Spotlight on College Sports
University of Richmond graduate Mike London had a difficult task in his first year as the Spiders football coach. He was replacing Dave Clawson, who left UR to become the offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee.
Clawson’s Spiders advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA 2007 Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) semifinals before losing 55-35 to eventual three-time champion Appalachian State. In addition to Clawson, the Spiders also lost running back Tim Hightower, who played last season for the Arizona Cardinals.
So what did London accomplish? He led the Spiders to the 2008 FCS championship with a 24-7 victory over Montana in the final. For his efforts, London was named the American Football Coaches Association’s top FCS coach for 2008, as well as the Black Coaches & Administrators male coach of the year. This fall, he’ll try for an encore. The Spiders are ranked No. 1 in the preseason by The Sporting News.
Locally, that’s just one of many stories to follow on the college athletic scene:
Basketball
Virginia Commonwealth University continued to make a national name for itself. The Rams, under coach Anthony Grant, won the Colonial Athletic Association regular-season title. With the help of standout point guard Eric Maynor, the Rams finished 24-10. They defeated George Mason 71-50 in the CAA tournament final to again advance to the NCAA tournament, losing 65-64 to national power UCLA in the first round in Philadelphia. They also made the NCAA tourney in 2004 and 2007 and the NIT in 2005 and 2008.
This season, Grant decided to take the coaching position at Alabama, and Maynor was drafted to the NBA. Still, the Rams, who play their games at the Siegel Center, are excited. Shaka Smart (like Grant, a former Florida assistant) has taken over the coaching, and post player Larry Sanders returns to lead a strong nucleus. The CAA tournament again will be played at the Richmond Coliseum.
The University of Richmond should also be a team on the rise. Coach Chris Mooney returns with his starting lineup, as well as standout 6-9 center Dan Geriot, who missed the season because of an injury. The Spiders finished 9-7 in the Atlantic 10 (20-16 overall), and expectations are high. The Spiders play home games at the Robins Center on the UR campus.
Willard Coker took over for Dave Robbins as Virginia Union University’s coach last season and guided the Panthers (21-7) to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament final and a berth in the NCAA Division II tournament. The Panthers play their games at Barco-Stevens Hall on the VUU campus.
Virginia State University, another CIAA member, gives VUU a spirited rival. The Trojans, in nearby Ettrick, play home games on the VSU campus at Daniel Gymnasium. They will be led this season by first-year coach George White.
Longwood University is a Division I school with no conference affiliation, but the Lancers have continued to shine. Last season, under Mike Gillian, Longwood compiled a 17-14 record (13-2 at Willett Hall, their home gym).
Randolph-Macon College, an Old Dominion Athletic Conference member, will have a new coach, former player Nathan Davis, as Mike Rhoades joined Smart’s staff at VCU. The Yellow Jackets play at Crenshaw Gym on the R-MC campus. Also, Farmville’s Hampden-Sydney College competes in the ODAC.
Baseball
VCU, which plays at The Diamond, has advanced to the NCAA tournament seven times in the past 12 years. Coach Paul Keyes has won 513 games. Last year, the Rams were 8-16 in the CAA (20-26 overall).
The Mark McQueen era at the University of Richmond began one year ago, and the Spiders finished 11-16 in the A-10 (22-25 overall). The Spiders play on campus at Pitt Field.
Football
The Spiders will again play home games off campus at University of Richmond Stadium, but in 2010 UR is scheduled to play its 2010 on campus at First Market Stadium.
Virginia Union, which will be led by first-year coach Michael Bailey, finished 5-4 last season. The Panthers play home games at Hovey Field.
Virginia State, coached by Andrew Faison, finished 5-5 one year ago. The Trojans play at Rogers Stadium.
Rivals Randolph-Macon and Hampden-Sydney compete in the ODAC (Division III). Last year, R-MC won the conference title and advanced to the NCAA tournament. H-SC finished with an 8-2 mark. The rivals will meet Nov. 14 at R-MC.
This article originally published in Discover Richmond. Click here to view more Discover articles, or send us an e-mail to request a copy of the magazine.
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