Virginia Head Football Coach George Welsh Retires
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Dec. 11, 2000
By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer
Press Conference Video
Welsh Comments on Retirement
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A tearful George Welsh retired as Virginia’sfootball coach Monday, 19 years after turning the Cavaliers from alaughingstock into a contender.
“I am now and will be forever a Wahoo,” the 67-year-old coach said beforepausing to collect himself. “It’s time for this old salt to sail off into thesunset.”
Welsh came to Virginia from Navy to take over a program so bad its team wasmockingly referred to as the “Cadavaliers.” He leaves as the winningest coachin Atlantic Coast Conference history, and one whose mark on the university canbe seen in the stadium he leaves behind.
“The best measure of a coach’s impact is what was and what is,” athleticdirector Terry Holland said. “This stadium will stand forever as a veryvisible reminder of the legacy that coach Welsh has left us.”
When Welsh arrived at Virginia in 1982, the Cavaliers had a 33-121-11 recordin the ACC and had never been to a bowl. Since his arrival, they are 85-51-3and will be making their 12th bowl appearance this month. His career record is189-131-4.
Their home field, Scott Stadium, also was enhanced by an $86 millionexpansion and renovation in the offseason. The work pushed capacity to morethan 60,000, and has made the stadium an important recruiting tool.
But Welsh said he decided after wavering all season that he doesn’t have theenergy and drive to return.
“Without doubt, this has been the most difficult decision of my coachingcareer,” he said. “I admit I changed my mind on this many times over the pasttwo weeks, but by this past weekend, it was clear to me that I should retire.”
This season marked the first in three years that Welsh did not have backsurgery in the offseason, but Welsh said “something happened” and he found hedidn’t have the energy to stay awake as late as he once had.
“It runs the whole gamut of things,” he said of his decision, “what onehas to do as a head football coach at this level to be really good.”
Welsh’s contract went through the 2001 season, and he said he’d been offereda lucrative two-year extension and encouraged to return.
But Welsh said the frustrating season had caused him trouble sleeping andbeen “physically and emotionally the toughest of my career.”
Virginia (6-5) failed to win seven games in the regular season for the firsttime since 1986, and will need to beat Georgia in the Oahu Bowl to extend to 14its string of seasons with at least seven victories. Only Florida State,Nebraska and Michigan can match that run.
Holland said the next few weeks should be a time to honor Welsh.
“We used to be cannon fodder,” said Holland, who was the basketball coachwhen Welsh, then 48, arrived after nine years of success at Navy.
He said the task of replacing Welsh will be “gargantuan,” and that heexpects school president John Casteen will look for someone with Division I-Aexperience, preferably with knowledge of the school and the state.
Among those thought to be high on the list of candidates are Boston Collegecoach Tom O’Brien, a former offensive coordinator under Welsh who left beforethe 1996 Carquest Bowl to take over the Eagles’ program.
Welsh originally promised to announce his decision within a week of theCavaliers’ 42-21 loss at Virginia Tech on Nov. 25. He said he finally decidedon Friday, and only told his coaching staff earlier Monday.
“I think they were surprised because I gave no indication I was going to dothis,” he said. “We were into recruiting and working on the game plan.”