Next level would be lucrative for UR coach
P. KEVIN MORLEY/TIMES-DISPATCH
UR coach Mike London has a 22-4 record and a national FCS title, and the Spiders are headed to the playoffs again.
RICHMOND, Va. -- What could the University of Richmond reasonably do to keep Mike London as its football coach if a Football Bowl Subdivision school makes him an offer he liked?
Financially, not much.
If London's goal is to move from the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A), and a top-half FBS school wants him, the package could at least triple what UR pays its coach.
UR is a private school and isn't required to make public its coaches' salaries.
"Without getting into specifics about people's contracts, I think our fans should know that Coach London's package at the University of Richmond is competitive nationally at the FCS level," said Jim Miller, UR's athletic director. "Everything has been appropriately done so that there should be no issue with him looking at another FCS position."
The FBS, college football's top level, includes 120 schools. The top 60 or so annually pay their coaches $1 million to $4 million. UR isn't going there.
London, 49, has expressed no interest in leaving UR. Every chance the former Spiders defensive back gets, he says he's "blessed" to have his current position. But in two seasons with London as coach, the Spiders are 22-4, including a 17-game winning streak. They won the 2008 FCS championship and are headed to the FCS playoffs again this year. By beating William and Mary (6-1 CAA, 9-1) at UR Stadium on Saturday, Richmond (6-1, 9-1) would clinch at least a share of the Colonial Athletic Association title.
Those achievements, and the fact that UR starts 15 fifth-year seniors, make London a hot commodity as a FCS coach. Following this season, his name undoubtedly will appear on the lists of some FBS search committees, though he may choose not to pursue those possibilities.
"In talking with Mike, he's happy here. He's excited here," Miller said. "We're happy with the way things are going."
Contact John O'Connor
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Reader Reactions
Mike London has done well with the hand he has been dealt. How many coaches wouldn’t love to start with the hand he was given when he arrived. It is similar to what Jim Caldwell was given as the new head coach of the Colts. Talent laden group with a lot of experience. The jury is still out until he shows he can recruit a solid team. We see this a lot. Guy shows up to use someone elses recruits, spends 2-3 years with them and then leaves. Anthony Grant just did this at VCU. Can he recruit a good overall team? Who knows? He won with Capel’s recruits. We’ll find out at Alabama. I’d like to see London at UR for 6 years and then you can say how good a total coach he is. I like him a lot…enjoy his attitude in all interviews I hear of him, but coaching is more than just Rah-rah and X’s and O’s. You’ve got to be able to build the team piece by piece.
Coach London is certainly is a good position.
When you look at what happened to Dave Clawson, it certainly can be said the “grass is greener” but the color of the grass can change rapidly in big time college football. I think he ended up being the head coach at Bowling Green now. It’s not I-AA but is he really in a better position? U of R will never be able to compete with the top levels of a 1-A program but they have an endowment that is much larger than most schools. If there is any truth to what is on the internet, then their endowment is over 10 times James Madison’s. Someone got some cash around that campus….so they could crack their wallets to keep him if they really choose to. Ask guys like Coach Laycock of W&M and Larrenagra of George Mason’s basketball team & the former head coach at Delaware - Tubby Raymond, he left there pretty much as a legend in those parts. One can make a good & comfortable living at these schools.
It would be cool to see him stay but it is fun watching his teams play for now.
Since Groh Must Go this guy is a natural for UVA.
No disrespect to Mike London, he is the classiest of individuals, but he has had success with another coaches recruits. Uva has tried the bigger name coaches from bigger programs and the NFL and should realize that it is not the coach, but the school that prohibits them from being competitive in the ACC. They have tried it in football and basketball and the other ACC schools continue to out recruit them and will continue to do so, get accustomed to it, it is not going to change. I can’t blame Mike London to go if they come calling, but understand, it will be for the money and his families future and not to compete in the ACC or on the national stage. Probably be there for 4-5 years and be booted out, history does repeat itself.
There are only two questions: when is Craig Littlepage going to call, and what will London say when the call comes? He’s got to be U.Va.‘s first choice. Great coach, recruiting base in Virginia, etc. I went to a I-AA football school, so I feel the Spiders’ pain. But U.Va. has cash to burn, a hungry fan base and London has a chance to take U.Va to the next level. How does a 49 year old guy with fire in his belly say no to that chance?
He’s too good for UVA.
The grass is not always greener, but the money ALWAYS is green. WHen it comes down to it, it is almost impossible to keep a coach at UR for any major sport if they great success because the money out there is just too much to compete with.
Its just the way things are now in athletics and business. People constantly moving around to move up. Gone are the days where coaches stay 30 years at one school or an employee works 35 years at one place and works themselves up.
Can you fault them though? Lets just assume London makes 500K. Any big name school that contacts him will likely pay him anywhere from 800K to 1.2 million. If someone called you at work today and said “Hey, got a job for you, doing the same thing your doing now, and I will increase your pay anywhere from 60% to 120%, what do you say?“.
It would take a special person to stay at UR and give up those offers. I would envision an older London type possibly. Someone who went to UR, played at UR, and is a little older, and ready to retire. Same with Mooney and basketball - he is too young and has no connection to the school, that if he is successful and can double his pay elsewhere, it would be hard to turn down.
Looks like U.V.A. will be needing a good coach at the end of the year! This would be a good fit for him and U.V.A. The money tripples and you never know about the grass being greener unless you try. My bet is he’ll be going back to U.V.A.
I love the punctual approach of the media as they chose to time their articles of distraction at key points in the season when the team needs a high degree of focus. Mr O’Connor must have graduated with a communications degree from VCU. Why could you just not wait till the end of the season to discuss this?
The “grass is NOT always greener on the other side!“ Example, Dave Clawson’s move to UT-Knoxville. He goes to the Vols, they have a horrible year. Head coach Fuller slong with his assistants, including Clawson, “get the ax”. Meanwhile at UR the program that Clawon left for so-called greener pastures, wins NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! I hope that Mike London recalls what happened to his predecessor and decides to stay at UR!
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