Changes Continue

The offseason changes with the UVa football program continue to mount. First, assistant head football coach Bob Pruett announced via news release on Wednesday that he is retiring from coaching. Now, just a few days later, multiple reports indicate that defensive coordinator Bob Diaco is headed to a new job as well. Of course, shortly after the season ended, it was announced that Mike Groh, Levern Belin, and Steve Bernstein all were leaving the program as well. Strength and conditioning coach Matt Balis also left for a job at Mississippi State. That means just Anthony Poindexter, Dave Borbely, Wayne Lineburg, and Bob Price are set to return for the 2009 season; only Borbely and Price remain in their previous positions since Lineburg moved over to coach the running backs when Poindexter shifted to the secondary.

Pruett, who joined the Virginia staff for just one season, cited personal reasons for returning to retirement.

"As we all have to do in our lives, sometimes you have to stop and reset your priorities," Pruett said in a news release. "I think this is the best thing for our family and best for the University of Virginia's family, which I love dearly. When I first started out in coaching in 1965 as a high school coach, a goal of mine was to coach at the University of Virginia. It is an experience I really cherish. I really feel very good about my whole career and being able to finish my coaching career in the great state of Virginia with all the great athletes, all the great high school coaches and all the great people who are here."

Meanwhile, the reports on Diaco's expected departure hit the newspapers today with The Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Daily Progress, and The Daily Press all carrying stories. The reports indicate that Diaco is headed to Cincinnati to be reunited with Brian Kelly, who he coached with at Central Michigan. Diaco had been elevated to defensive coordinator in early December amid the staff changes occurring at the time.

The decisions by Diaco and Pruett leave Al Groh with more staff positions to address. He has already hired Gregg Brandon (offensive coordinator), Latrell Scott (wide receivers), Chad Wilt (defensive line), and Brandon Hourigan (strength and conditioning) during the offseason. Newspaper reports speculate that Ron Prince, the Cavaliers' former offensive coordinator prior to taking the head coaching job at Kansas State, could be rejoing the Hoos as an assistant head coach. Prince was dismissed from his post at KSU.

Read the various reports in Sabre NewsLink!

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

The University of Virginia football program didn't waste much time in switching gears from seniors to juniors, as it held its first prospect day for the 2010 class on Saturday. It was a small gathering of only around nine or 10 prospects, but the small number allowed the staff an opportunity to really focus on those select recruits.

Deep Run (Glen Allen, VA) offensive lineman Conner Davis, who received an official offer from Al Groh on Saturday, appreciated the attention.

"I enjoyed it a lot," Davis said. "It gave me an opportunity to get all my questions asked."

For more on the 6-5, 255-pound prospect and others, stay tuned to the EDGE today and throughout the week. We already have an article out on Davis, who has much more to say about the junior day event and the rest of his late winter/spring visit plans.

Other confirmed visitors include Central York (York, PA) tight end/defensive end Kyle Baublitz, West Rowan (Mount Ulla, N.C.) running back Kevin Parks, King & Low-Heywood running back Silas Redd, and Fork Union Military Academy offensive tackle Mark Shuman.

In addition to following up with those prospects in attendance on Saturday, TheSabre.com will take a closer look at some of the top prospects in the state of Virginia's 2010 class. Expect to see that piece out today or tomorrow and to find out which prospects have emerged as early top targets in the Commonwealth.

Basketball recruiting

On the basketball recruiting front, we will continue to follow up with some of Virginia's top junior targets. In case you missed it, check out the latest on North Carolina combo guard Brian Richardson, a 6-5, 155-pound junior that lists the Cavs at the top of his list. Richardson, who is averaging over 20 points per game in his senior season, is also considering offers from George Washington and South Carolina, among others.

Chris Horne, our resident recruiting expert, provides updates throughout the week for Edge subscribers about UVa's commitments and recruiting targets in football and men's basketball. To sign up for an Edge subscription, please check out the Sabre Edge Sign Up and Information Page. If you're already on board as an Edge subscriber, click the links below to catch up on recruiting.

Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week ...

Davis Takes in UVa Junior Day
6-5, 255-pound Deep Run (Glen Allen, VA) standout Conner Davis had visited the University of Virginia on numerous occasions, but he was especially looking forward to this past Saturday's junior day to get a closer look at the Cavaliers football program. He didn't come away disappointed with the experience, in which Virginia played host to a small number of junior prospects.

Reflections and Analysis of UVa's Class
The University of Virginia's football class consists of 25 signees, including ten players designated to play on the offensive or defensive lines. Cavaliers head coach Al Groh seemed very pleased with the group on Signing Day, when he discussed the size, speed and versatility these players will add to the program. Virginia's class is a very solid one, filling needs while also adding several potential stars.

Slotting The 2009 Signees
Ah, my favorite topic of conversation: the slotting of players. The science - really, the art - of figuring out how to get the most out of a player over the course of his career by looking not only at the player he is today but projecting the player he will be tomorrow. An opportunity to dream about what is to come.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Deep Run Junior Boasts Early Offers
• Signing Day with Smith, Snyder
• More on Morgan Moses' Decision
• NC Jr. Guard High on the Hoos

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Blog Banter: On Programs and Pipe dreams

By Rob Mahini, The Good Ol' Blog

Another reader chimes in:

I think UVA football and men's basketball will always be at the level they are now. Occasionally they may luck out and win an ACC championship but they will never consistently be a contender. Here is why I think so.

What does the slogan "Uncompromised Excellence" mean? It means the University will not sell out it's academic program for athletics. After all, UVA is a school of higher education and not a semi-pro breeding ground. Athletic scholarships used to provide a means for high school kids who did not have the funds to go to college another option to do so. Somewhere along the way the money that a good athletic program can generate started to get in the way of most college visions. There are some universities that are proud to be known as "Athletic Powerhouses" while others are proud to be known as "Education Powerhouses."

There is one problem with the above. It seems at times that UVA is the only University who cares about its athletes' education. This is where the frustration of the fans comes in to play. The almighty dollar and the prestige of a great football or men's basketball program rule most universities. Look at the stadiums and arenas that are being built to attract the top talent in the land and secure the largest donors available. Let's face it, the smartest athletes are not always going to be the best athletes. Barry Switzer put it best, when he was a coach, when he told reporters that you can not win championships with choir boys. The top athletes want to go to a place where they will be noticed immediately and can opt out of their scholarship to go pro and make the big bucks. If you don't have to attend class or keep above average grades then that?s a plus. Although UVA has had some great talent come through in years past it has never been consistent like the regular top 25 programs in the country.

The sports that I like to call the rich boy sports, such as tennis, soccer, lacrosse, and swimming will always be top contenders. The athletes in those programs typically will come with a higher GPA and are naturally a good fit for UVA.

Well, this is a general problem with Virginia - I think there's a big tension between the desire to do well in the revenue sports and the desire to keep academics as uncompromised as possible. This, to some degree, is a paradox that will lead to slippage in both directions at all times. For every Ahmad Brooks that gets let in, there's a Robert Armstrong that doesn't. Unfortunately, this paradox doesn't appear to be a good formula for consistent winning or consistent academic excellence.

And then the reader had this interesting idea ... Read the full blog post here!

Got some thoughts on the current state of affairs? Write me at [email protected].

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Devlin Named to ACC All-Academic Team: Virginia redshirt freshman tight end Andrew Devlin has been named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference's Academic Football Team. The 40-player squad was announced by ACC commissioner John Swofford. To be eligible for consideration, a player must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career.
• Cavaliers Win Eight Events at Virginia Duals: The Virginia track and field team completed the Virginia Duals at the Armory Track and Field Center in New York City by winning eight events and editing eight records in Virginia's all-time top-10 performances on Saturday.
• Virginia Wrestling Dominates Duke, 35-8: The Virginia wrestling team won eight of 10 matches in earning a 35-8 victory over Duke on Sunday on Senior Day at Memorial Gymnasium. Five of the Cavaliers wins resulted in bonus points. The 27-point win marked UVa's largest margin of victory in an ACC dual under coach Steve Garland and was the largest in ACC competition since a 37-7 win over Duke on Jan. 29, 1999.
• No. 15 UVa Edged At NC State, 60-54: No. 15 Virginia women's basketball fell on the road to NC State, 60-54, Sunday afternoon at Reynolds Coliseum. Aisha Mohammed led the Cavaliers with 13 points and 14 rebounds, her 10th double-double of the season. Lyndra Littles had 15 points for UVa (19-7, 5-5 ACC), while Monica Wright added 12 points.
• Men's Tennis Tops Tennessee 4-0 to Reach National Indoor Final: The No. 5 Virginia men's tennis team reached the finals of the 2009 ITA National Team Indoor Championships with a 4-0 victory over No. 8 Tennessee Sunday afternoon at the Midtown Tennis Club. The Cavaliers will meet No. 3 Georgia in the final on Monday as they look to repeat as National Indoor champions.
• Virginia Opens Season with 13-7 Win Over Drexel: Senior Garrett Billings tied his career high with five goals to lead Virginia to a 13-7 season-opening win over Drexel before a crowd of 2,347 fans on a gloriously sunny afternoon at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers' win is their second in a row over Drexel after getting upset in the season opener two years ago in Charlottesville.
• Celeste Miles Named to ACC All-Academic Team: Virginia senior goalkeeper Celeste Miles was named to the 2008 ACC Women's Soccer All-Academic Team. Miles started every game in goal this season for the Cavaliers. She led Virginia to a 15-5-3 record, posting a 0.97 goals against average and nine shutouts.
• Hunter Jumper Named To All-ACC Academic Men's Soccer Team: Hunter Jumper, a defender on the Virginia men's soccer team, was named to the 2008 All-ACC Academic team. Jumper started 19 games for UVa in the backfield, scoring one goal and tallying five assists for seven points. The Plano, Texas, native was instrumental in a Cavalier defense that posted five shutouts on the year.
• Wilburn Tosses No-Hitter in 11-0 Win Over Saint Louis: Senior Karla Wilburn tossed her first career no-hitter in the Virginia softball team's 11-0 win over Saint Louis (1-1) Friday in Henderson, Nev. Four Cavaliers - Nicole Koren, Abby Snyder, Sarah Tacke and Giannina Cipolloni - hit home runs and Cipolloni's first career bomb was a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning.

For more Hoo news or to read full releases, check out Virginiasports.com.

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Issue No. 31 - April 4, 2002

Spring football highlights
By Mike Ingalls

UVa football is in full swing with spring practices. I had the opportunity to observe three practices during the first week of spring ball. Here are just a few of the highlights.

QB Matt Schaub - Coach Groh said in his spring press conference that Matt Schaub took the bull by the horns in the offseason, and is taking the approach that this is his team, and he's the QB. That attitude was clearly visible in the first few spring practices. Schaub was confident and sharp. He's more relaxed and is much quicker in terms of his decision-making after the snap. His passes are crisp and right on time, allowing his receivers to do something after the catch.

TB Alvin Pearman - Pearman appears quicker. That's amazing since he added some additional muscle mass during the off-season. Groh and his staff have put an emphasis on having Pearman make one cut and go, rather than putting on too many moves at the line of scrimmage. Pearman now explodes right out of his cuts and gets north and south quickly. Comparisons to UVa's former #21 are hard to avoid. If you didn't read the roster, you'd swear it was Tiki Barber on the field.

TE Heath Miller - Wow! That's just about what you'd hear everyone say when watching practice. This young man is a beast. The move from quarterback to tight end was a smart one. Miller has soft hands and is a huge target. He and teammate Patrick Estes could be the best tight end tandem at UVa since Billy Baber and Casey Crawford.

WR Billy McMullen - It's should be no surprise that McMullen has gotten out of the gates quickly this spring. It's apparent that he's worked on consistency - McMullen hardly drops a pass in practice, and makes some of the hardest catches I've seen a receiver make since the days of - you guessed it - Herman Moore. Comparisons to Moore might be a bit premature, but this preseason All-American candidate has the tools and the size to do some serious damage this season.

WR Michael McGrew - This is perhaps my favorite Cavalier. McGrew just seems to always do the right thing on the field. His routes are perfect, his moves are sweet, and the kid catches everything. Barring injury, McGrew will likely start opposite McMullen this season.

WR Ryan Sawyer - Mark him down as UVa's third receiver for 2002, at least for now. Unless true freshmen Wali Lundy or Ron Morton come in and become wonder-receivers, Sawyer looks to have the third receiver slot secured. Sawyer made some nice receptions the first week of practice, and looks to be completely over the injury he suffered last season.

DE Chris Canty - Remember last season? Remember how it was reported by Groh, the team and the media that Canty would be an amazing defensive lineman if he could just add weight? Well, Canty did just that in the off-season, adding another 20 pounds of muscle to his 6-7 frame. Canty is now in the 280's and could easily put on another 20 pounds and maintain his athleticism. UVa's offensive linemen are getting a serious workout this spring, and Canty is one of the primary reasons.

Coming Soon

The Sabre has you covered when it comes to Hoo news. Here are a few of the articles to expect on the site soon:

• Virginia Tech Comes To Town: The Sabre covers the men's basketball game against Virginia Tech this week.
• Junior Day: Chris Horne catches up with some football recruits that attended a junior day event this weekend.
• Baseball Arrives: Bailey Stephens pens her thoughts on the start of baseball season.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

UVa Retires Singletary's No. 44
Entering Sunday's game against Clemson, Virginia basketball needed a bright moment. The Hoos got two. At halftime, The Cavaliers honored three-time first-team All ACC guard Sean Singletary, retiring his No. 44. Virginia added an exclamation mark to the moment by pulling off an upset of No. 12 Clemson.

Cavaliers Chop Down Clemson
The Virginia men's basketball team put together one of its most complete efforts of the season on Sunday. Good shooting. Check. Good defense. Check. Poise under pressure. Check. The reward proved to be an 85-81 overtime win against No. 12 Clemson that provided an appropriate backdrop for the day Virginia retired Sean Singletary's number.

Revisiting Key Questions, Part II
The Virginia men's basketball team is mired in an eight-game losing streak, the program's longest skid since 1997-98, Jeff Jones' last season at the helm. Needless to say, UVa isn't exceeding expectations. But what about other key questions? The Sabre continues to revisit its 10 key questions from the preseason with Part II today.

Revisiting Key Questions, Part I
During the first month of basketball season, The Sabre takes a look at 10 key questions facing the men's basketball team for that particular campaign. If the eventual answers to those questions turn out positive, the Cavaliers usually put together a fairly good season. On the other hand, if those answers lean to the negative, things likely aren't going well for the Hoos. Any guesses which way the needle is pointing in 2008-09? Let the painful revisiting process begin with Part I.

Shine Learning On The Job For Virginia
The free throw line isn't an easy place for freshmen. Especially freshmen that are thrust into playing in one of the most talented leagues in the country. But at the free throw line, just like everywhere else, freshman Chelsea Shine knows her teammates are with her, literally and figuratively.

Seminoles Slip Past Cavs
When it rains, it pours. Virginia once again found itself on the losing end Tuesday night, unable to complete the road upset over No. 25 Florida State 68 to 57 after battling through 10 lead changes. The loss was the Cavaliers' eighth consecutive. Despite the eventual 11-point margin, Virginia looked poised to complete the upset until the game's final eight minutes. The Cavaliers led on and off throughout the game, a rarity during their eight-game skid which dates back to their win over Brown on Jan. 6.

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