Is the end of the Groh era nigh?
There are a few things that we might be able to read into the news that the University of Virginia has decided not to add a year to football coach Al Groh's contract.
One would not be that the school is pleased with the direction of the program following this season's 5-7 showing that saw the Cavaliers lose to Western Michigan and East Carolina and fall for the sixth time in seven years to in-state rival Virginia Tech.
Now that we have that out of the way ...
One read that I have on this is that UVa. is giving Groh a chance to demonstrate that what he has been saying since midseason about playing with the 2006 season with the 2007 Virginia football team is true.
The first time I heard him say that, after the 28-26 home loss to Maryland that saw the 'Hoos blow a 20-point halftime lead, I thought he was making excuses for his team's poor performance. It didn't occur to me until a little later that he was backing himself into a corner - that he was making next year into something of a make-or-break season.
Which leads to my second read - that it was the 2006 season that was Groh's make-or-break season, and the decision not to roll over Groh's contract was a signal to Groh that it is time for the two to consider going their separate ways.
We have seen this elsewhere - where coaches with rollover clauses that are not extended end up either looking for jobs elsewhere or making overtures to the schools to whom they are then currently employed about a possible buyout of the remaining years on their contract.
I'm leaning to what is behind door #2 in this case - because you have to think that this vote of no-confidence, and there is no other way to look at this move except to say that UVa. no longer has confidence in Groh's ability to turn the Virginia football ship around, will kill recruiting now and in the future.
The fact is that Groh can no longer tell recruits that he can guarantee that he will be around the length of their stays on Grounds - given that his contract expires in 2010.
Another fact to keep in mind - one has to assume that UVa. president John Casteen, reportedly Groh's biggest supporter, had to have signed off on this.
That in itself could be the death-knell for the Al Groh tenure.
- Chris Graham