Must Groh Go?

For the past few years, anyone and everyone who I have discussed UVa football with has asked me how I felt about Al Groh. “Do you think he’s a better NFL or college coach?”  “Is he too tough on his players?”  “Is he tough enough on his players?”  “Did he deserve that contract?”  And the beat goes on and on.  For the most part I have been a Groh defender.  Even though he didn’t have the warmest personality, I respected and admired his knowledge of the game and I still do.  However, after hearing of the embarrassing loss to William & Mary, watching the game against TCU live and in person, and then witnessing UVa’s collapse this past weekend against Southern Miss, I do believe there will be a change at the top of Cavaliers Football at the end of this season, if not before the end of the season.

Although going 0-3 in this fashion is pretty devastating, the losses are not the only reason why change is coming to Cavs.  Coach Groh is a great strategist of the game and he coaches situational football better than any coach I’ve seen at the collegiate level and many at the professional level.  In fact, I think that Groh’s coaching style is best suited for a coordinator position in the NFL.  His game planning and preparation on a game to game basis are laud worthy.  But when it comes to juggling the roles of head coach, recruiter, ambassador and offensive innovator Groh has dropped the ball way too often. 

His best days by far were when he was a defensive coordinator in the NFL.  When he has one task to manage, and that task is to shut down the other teams offense, there are not many better than Super Bowl champion Al Groh.  He also used to be a master of making the most out of minimal talent, but college football doesn’t operate in the same way as professional football. 

For one thing, at least 50% of college football is recruiting.  It is extremely important to be able to get the best talent in the country.  The good news for UVa fans is that much of that great talent is right here in the state of Virginia.  You don’t have to go very far to find the Michael Vicks, Aaron Brooks, Thomas Jones, DeAngelo Halls, or Percy Harvins of the world.  But those aren’t “Groh guys”.  Those aren’t “Parcels guys”.  Those aren’t “Belicick guys”. ( I’d like to go into why they aren’t, but that is a topic for another day when I have an opportunity to choose my words more wisely.)  But these guys are the best athletes in Virginia and you need guys like that to win in college football.  Groh wants a certain kind of player, and he is entitled to that desire but it’s just not conducive to winning at this level.  At the NFL level, everyone is a pretty good athlete so you can make it with players that are a little less athletic but have a higher football IQ.  College football is built on size, speed and athleticism…not brains (ask Frank Beamer). 

UVa needs new blood to reinvigorate the program and excite recruits.  They need someone who won’t be afraid to venture into the Southeastern Region for players or the South in general.  I know that UVa has an image to uphold, but a bowl game win certainly won’t hurt that image.  It is time to make that move.

Groh is my guy, so I want to see him move on and do well.  I want him to go to the NFL and become a defensive coordinator for a solid football team (maybe even the Cowboys), and win another Super Bowl.  In the NFL it’s okay to lose in week 1.  In college football it is not.  I could definitely see Groh thriving in the NFL setting, and he should take Anthony Poindexter with him as his defensive backs coach.

Either way, I wish only the best for both my alma mater and my old coaches.  The problem is that they need to move on from one another if that is going to happen.