Is this the rise of a power?

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. Mark Farley enunciated what University of Richmond football fans have longed to hear.

The Northern Iowa coach, a few days before his team fell to the Spiders in the FCS semifinals, sized up UR's operation by saying "Sometimes you'll come across a team where one or two players make a difference. They make a big run and the team has a good year.

"And then, you play programs. As I see it right now, Richmond has developed [itself] into a program, because the system fits the players and I think the players can come and go, but the system will always keep them as a top-10 team in the country."

Consistency, until recently, has been a major concern for UR. The Spiders now have four straight winning seasons, the first time that has been accomplished since 1937-40. Additional success may be forthcoming following a 13-3 championship year because:

"I was very concerned [about the future of UR football] if we didn't get that stadium on campus," said Dave Clawson, the Richmond coach during 2004-07, and recently named Bowling Green's coach after a year as Tennessee's offensive coordinator. "Now that they're able to get the stadium on campus, I think Richmond is poised to really continue to be a force in the Colonial Athletic Association.

"That doesn't mean you're going to win the league every year or go to the playoffs every year, but I think without question, Richmond is in a great position there."

It's likely UR's staff, given the success, will experience attrition. But there's no reason at this point to believe London is moving on.

"There are not even words to describe what he's done for this program," linebacker Patrick Weldon said. "I feel like he brought in kind of a new attitude to our program."

Energy. Passion. London, 48, played with them as a UR defensive back, and coaches with them. Add poise and understanding, too. He inherited 16 starters from an 11-3 team that reached the 2007 FCS semifinals, and huge expectations in his first year as a head coach.

"What I had to do was just put the plan together and say 'Look, I don't want to mess this up,'" London said.

There will undoubtedly be requests from rabid supporters to increase the recruiting budget and coaches' salaries, expand facilities and loosen entrance requirements to put UR in position to attract even better players. London knows those adjustments probably aren't coming. He isn't crushed.

"The reality of it is, this is one of the best academic schools in the country, and this is a [program] that has won conference championships, and they go hand-in-hand," he said. "I think the support that [Dr. Edward L. Ayers, the school president], with new leadership, has given, I'm quite sure - I feel confident - that we'll be moving in a positive direction."
Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or .