Coaching Rumors: The Mike London File

This week we will be running a series on potential coaching candidates to replace Al Groh, who was fired on Sunday.  First up, Richmond Head Coach and former Virginia Defensive Coordinator Mike London.

Many people's presumptive frontrunner, such as here for example, the 39-year old London is in his second year as the head coach of his alma mater, the I-AA University of Richmond Spiders, for which he left the Hoos' DC post at the end of the 2007 season.  The Hampton native is an almost unbelievable feel-good story, a one-time Richmond cop that exited the beat after a near death experience and has worked his way all the way up the coaching ladder.   

In his first season at Richmond, London led the Spiders to their first-ever Division I-AA Chamionship.  To be clear, London wasn't exactly inheiriting a rebuilding job - the Spiders had won the CAA and reached the I-AA semifinals in 2007 - but London has to get credit for getting Richmond over the top in 2008. He has continued that excellence in 2009, with another title contender that stood at 11-1, shared the CAA title for a second consecutive year, and was ranked No. 4 in the nation headed into the I-AA playoffs.  Richmond's only loss this season came when its place-kicker missed an extra point after what should have been a game-tying TD in a one-point loss at Villanova. 

As Richmond Head coach, London is 1-1 against 1-A schools.  The Spiders played Virginia close in 2008, trailing only 3-0 headed into the 4th quarter before the Hoos pulled away in a 16-0 win.  This season, the Spiders upset Duke, 24-16, in Durham.  It looked like a good win at the time (I-AA wins over 1-A schools always are); it looks like a great win now that Duke proved not to be its usual doormat self.   

At Virginia, London was Defensive Coordinator for two years following Al Golden's departure to Temple.  In 2006, Virginia was fourth in the ACC in total defense, pitched a pair of shutouts, and propped up an otherwise shaky offense (dead last in the ACC in total offense) under true freshman QB Jameel Sewell.  The Hoos went from good to great in 2007.  Led by All-American Chris Long, the Hoos were third in the ACC in scoring defense, and won nine games even though the offense was only marginally better than it was in 2006. 

Prior to that, London took an ill-fated one-year foray into the NFL, where he was D-line coach for the 2-14 Houston Texans.  When Dom Capers was fired after the season, London came back to UVA, where he had been Groh's D-line coach from 2001-04.  He was also recruiting coordinator from 2002-04.  Notably, Virginia's recruiting classes started to fall off after London left that job in 2004 (although to be fair, it could have easily been the departutes of Al Golden and Danny Rocco - more on them later this week - that led to the recent recruiting dropoff). 

London acknowledges he's not a scheme guy.  His offenses at Richmond are simple; his defenses solid.  So you wouldn't be getting the next young innovator.  London is very much old school.  But his players love him.  London wears his emotions on his sleeve, and his players seem to respond to it. (more after the break).  



Pros: As a Hampton native, former recruiting coordinator, and a coach within the state of Virginia for 17 of the last 21 years, if anyone can break Frank Beamer's death grip on in-state recruiting, London would seem to be the guy.  On top of a rock solid coaching resume, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, London is a winning commodity.  The Hoos enjoyed their best season of the Groh era with London as DC, and he's built a I-AA powerhouse at Richmond.  Its just a matter of time before London gets a shot at the D-I level.  No reason it can't be rebuilding the program at Virginia. 

Cons: Despite a winning resume, London has only been a head coach for two seasons, and its been at the I-AA level.  And while he's been successful at Richmond, he's doing it with players that he didn't recruit (all 22 of his starers are upperclassmen brought to Richmond by his predecessor).  So some AD would have to take a bit of a leap of faith to entrust London with his first 1-A job.  And while he's well-known in Virginia circles, he's not a splashy name outside the state.  You just don't know whether a hire like London would remedy the troubling trend of dwindling attendance at Scott Stadium (at least not at first). 

Why He'd Come: London coached at UVA for six seasons, and has other ties to the University - his brother Paul played DB for Coach Welsh and his daughter Kristen played hoops under Debbie Ryan.  When he left the Hoos in 2007, London was quoted as saying he didn't want to leave, but had to answer the call of his alma mater.  He might be happy to come back, certainly at a higher salary than they can afford to pay him at U of R. 

Why He Wouldn't Come: He might already be at his dream job, coaching his alma mater.  And even if he has designs on returning to 1-A football, it might be a bit early.  As noted above, London's recruiting classes at Richmond have yet to establish themselves.  He may want to see things through a little further at his alma mater.  London also spent his entire UVA tenure under Groh, so he may feel some sense of loyalty to his former boss. 

Evaluation: It would take a bit of a leap of faith, but he's the front-runner in my book.  The main reason Virginia has fallen behind Tech is in-state recruiting.  While that trend isn't likely to completely reverse until Frank Beamer retires, London has the best chance of rebuilding a healthy recruiting base in the state, which has shown it has enough talent to sustain a national program as it has at Tech.

Beyond that, London can plainly coach.  He may not be an innovator, but he's proven at his last two stops that he can get the most out of his talent.  London got Richmond over the hump in just one season and, as Virginia fans fondly recall, got the most out of a Virginia defense that had little right leading the program to nine wins in 2007.  Yes, London would be a leap of faith, but he's probably the football version of Dave Odom, who everyone saw as an eventual D-I coach but Virginia passed over because he wasn't viewed as quite ready.  When Odom left to rebuild the hoops program at Wake, the Virginia administration looked short-sighted.  Its a mistake the University would rather not make again, this time with what many view as one of the best young, up-and-coming coaches in the country, and a home-grown one at that.