NEW YORK -- Al Groh is leaving the New York Jets after one
disappointing season to return to his alma mater and succeed George
Welsh as the coach at Virginia.
Groh, who took over from Bill Parcells, announced his sudden
resignation Saturday, six days after the Jets were eliminated from the
playoff race.
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Sat., Dec. 30
This was the year of the college coach. You saw more extensions and money going to college head coaches than you ever saw before. The migration used to be exclusively one-way for coaches -- they all aspired to be in the NFL. Even most NFL assistants wanted to be NFL head coaches. But this year you're seeing a lot of movement the other way.
In Al Groh's situation, I'm sure the pressure of being a head coach at the NFL level was more than he expected -- it always is. Aside from the NHL there is less job security in pro football than any other sport. It's not a three- or five-year plan anymore. Coaches are expected to win in Year 1. There's certainly pressure in big-time college programs, but there is a little more leeway.
This is certainly a surprising move given Groh's success in his first year, but don't underestimate the lure of a person's alma mater. Most people have a strong emotional attachment to their school and the chance to work in that environment is extremely attractive. That, combined with the facts that the money is very good these days and there is a little less pressure, make Al Groh taking the Virginia job completely understandable.
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"I realize there will be some criticism of this, but only I
know my heart," Groh said in a statement released by the
Jets. "Too, this provides the type of long-term security and
stability not commonly found in the NFL nowadays."
The Cavaliers will hold a news conference Friday to annouce the Groh hire, a school spokesman said. A time for the conference has not been set.
Welsh retired at Virginia on Dec. 11 because of health reasons.
The Cavaliers lost to Georgia 37-14 on Dec. 24 in the Oahu Bowl,
the last game for the 67-year-old coach.
Groh's deal is believed to be worth $5 million over seven years,
The Boston Globe reported on its Web site.
The university confirmed the hiring and said Groh will be
introduced at a news conference Jan. 5. Athletics director Terry
Holland had said the school would not announce a new coach until
after Jan. 1.
"The University of Virginia is my school," Groh said. "I wore
that jersey and it means a great deal to me. My mom lives there and
my dad is buried there."
Parcells is to meet with team owner Woody Johnson on Tuesday for
an "organizational meeting," said a source close to the Jets,
speaking on condition of anonymity.
Parcells is the chief of football operations, a role he has
hinted he will continue. Now, Johnson is expected to ask Parcells
if he wants to return to the sideline or, barring that, if he will
hire the new coach.
The Jets said they would defer all comments about their next
coach until Tuesday. There was no comment from Parcells in the team
statement.
The Jets began the season with four straight victories but
finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs. The Jets lost their last
three games, needing to win just once to make the postseason.
The Jets completed their season with a 34-20 defeat at
Baltimore. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw three interceptions
and lost two fumbles in that game.
But two days after the final loss, Groh announced that
Testaverde, the hero of the 1998 run to the AFC title game under
Parcells, would go into summer training camp as the starter.
Groh's departure guarantees further instability for a franchise
that has had little success since winning its only Super Bowl in
probably the biggest upset in NFL history.
Groh became the 12th head coach of the Jets last Jan. 24,
following the retirement of Parcells and the sudden resignation of
his designated replacement, Bill Belichick.
|  | | Al Groh, right, is leaving the Jets to coach his alma mater. |
Belichick held the job for just one day, then sued to gain his
release from the Jets. He eventually signed to join the England
Patriots, and the Jets were without a coach for about three weeks
before promoting Groh, the team's linebackers coach.
Groh was a head coach in the NFL for only one season after 12
years as an assistant for the Jets, Giants, New England and
Cleveland.
Before that, Groh's only head coaching experience was at Wake
Forest, where he was 36-40 from 1981-86. He was an assistant at
Virginia from 1970-72 after graduating in 1967 following a
four-year playing career at defensive end with the Cavaliers.
Groh's son, Mike, also attended Virginia and was the quarterback
on the Cavaliers team that stunned then-No. 2 Florida State 33-28
in 1995, becoming the first Atlantic Coast Conference team to beat
the Seminoles.
Mike Groh also was a member of his father's staff with the Jets.
After learning of Al Groh's departure from the Jets, ex-Jet Keyshawn Johnson told the New York Post on Saturday: "I'm laughing like crazy. Am I surprised? Not at all. There's nothing that
that man can do that would shock me. Nothing. He messed everything up there for that team. It's funny, espeically the soap opera that will be made of it
in New York."
A day after Johnson took his shots at Groh, Jets Pro Bowl center Kevin Mawae got in on the criticism.
"I don't think there's much heartache about Al leaving," Mawae told the New York Daily News on Sunday. "Guys aren't hurt that he's gone. For the most part, guys weren't happy. It's hard to play for a guy when you're not happy. It went from star guys all the way down to the practice squad.
"We always talked about having high-character guys in the locker room; that's what held the team together. The team leaders did a good job. Yeah, we were 6-1 at one point, but a lot of that was despite the fact that Al was the coach. That was the feeling on the team."
"He tried to micromanage, and a lot of guys tuned him out a long time ago."
Since Welsh announced his retirement after 19 seasons, Holland
revealed little about the search for a new coach. He said this week
he was planning to bring several of the candidates to
Charlottesville for additional interviews.
Mark Richt reportedly was offered the job before he decided
instead to replace the fired Jim Donnan at Georgia. Penn State's
Jerry Sandusky twice visited the campus for interviews.
At Virginia, Groh will inherit a team that failed to win at
least seven games for the first time in 14 seasons, and one that
has taken a decided back seat to the state's other Division I-A
team, Virginia Tech.
That divide had become an increasing burden for Welsh, who
frequently was criticized for running a conservative offense.
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Groh pledges to turn Virginia into football power
VIDEO
  Al Groh returns to Virginia to serve as head coach. RealVideo: 28.8 Chris Mortensen talks about the resignation of Jets Coach Al Groh. RealVideo: 28.8  ESPN.com's John Clayton looks at the Jets' coaching vacancy. wav: 215 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 The Boston Globe's Will McDonough talks about Al Groh's departure from the Jets. wav: 827 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 |
