Groh gets another reward
Story by Chris Graham
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Two ACC coaches have already gotten the axe this week.
Former hot-seat sitter Al Groh got something else.
The Virginia coach had a year added to his contract on Tuesday – hours after learning that he had been named the ACC coach of the year.
Groh’s contract now runs through the 2011 season.
“This is an indication of confidence on my part and the university’s part in the work that Al and his staff have done,” UVa. athletics director Craig Littlepage said in a statement released yesterday.
“I think it’s also a good indication of the confidence that we have in the future direction of the football program, both in the short term, that is, in the upcoming bowl game, as well as in the long-term future. I’m very pleased we’re at this point,” Littlepage said.
Groh’s contract was not extended after a 2006 season that saw Virginia limp home to a 5-7 finish – leading some observers to conclude that the 2007 season was a make-or-break year for the seventh-year coach.
The Cavs finished the ’07 regular season with a 9-3 record.
Groh is 51-36 in his seven seasons at Virginia – including 31-25 in the ACC.
Chris Graham is the executive editor of The SportsDominion.
