year stint at Cincinnati in 2009, moved on to Notre Dame and was its defensive coordinator.
Pros: Ties to UVa, so he knows what it is like to recruit and coach at the school. Not a ton of experience, but has gotten UConn going in the right direction. The Huskies were 10-18 in two and a half seasons under Paul Pasqualoni before Diaco, who went 2-10 last year but has his team sitting at 6-6 now. Another thing that might help him is that his defensive coordinator is Anthony Poindexter, the former star safety at UVa who was an assistant for the Cavs from 2003-2013. Could Poindexter nudge Diaco into calling athletic director Craig Littlepage and at least inquiring?
Cons: Inexperienced as a head coach, and has he really turned around UConn? Could be too early to tell. Defensive-minded, and UVa likely wants to go the offensive route. Also has ties to Groh, and some fans want a clean break from UVa football's recent uninspiring past.
Surprise value: 2
Dan Mullen
Age: 43
From: Pennsylvania
College: Ursinus College (Pa.) 1991-94 (tight end)
Current position: Mississippi State head coach
Coaching record: 54-35 (seven seasons)
Other relevant experience: Worked under Urban Meyer at Bowling Green, Utah, and Florida. QB coach at the first two, and QB coach and offensive coordinator at Florida.
Pros: Has won in the SEC West, the toughest division in college football over recent seasons. And he did it at Mississippi State, which was a program that had not won consistently since the 1990s. Has an offensive background and studied under probably the best or second-best coach in college football right now, Meyer. Reportedly, he wants out of Mississippi State, which he has probably taken about as far as he can. The Bulldogs took a step back this season to 8-4 after reaching No. 1 for a few weeks in 2014.
Cons: Why does he want out of MSU? Virginia might want to explore that issue if it interviews him. Can he handle the academic standards UVa has for athletes after spending time in the SEC, which is not usually known for turning out Rhodes scholars? If he just wants to reboot for awhile at an easier job, and he is actually a great coach, he could jump ship if he does well at UVa for 2-4 years. He might not be a long-term solution, but like Mack Brown, might get Virginia turned around in a short period of time.
Surprise value: 3
Matt Wells
Age: 42
From: Utah
College: Utah State 1993-96 (QB)
Current position: Utah State head coach
Coaching record: 25-15 (three seasons)
Other relevant experience: Worked at Navy, Tulsa, New Mexico, and Louisville before joining his alma mater in 2011 as QB coach and recruiting coordinator. Became offensive coordinator in 2012 and head coach in 2013.
Pros: Experience on the offensive side of the ball. Has mostly maintained level of success Gary Andersen had achieved at school.
Cons: After 9-5 and 10-4 records his first two seasons, USU went 6-6 this year in the regular season so the dip gives pause, as it was Andersen that built the program originally. Has spent a lot of time out West, so like Calhoun, can he recruit the East? Has been a recruiting coordinator before, so that is probably a plus.
Surprise value: 3
Al Golden
Age: 46
From: New Jersey
College: Penn State 1987-91 (tight end)
Current position: Unemployed (fired as Miami's head coach midseason)
Coaching record: 59-59 (five seasons at Temple, four and a half at Miami)
Other relevant experience: Graduate assistant under George Welsh at UVa and was Groh's defensive coordinator from 2001-05 at the school. Also spent time at Boston College and Penn State.
Pros: Like Diaco, knows what it is like to recruit and coach at UVa. Known as a strong recruiter. Lots of fans wanted him when Groh was fired in 2009. He has lost some luster with his perceived failure at Miami, but he did have a winning record there, though his ACC mark was one game below .500. It seems like he would be a better fit at UVa than at Miami. He wears a tie on the sideline for crying out loud! Matt Rhule has turned around the Temple program now, but Golden did the same in an arguably worse situation a decade ago.
Cons: Probably won't happen because he is drawing strong interest from Rutgers for its job. Failure at Miami might mean he can't cut it in the ACC. Defensive background, and as I have mentioned, seems like UVa wants to go in an offensive direction. I think this shipped sailed in 2009 and his hire now would make fans feel like the program is spinning its wheels.
Surprise value: 3 (because of the Rutgers news)
There are other names out there, however, I think that is enough for now. I appreciate you if you read this far but would also be surprised. So give yourself a pat on the back if you did. If I have time, I'll write about other candidates if they gain traction in the search and no announcement is made before I write something. And I'll of course give my reaction and commentary whenever someone is hired.
Over the past couple days, UVa was said to be in the running to land Mark Richt, the Georgia coach who was fired Sunday. He would have been a huge get for the Wahoos. All he did for the Bulldogs over the past 15 seasons was compile a 145-51 record (83-37 SEC) and win nine bowl games. Virginia hasn't even been to a bowl since 2011 and hasn't won one since 2005. He had one losing season in 2010 (6-7) but went to a bowl every year. Richt was in the running as well to replace George Welsh when he retired as Virginia coach in 2000.
Early Wednesday evening, though, it was reported that Richt -- a Miami alum who played QB there from 1979-83 -- had accepted its job, which had been open since the Hurricanes fired Al Golden in the middle of the season. This came after reports said Richt was in Charlottesville interviewing for the UVa gig sometime Wednesday. Later on Wednesday night, however, it was unknown if Richt had actually been at UVa at all. We may never know. Hopes were high that Richt and the Cavs would be a fit this time around, but it was not to be. Supposedly, he had qualms about Virginia's stringent academic requirements for its players in 2000. Perhaps those worries surfaced again. Still, he was seen as more of a cultural fit at UVa than at Miami, because Miami had changed since he was there, going through its "the U" phase and having a history of sketchy players. However, I think Golden cleaned up that image, and that might have made the opportunity seem better for Richt. But, Miami has higher expectations than Virginia and I think his 8-10 wins seasons would be more appreciated in Charlottesville than there, and he would have had less stress. Also, UVa has an on-campus stadium, which Miami does not have, and a better fanbase that shows up to games (when things are going well -- still, UVa often beats Miami in attendance) and facilities that are competitive. Plus, Miami has only been marginally better over the last decade. Neither team has won the ACC's Coastal Division.
With Richt out of the picture, let's look at some other candidates that have been tossed about on Twitter and message boards by the fanbase. Some of these names have shown up on new outlets' lists as possible candidates, and some have not. Some are reportedly interested and some are not. This list isn't exhaustive, of course, but is a snapshot look at the names I have come across the most.
I will roughly try to order them from most mentioned to least mentioned, but that does not mean someone off the radar won't be hired. I will give my opinion of how surprised I'd be if said coach was hired, with 3 being surprised, 2 being not sure/neutral, and 1 being not surprised/person has been mentioned a lot or is a favorite choice of fans.
Jeff Brohm
Age: 44
From: Kentucky
College: Louisville 1989-93 (quarterback)
Current position: Western Kentucky head coach
Coaching record: 18-7 (two seasons)
Other relevant experience: NFL QB from 1994-2000. Assistant on offensive side of the ball/QBs at his alma mater for several years before moving on to Florida Atlantic, Illinois, and UAB. Became assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Western Kentucky under Bobby Petrino in 2013 and became the head coach last year when Petrino went back to Louisville.
Pros: Western Kentucky was good under Petrino, who spent 2013 there as head coach, but it appears to have gotten even better with Brohm running things. His offense is one of the best in the country this season and the team is 10-2 after going 8-5 last season. Brohm oversaw the team transform from run-first to pass-first once he became head coach. Last season, WKU broke 50 school and conference records on offense. He's had several QBs he's coached go on to professional careers.
Cons: Even more inexperienced as a head coach than Matt Rhule (further down this list), so you worry a little about if he is just building on what Petrino had already done, and if he can really turn around a program. Said to be interested in Louisville job if Petrino moves on/retires. Petrino is 54. Also, UVa plays Louisville every year. Would Brohm want to face his alma mater each season?
Surprise value: 1
Troy Calhoun
Age: 49
From: Oregon
College: Air Force 1985-88 (QB)
Current position: Air Force head coach
Coaching record: 67-48 (nine seasons)
Other relevant experience: Started career at Ohio before moving on to alma mater, then Wake Forest, and then stops in the NFL with the Broncos and Texans, including a year as Houston's offensive coordinator in 2006.
Pros: Offensively-minded coach. Lots of head coaching experience and an interesting mix of college and NFL in his background, which could give him unique perspectives. Said to be flexible as to type of offense he runs, tailoring it to talent. Known for an option-type offense at Air Force, but has run multiple offenses there. Would be used to tough academics/environment of UVa coming from Air Force. Former UVa coach Welsh was from Navy. Winning at a service academy is said to be a huge accomplishment.
Cons: Calhoun did have a 2-10 record in 2010. That's been his lone losing season, however. Could be tough to pry away from his alma mater. Has been out West a lot, would he be able to recruit in the East effectively? There was a rape scandal of at Air Force in 2010, which might have involved some football players. I don't know a ton about it, but for what's it's worth, his name is not mentioned in this article, if you want to brush up a little:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/11/05/operation_gridiron_espn_s_e_60_reports_on_the_air_force_academy_s_sexual.html
Surprise value: 1
Mack Brown
Age: 64
From: Tennessee
College: Vanderbilt and Florida State 1969-73 (running back)
Current position: Color commentator for ESPN college football broadcasts
Coaching record: 244-122-1 (30 seasons)
Other relevant experience: Texas head coach from 1998-2013. North Carolina head coach 1988-97. Tulane head coach for three years and Appalachian State head coach for a year. Started as a WR coach at Florida State, Southern Miss, and Memphis. Was an offensive coordinator for a year each at Iowa State and Oklahoma. Also coached QBs for a year at LSU.
Pros: Well, for one, he won a national title at Texas in 2005, with Vince Young at QB, in one of the best games ever, a shootout against an undefeated USC squad featuring Matt Linehart and Reggie Bush that had won a bazillion games in a row over two seasons. Also built programs at Tulane and North Carolina. Went 2-20 in his first two seasons at UNC, but never had a losing season and after that and won 10 games three times. By far the candidate with the most head coaching experience. He would give UVa football instant credibility, putting it in the spotlight while getting the Cavaliers more airtime on ESPN than they are used to, attracting potential recruits. No doubt that he can walk into a recruit's house with a championship ring and impress and swoon some guys. At the very least, even if he doesn't turn UVa into a nine- or 10-win team, he could be a good bridge to another younger coach and get things headed in the right direction and get UVa to some bowls, making the position more attractive.
Cons: He's getting old. He's been out of the game for two seasons. Has it passed him by? Can he connect with kids in high school and college now? For a stretch of 10 years, he did not lose more than three games at Texas. However, he lost at least four games his last four years there and had a 5-7 year. Would he be able to win at Virginia, where the talent he would get might not be as good as the talent he coached at Texas? He also left Texas somewhat barren in the talent department as his recruiting prowess waned in his final years. Second-year coach Charlie Strong has had to restock talent, and also rid the program of a sense of entitlement and some undisciplined players. Had Brown lost control or was he burnt out? Can he come back and coach somewhere else with energy and passion and make a difference? These are all burning questions for any school who might consider Brown. No doubt, he could really do some good work at Virginia, but if he is uninspired and more reminiscent of his later days at Texas, he might actually have a hard time turning UVa around. Supposedly, he is very interested in the job. So far, Virginia seems to want someone younger.
Surprise value: 2 (1 if other candidates turn down UVa)
Matt Rhule
Age: 40
From: Pennsylvania
College: Penn State 1994-97 (linebacker)
Current position: Temple head coach
Coaching record: 18-18 (three seasons)
Other relevant experience: New York Giants assistant offensive line coach in 2012; various assistant positions at Temple before that under Al Golden and Steve Addazio.
Pros: Appears to have built winner at Temple, which is 10-2 this year after going 6-6 last year and 2-10 in his first season. Said to have Owls playing very physical and smart brand of football. Has beaten new Tech coach Fuente twice already in his career, including this season.
Cons: Still relatively inexperienced with just three years of being a head coach. Background is on defense, too, and UVa might want to go the offensive route after having an offense stuck in a rut for seemingly a decade, and the Cavs' past two hires have had defensive backgrounds (London and Al Groh). Said to want Penn State job if it were to come open, and it seems like he actually just wants to stay at Temple for now.
Surprise value: 2
Sonny Dykes
Age: 47
From: Texas
College: Texas Tech 1989-93 (baseball first baseman)
Current position: Cal head coach
Coaching record: 35-38 (three seasons at Cal, three at Louisiana Tech)
Other relevant experience: Worked his way through several small schools as an offensive assistant until making it to the big stage under Mike Leach at Texas Tech. He was the Red Raiders' co-offensive coordinator from 2005-2006. Moved on to Arizona in the same capacity and as QB coach for three years before taking over as head coach at Louisiana Tech. Beat UVa, 44-38, in 2012.
Pros: Known as respected offensive mind who runs uptempo spread. Working under Leach surely was time well spent, as Leach has helped turned around a moribund program at Washington State with his offense. Would be used to working at institution with rigorous academics, since he is at Cal. Don't let 35-38 overall record fool you. He helped turn around Bulldogs and Golden Bears and improved his record each year at each school; (LT: 5-7, 8-5, 9-3; Cal: 1-11, 5-7, 7-5).
Cons: Reportedly is unhappy at Cal, possibly because of the academic rigors. However, it is known that Cal has even stricter standards than UVa, as it wants 80 percent of its incoming athletes to have high school GPAs of at least 3.0 by 2017. So while this could be a hangup, I don't think the issue would be as great for him in Charlottesville. Reports are he wanted the Missouri job more, but the Tigers promoted their defensive coordinator late Thursday night. Who knows if Dykes' heart would be 100 percent behind a move to Virginia?
Surprise value: 2
Mike Sanford Jr.
Age: 33
From: Born in Virginia, but his dad played for USC. Unclear where he mostly grew up.
College: Boise State 2000-04 (QB)
Current position: Notre Dame offensive coordinator
Other relevant experience: Offensive coordinator for Boise State in 2014. Three years at Stanford, including the 2013 seasons when he was QB coach and recruiting coordinator. Assistant experience at Western Kentucky, Yale, and UNLV as well. Besides Richt, Sanford has been the name most closely linked to the UVa job, as Roanoke Times reporter Doug Doughty was the first to mention it over a week ago. Why would he put a name out there just to do it, unless he was tipped off? Sanford has since said he was staying with Notre Dame, but things can change quickly when offers and money become real.
Pros: Has been around a lot of winning lately at both Notre Dame and Stanford, so he knows what it looks like. Considered a bright, young offensive mind. Brian Kelly, the Notre Dame coach, obviously saw something in him to hire him as offensive coordinator this season. The Irish have been impressive on offense this year despite losing several players to injuries, including their starting QB and RB. Was running backs coach on Andrew Luck-led 2011 Stanford team that also featured RB Stepfan Taylor, who rushed for more than 2,800 yards in two years under Sanford's tutelage.
Cons: Very fresh-faced, which could be a good thing, but could also blow up for Virginia. Has no head coaching experience -- London actually had more, albeit on the FCS level. Kelly calls the plays for the Irish, not Sanford, though I believe he did call plays at Boise State. Sanford's dad has been a head coach at UNLV and Indiana State, and has a sub-par record of 30-66.
Surprise value: 2 (because he has said he is staying at Notre Dame; 1 before that)
Bob Diaco
Age: 42
From: New Jersey
College: Iowa 1992-95 (LB)
Current position: Connecticut head coach
Coaching record: 8-16 (two seasons)
Other relevant experience: After some assistant gigs, got the co-defensive coordinator job at Central Michigan in 2005. Al Groh hired him to coach linebackers and special teams at UVa from 2006-08. After a one-year stint at Cincinnati in 2009, moved on to Notre Dame and was its defensive coordinator.
Pros: Ties to UVa, so he knows what it is like to recruit and coach at the school. Not a ton of experience, but has gotten UConn going in the right direction. The Huskies were 10-18 in two and a half seasons under Paul Pasqualoni before Diaco, who went 2-10 last year but has his team sitting at 6-6 now. Another thing that might help him is that his defensive coordinator is Anthony Poindexter, the former star safety at UVa who was an assistant for the Cavs from 2003-2013. Could Poindexter nudge Diaco into calling athletic director Craig Littlepage and at least inquiring?
Cons: Inexperienced as a head coach, and has he really turned around UConn? Could be too early to tell. Defensive-minded, and UVa likely wants to go the offensive route. Also has ties to Groh, and some fans want a clean break from UVa football's recent uninspiring past.
Surprise value: 2
Dan Mullen
Age: 43
From: Pennsylvania
College: Ursinus College (Pa.) 1991-94 (tight end)
Current position: Mississippi State head coach
Coaching record: 54-35 (seven seasons)
Other relevant experience: Worked under Urban Meyer at Bowling Green, Utah, and Florida. QB coach at the first two, and QB coach and offensive coordinator at Florida.
Pros: Has won in the SEC West, the toughest division in college football over recent seasons. And he did it at Mississippi State, which was a program that had not won consistently since the 1990s. Has an offensive background and studied under probably the best or second-best coach in college football right now, Meyer. Reportedly, he wants out of Mississippi State, which he has probably taken about as far as he can. The Bulldogs took a step back this season to 8-4 after reaching No. 1 for a few weeks in 2014.
Cons: Why does he want out of MSU? Virginia might want to explore that issue if it interviews him. Can he handle the academic standards UVa has for athletes after spending time in the SEC, which is not usually known for turning out Rhodes scholars? If he just wants to reboot for awhile at an easier job, and he is actually a great coach, he could jump ship if he does well at UVa for 2-4 years. He might not be a long-term solution, but like Mack Brown, might get Virginia turned around in a short period of time.
Surprise value: 3
Matt Wells
Age: 42
From: Utah
College: Utah State 1993-96 (QB)
Current position: Utah State head coach
Coaching record: 25-15 (three seasons)
Other relevant experience: Worked at Navy, Tulsa, New Mexico, and Louisville before joining his alma mater in 2011 as QB coach and recruiting coordinator. Became offensive coordinator in 2012 and head coach in 2013.
Pros: Experience on the offensive side of the ball. Has mostly maintained level of success Gary Andersen had achieved at school.
Cons: After 9-5 and 10-4 records his first two seasons, USU went 6-6 this year in the regular season so the dip gives pause, as it was Andersen that built the program originally. Has spent a lot of time out West, so like Calhoun, can he recruit the East? Has been a recruiting coordinator before, so that is probably a plus.
Surprise value: 3
Al Golden
Age: 46
From: New Jersey
College: Penn State 1987-91 (tight end)
Current position: Unemployed (fired as Miami's head coach midseason)
Coaching record: 59-59 (five seasons at Temple, four and a half at Miami)
Other relevant experience: Graduate assistant under George Welsh at UVa and was Groh's defensive coordinator from 2001-05 at the school. Also spent time at Boston College and Penn State.
Pros: Like Diaco, knows what it is like to recruit and coach at UVa. Known as a strong recruiter. Lots of fans wanted him when Groh was fired in 2009. He has lost some luster with his perceived failure at Miami, but he did have a winning record there, though his ACC mark was one game below .500. It seems like he would be a better fit at UVa than at Miami. He wears a tie on the sideline for crying out loud! Matt Rhule has turned around the Temple program now, but Golden did the same in an arguably worse situation a decade ago.
Cons: Probably won't happen because he is drawing strong interest from Rutgers for its job. Failure at Miami might mean he can't cut it in the ACC. Defensive background, and as I have mentioned, seems like UVa wants to go in an offensive direction. I think this shipped sailed in 2009 and his hire now would make fans feel like the program is spinning its wheels.
Surprise value: 3 (because of the Rutgers news)
There are other names out there, however, I think that is enough for now. I appreciate you if you read this far but would also be surprised. So give yourself a pat on the back if you did. If I have time, I'll write about other candidates if they gain traction in the search and no announcement is made before I write something. And I'll of course give my reaction and commentary whenever someone is hired.
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