What They’re Saying
“He’s a very passionate guy, and you can see that through the way he coaches … He genuinely cares about people. You can see that. It just shows.”
— Matt Conrath (Col ’11), U.Va. defensive end, to the Daily Press
“There’s optimism amongst the guys I’ve talked to. What comes out of a lot of those conversations is that Coach London is a guy who we all feel that can really bring some change in that area in terms of getting some of those athletes to come to the University of Virginia. By the same token, it’s not as easy as one may think just to recruit kids. Obviously, we have (high academic) standards.”
—Aaron Brooks (Col ’99), former U.Va. and NFL quarterback, to the Daily Press
“He’s been in my school probably 1,000 times. I think they made an excellent choice.”
—Mike Smith, Hampton High School coach and executive director of the Virginia High School Coaches’ Association, to the Roanoke Times
“The guy can coach, so check that off the list. That should be the most important thing on the list anyway. But the guy can recruit. He’s from Virginia. He’s a young guy, he can come into a living room and relate to a kid. I know this because he related to me well as a coach. He related to everyone well as a coach. He gets it. He used to play when he was younger, and he’s a guy who’s known around the state and I think can recruit really well in the state.”
—Chris Long (Col ’08), St. Louis Ram and former U.Va. defensive end, to the Washington Post
“I think it’s an excellent hire. I think he knows the University, and he knows the state.”
—George Welsh, former U.Va. coach and member of College Football Hall of Fame, to virginiasports.com
“He’s going to be a guy that I think can really take the program to new heights. With his early success at Richmond and his upside in coaching, you knew he was going to be at a major university. I’m just glad and honored that we were able to get him back at U.Va., where he already has a great reputation.”
—Chris Slade (Col ’93), former U.Va. and NFL defensive end, to virginiasports.com
Coach London will be a success at U.Va. because of he’s a talented coach who loves the young men that he coaches. Whenever you get a general who inspires his players and can bring the best out of them on the field, they’ll gladly follow him into battle on Saturday afternoons.
—Kai Parham (Col ’06), former U.Va. linebacker
Coach London has the respect of many of the older guys on the team because he coached here two out of the last four years. His enthusiasm, his proven skill set in recruiting top talent, and his grounding in both his faith and priorities will hopefully [lead to] a long and successful tenure as U.Va.‘s head coach. In my opinion, there wasn’t a better selection that could have been made to succeed Coach Groh.
—Jon Copper (Col ’09), former U.Va. linebacker
I believe Mike London will be a successful coach because he is already familiar with the program here at the University of Virginia, he’s proven himself to be able to build a winning program, and he’s highly relatable. I think all of the players will gravitate towards him and in-turn, towards each other, for these reasons.
—Byron Glasby (Col ’08), former U.Va. safety
Mike is a passionate coach who really connects with the players. I think these attributes will significantly aid him in his recruiting efforts. He also is a strong advocate of integrity, which will uphold the reputation U.Va. has in collegiate sports.
—Mark Miller (Col ’06), former U.Va. linebacker
Coach London’s players will understand him. His actions will demand that his players believe in him as much as he believes in them. That small factor can mean everything in those games where the team is in a situation where there’s nothing to be done but fight and grind it out. In those situations sometimes all you have is the voice and presence of your coach, and his actions and his personality will speak volumes in those critical times.
—Brandon Isaiah (Col ’04), former U.Va. linebacker
I am extremely excited about U.Va.’s accomplishment in hiring Coach London. He is a great football coach that knows the game and cares for the men that play for him. Even more importantly, he is as solid of a human being as you will find. I could write book on what this man and what his example of being a man has meant to me.
—Connor Hughes (Col ’06), former U.Va. kicker
Mike London embodies all of the things you look for in a coach—leadership, knowledge of the game, energy, experience, and commitment to players and coaches on and off the field. He is the kind of man and coach who inspires excellence.
—Jon Thompson (Col ’04, Educ ’05), former U.Va. linebacker
I feel his personality and youthfulness are very key; he is a very down-to-earth person [who] can relate to the young men he will be coaching at U.Va. I know he will be able to make a huge dent in the recruiting race because of what I just stated and also the fact that he is a native of Virginia, and he played and graduated from a very good college in Virginia. He has played on every level of football, and his success as a coach speaks for itself. I’m looking forward to great things from Coach London and the University of Virginia Football Program. Wahoo Wah!
—Marquis Weeks (Col ’04, Educ ’05), former U.Va. tailback and safety
Comments
Let's hope that Coach London breathes a breath of fresh air into a program that had grown stale. Go Cavs !
Al Groh is finally gone! His coaching abilities (or lack thereof) made UVA's football program a laughing stock in the ACC. I just hope that Mike London can put UVA football back in the limelight.........Let's Go Hoos!!
The thing about Groh is that I think he is great at both recognizing and developing individual talent. He just isn't a good game day coach. Here's to hoping the UVa program turns a corner. I'd be happy if we were "competitive." I'd love a national title, but I'm realistic.
Just bring a winning season and beat Clemson and Va. Tech for once !!
I feel bad for Al Groh, but that's life. I am very encouraged by the choice of Mike London. I bet with some success on the field, Mike will be able to recruit some amazing talent in the next few years. Good Luck Mike.
From: Steve Doniger '58 Al Groh was a winner as a person, but a loser as a coach. Best of luck to him, but let'smove on. Go Cavs!
Best luck Al Groh. Recruiting and winning became a problem with him after some good and some bad seasons. Hope Mike London has success in both areas.
Al Groh was an alumnus; when he was hired he called it a dream come true, and that he intended to spend the rest of his career there. We should never speak so ill of another Hoo as I've seen many other alumni do. It is with great sadness that I bid Coach Groh farewell and good luck, but I am *also* very excited to greet this new coach. I hope to see second half knockout blows become UVa football trademarks once again, like in the beginning of the Groh era, not second half collapses like the end of the Welsh and Groh tenures.
One of the keys to victory will be getting some recruiting pull in the Tidewater area. We lost all of our recruiting power there to Tech. That area consistently puts out great football talent and deep down they want to go to the better school in Virginia to play football. Go Hoos! Fair Winds and Following Seas Coach Groh! Welcome Coach London!
Despite his losses, Al Groh ran a football program with integrity and respect. Let's at least recognize him for that. Now let's hope that coach London will put some new life and spirit into UVA football, we need it.
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