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Groh Must Go: Virginia football is in a downward spiral
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Published: October 3, 2008
The inescapable conclusion regarding football at Virginia is that a change is necessary.
Al Groh is the head coach and controls every aspect of the program.
The program is in a downward spiral, and that responsibility falls on Groh.
When this season ends, so should his tenure at Virginia.
What is happening in Charlottesville is unacceptable.
The Cavaliers went through a rebuilding year in 2006, with a 5-7 record to show for it.
Two seasons later, the same program shouldn't be 119th in the country -- last -- in scoring offense.
One year after going 9-4 and winning five games by either one or two points, the program shouldn't be 118th in total offense and 98th in scoring defense.
This year's schedule is tough, rated the 19th most difficult in the country. But if you have a true major-college program, you should be able to meet that challenge.
The Cavaliers are 1-3, and their lone victory was over Richmond, a strong Football Championship Subdivision team but an FCS team nonetheless.
Virginia was pounded by Southern Cal, challenged by Richmond, throttled by Connecticut and clobbered by Duke, which had lost 25 straight ACC games.
Losing to Duke by 28 points is difficult to describe. The Blue Devils have improved, but not that much, not that quickly.
It is time for Groh to go. Not because of the loss to Duke and not because the Cavaliers are 1-6 against Virginia Tech during Groh's tenure.
It is time for Groh to go because of everything.
It's for losing your 2008 starting quarterback, Jameel Sewell, and best defensive lineman, Jeffrey Fitzgerald, for academic reasons.
Even if a school has rigorous standards, the coach can't let his two most important players become classroom casualties. That's why schools have academic-support staffs.
If the players can't grasp the importance of their education, they shouldn't be recruited.
It's for selecting a starting quarterback, Peter Lalich, knowing full well that his maturity did not match his arm strength. It's for strangely suspending Lalich for the third game of the season, then dismissing him from the team.
It's for explaining the dismissal by offering an enigmatic statement that essentially said, "You don't know what I know."
And it's for telling everyone that you've got the answers, and it would be best if they just watched and cheered, thank you very much.
Groh's record at Virginia is decent, 52-40, although it's trending downward. It's difficult to look at the remaining games on this season's schedule and see many, if any, victories.
Groh has taken the Cavaliers to five bowl games, has been the ACC coach of the year twice (including last season) and has gotten the marching band back in the picture.
He has had his moments. But even though he's an alumnus, few outside the program have embraced him.
College football is a strange institution. Sometimes winning isn't enough. And when you are losing -- the Cavaliers have been outscored 128-36 -- things get real messy.
Groh has worked hard and is devoted to his school. He should have the chance to finish this season and retire.
If he doesn't see it that way, the administrators at Virginia should write the required buyout check for the final years of Groh's contract.
Sometimes, things must change. That time has come at Virginia.
■ Paul Woody is a columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch
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