- December 14th, 2006, 1:20 pm
#47944
Ex-aides make grade
Coaches Prince, Golden, Rocco apply lessons learned under Groh
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Dec 13, 2006
Twelve months have passed since they left Al Groh's staff at the University of Virginia, each to pursue a dream of running a football program. Offensive coordinator Ron Prince headed to Kansas State, defensive coordinator Al Golden to Temple, associate head coach Danny Rocco to Liberty.
"I couldn't be happier," Rocco said, and his former colleagues Prince and Golden say they have no regrets either.
Each of the three has his program in better shape than when he inherited it.
Liberty, which was 1-10 in 2005, went 6-5 this season, and Rocco was named Big South Conference coach of the year.
"I think we have a chance to have a lot of success here," he said.
Kansas State, which won four games in 2004 and five in '05, is 7-5 and bound for a Dec. 28 date with Rutgers (10-2) at the Texas Bowl. The Wildcats won three of their final four regular-season games, including their Nov. 11 matchup with defending national champion Texas.
"There's quite a bit of excitement," Prince said of the mood in Manhattan.
For Golden, who took over perhaps the worst program in Division I-A, the on-field progress wasn't as tangible. After finishing 0-11 in 2005, the Owls went 1-11 this season. But the new coaching staff, which includes another former U.Va. assistant, Mark D'Onofrio, stabilized a program whose foundation was crumbling in the spots where it hadn't collapsed.
"There were so many elements in the program we had to change," Golden said, "and I think we accomplished a lot of those things, just to give ourselves a chance to move forward."
It didn't help Golden that Temple had to play a brutal nonconference schedule, which included games with Louisville, Clemson, Penn State and Navy. Or that, because of academic problems that occurred during the tenure of Golden's predecessor, the NCAA last spring stripped Temple of nine scholarships.
The Owls played 21 true freshmen and were outscored 496-131 this season. The good news for Golden: His players improved dramatically in the classroom and never quit battling on the field. The breakthrough came Oct. 28, when Temple snapped a 20-game losing streak with a 28-14 win over Bowling Green.
"Look, I'm not happy with our results," Golden said, "but now we don't have this albatross [the losing streak] hanging over our heads the entire offseason."
Golden and Prince, at 37, are among the youngest head coaches in Division I-A. Rocco, 46, spent two decades as an assistant, at schools ranging from Wake Forest to Colorado to Boston College to U.Va., before landing the job at Division I-AA Liberty.
Like Golden and Prince, Rocco was part of Groh's first staff at U.Va. and spent five seasons as an assistant there. In addition to coaching the outside linebackers, Rocco interacted with the team's academic-support staff, worked with the university's admissions department and, at various times, also served as recruiting coordinator and summer-camp director.
"Al Groh allowed me to do a number of things at Virginia that really prepared me for this position," Rocco said.
Since returning to his alma mater after the 2000 season, Groh has lost numerous assistants, some to the NFL and some to higher-profile positions elsewhere. He says he can live with that.
"If you want to make sure that there's no movement on your staff," Groh said, "then hire unambitious guys who don't have enough talent to attract people's eyes."
Of the 2005 exodus, Golden said, "I think it was just a situation where there were three guys who learned a lot at the University of Virginia and who worked well together but really wanted an opportunity to have their own programs. I'm proud to have worked with [Prince and Rocco] and excited about the things they're doing at their programs."
Prince grew up in Kansas, and his parents live about 20 miles from the Kansas State campus. He replaced a legend at K-State, Bill Snyder, but has handled the transition to a high-visibility head job with aplomb.
"I feel I was well-prepared for it, with all the things I learned from [Groh]," Prince said.
Kansas State loses about 20 seniors from this year's team. In 2007, Prince said, he'll "be looking at a less-experienced team, but I think we'll be a little more talented."
At Liberty, Rocco will have back 10 players who made first- or second-team all-Big South this season. Newcomers will include 6-6, 280-pound linebacker Vince Redd, a transfer from U.Va. who wasn't eligible this season. "I can't wait to start spring ball," Rocco said. "We will literally be so much farther ahead than we were last year because of the foundation we laid."
The same is true at Temple, said Golden, who believes the worst is behind him. It better be, he added with a laugh.
The Owls lose only five starters from this year, and it's realistic to think they could win several games next season, when they'll finally be full members of the Mid-American Conference. Temple should be better still in 2008, when virtually all of its 2007 team will be eligible to return.
Coaches Prince, Golden, Rocco apply lessons learned under Groh
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Dec 13, 2006
Twelve months have passed since they left Al Groh's staff at the University of Virginia, each to pursue a dream of running a football program. Offensive coordinator Ron Prince headed to Kansas State, defensive coordinator Al Golden to Temple, associate head coach Danny Rocco to Liberty.
"I couldn't be happier," Rocco said, and his former colleagues Prince and Golden say they have no regrets either.
Each of the three has his program in better shape than when he inherited it.
Liberty, which was 1-10 in 2005, went 6-5 this season, and Rocco was named Big South Conference coach of the year.
"I think we have a chance to have a lot of success here," he said.
Kansas State, which won four games in 2004 and five in '05, is 7-5 and bound for a Dec. 28 date with Rutgers (10-2) at the Texas Bowl. The Wildcats won three of their final four regular-season games, including their Nov. 11 matchup with defending national champion Texas.
"There's quite a bit of excitement," Prince said of the mood in Manhattan.
For Golden, who took over perhaps the worst program in Division I-A, the on-field progress wasn't as tangible. After finishing 0-11 in 2005, the Owls went 1-11 this season. But the new coaching staff, which includes another former U.Va. assistant, Mark D'Onofrio, stabilized a program whose foundation was crumbling in the spots where it hadn't collapsed.
"There were so many elements in the program we had to change," Golden said, "and I think we accomplished a lot of those things, just to give ourselves a chance to move forward."
It didn't help Golden that Temple had to play a brutal nonconference schedule, which included games with Louisville, Clemson, Penn State and Navy. Or that, because of academic problems that occurred during the tenure of Golden's predecessor, the NCAA last spring stripped Temple of nine scholarships.
The Owls played 21 true freshmen and were outscored 496-131 this season. The good news for Golden: His players improved dramatically in the classroom and never quit battling on the field. The breakthrough came Oct. 28, when Temple snapped a 20-game losing streak with a 28-14 win over Bowling Green.
"Look, I'm not happy with our results," Golden said, "but now we don't have this albatross [the losing streak] hanging over our heads the entire offseason."
Golden and Prince, at 37, are among the youngest head coaches in Division I-A. Rocco, 46, spent two decades as an assistant, at schools ranging from Wake Forest to Colorado to Boston College to U.Va., before landing the job at Division I-AA Liberty.
Like Golden and Prince, Rocco was part of Groh's first staff at U.Va. and spent five seasons as an assistant there. In addition to coaching the outside linebackers, Rocco interacted with the team's academic-support staff, worked with the university's admissions department and, at various times, also served as recruiting coordinator and summer-camp director.
"Al Groh allowed me to do a number of things at Virginia that really prepared me for this position," Rocco said.
Since returning to his alma mater after the 2000 season, Groh has lost numerous assistants, some to the NFL and some to higher-profile positions elsewhere. He says he can live with that.
"If you want to make sure that there's no movement on your staff," Groh said, "then hire unambitious guys who don't have enough talent to attract people's eyes."
Of the 2005 exodus, Golden said, "I think it was just a situation where there were three guys who learned a lot at the University of Virginia and who worked well together but really wanted an opportunity to have their own programs. I'm proud to have worked with [Prince and Rocco] and excited about the things they're doing at their programs."
Prince grew up in Kansas, and his parents live about 20 miles from the Kansas State campus. He replaced a legend at K-State, Bill Snyder, but has handled the transition to a high-visibility head job with aplomb.
"I feel I was well-prepared for it, with all the things I learned from [Groh]," Prince said.
Kansas State loses about 20 seniors from this year's team. In 2007, Prince said, he'll "be looking at a less-experienced team, but I think we'll be a little more talented."
At Liberty, Rocco will have back 10 players who made first- or second-team all-Big South this season. Newcomers will include 6-6, 280-pound linebacker Vince Redd, a transfer from U.Va. who wasn't eligible this season. "I can't wait to start spring ball," Rocco said. "We will literally be so much farther ahead than we were last year because of the foundation we laid."
The same is true at Temple, said Golden, who believes the worst is behind him. It better be, he added with a laugh.
The Owls lose only five starters from this year, and it's realistic to think they could win several games next season, when they'll finally be full members of the Mid-American Conference. Temple should be better still in 2008, when virtually all of its 2007 team will be eligible to return.
Last edited by jcmanson on December 14th, 2006, 1:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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