Groh dismissed as Virginia's football coach

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- When Al Groh took over as coach at Virginia, his mentor, Bill Parcells, came in and asked him a question -- did he care what other people thought of him?

Groh responded that in matters of ethics and doing the right thing, he cared, but with regard to football decisions, he did not.

"Good," Parcells said. "You might have a chance."

Throughout his nine-year run, the New York native did things his way. He changed the culture, changed the dress code and ran an NFL-style program that made five bowl games.

Ultimately that success could not be sustained. Groh's contract was terminated yesterday by U.Va. Director of Athletics Craig Littlepage with two years remaining. Groh will be paid the remainder of the $4.33 million he was owed -- money that was raised independently of any state funds.

As the news spread yesterday, players flocked to Groh's office, where he said his goodbyes all day. At one point the line stretched from his door down the hallway.

Littlepage called a meeting of players, announcing that coaches Bob Price and Anthony Poindexter would remain on staff during the transitional period. Poindexter will interact with the defense, and Price will oversee the offense and recruiting.

The AD also solicited input from players on what they would like to see in a new coach. In a statement released yesterday, he promised a "national search" that will begin immediately. He stressed that the new coach would help athletes excel both on the field and in the classroom.

"There are a number of excellent coaches whose backgrounds and styles align with our goals and values," he said. "I believe the job of head football coach at U.Va. will be attractive to some outstanding candidates."

He gave no timetable for the search but noted that many possible candidates continue to be involved in postseason play.

Groh released his own statement, e-mailing reporters from his university address.

"I feel very fortunate," he said. "I am an ordinary guy who has been lucky to have been around some extraordinary players and coaches who put me in a position to enjoy many fulfilling games and seasons -- and that's the truth. I gave everything I had to the position and to each game."

As he chatted with those in the building and fielded messages from former players scattered around the country, he wore an Alabama cap. His son Mike, who served as offensive coordinator at Virginia for three years, is a graduate assistant with the Crimson Tide. Groh noted that he had never been to a national championship game, so he was hoping that Alabama would win the SEC title Saturday so he could go to one.

Groh, 65, gave an interview to a Charlottesville TV station, saying he had no plans, and that while he was not informed of any decision about the team during the season, "You pretty much get a sense when people don't want you anymore."

He cited Jon Gruden and Mike Shanahan as coaches who enjoyed success but came under fire when it was unable to be sustained.

"My coaching philosophy and method of building teams has trust and teamwork and bedrocks," he said in the e-mail. "We were poised to solidify our position as a top team. Instead, as that trust and collaboration deteriorated, I could see this day coming."

A U.Va. grad, Groh worked to transform the program into an NFL-style organization under the model Parcells was using. He implemented a 3-4 defense, which is still extremely rare in the college game, and annually sent several players to the NFL draft, many of whom credit their success solely to him.

But it was the collegiate touches that often made him a target for criticism. He worked to get students to wear orange to games instead of the traditional shirt-and-tie look. He rarely made the rounds as a public speaker, instead choosing to spend that time in his office watching game-tape and preparing.

He only beat rival Virginia Tech once in nine tries, and he couldn't find a coordinator to produce a solid offense in the latter part of the decade.

Many of the senior players in particular stuck by Groh in the tumultuous final season, marked by rumors of a coaching change from the beginning. On Saturday, quarterback Jameel Sewell said that the game plans always were well-conceived and that the players regretted not being able to deliver more victories. Nate Collins echoed that thought when asked if the team had enough talent to win.

"There was more than enough talent this year," he said. "I just felt like we had a lot of distractions and things like that. But there's no excuse. I just feel like -- coaches don't win games, players win games."

For the younger players who hadn't grown accustomed to the coach's style, he could seem gruff and unapproachable. During the meeting yesterday with Littlepage, a handful volunteered that they'd like to see a more personable coach take the reins.

Sophomore wide receiver Jared Green said he was happy that Littlepage reached out.

"One thing I will say is that players were able to voice their concerns, and the criteria they would like to see in the process of picking a new coach," Green said. "Just things we feel we would benefit from."

Earlier in the day Littlepage had met with Groh to inform him of the decision. The coach had clearly anticipated the decision, reciting the poem "The Guy in the Glass" to players and reporters after Saturday's game against Virginia Tech as a final statement that he held to his core beliefs in running the program.

That method left an indelible mark on U.Va. football, and regardless of how fans view that mark, it's clear that to the end, the coach always did what he felt he had to do -- and he did it his way.

Contact Michael Phillips at (804) 649-6546 or mphillips@timesdispatch.com.