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Feb. 17, 2004
University of Virginia Director of Athletics, Craig Littlepage, took the “hot seat” Monday night for Cavalier Call-In while the UVA basketball team flew to Tallahassee for the tonight’s game with Florida State.
There was one major topic of discussion. The basketball program. Several callers voiced their support of head coach Pete Gillen and the direction the team was taking as we head down the stretch. Littlepage told our listeners that our goal, as it is every year, is to make the NCAA tournament. Even though the Cavaliers are still on the outside looking in, stranger things have happened down the stretch in grabbing a spot in the elite field of 65.
Gillen and Littlepage visit often, as any corporate executive would with one of his vice presidents. Does Virginia have a long way to go? Yes. Is there frustration among many fans? Yes. However Littlepage brought to the table a couple of interesting observations. One, we are all in this together from the administration to the marketing people, to the ticket sellers, to the fans…to the radio guys. How we operate is no different then a Fortune 500 Company. We ALL have to sell! True…. everyone surrounding the athletics department has to put their best foot forward everyday. We have to make sure the athletics department is in the best light. When a prospective recruit views the Cavaliers, whether it’s joining the crew team, or leading our hoops team from the point guard position, we have to sell. Sell the program, sell the future, build successful partnerships, and place ourselves among the elite programs in the country.
When Littlepage took over the position of Director of Athletics, he established goals…lofty goals…but goals that could be reached. He wanted 70 conference championships in the next 12 years…. he wanted 12 national titles…he wanted kids to graduate…and he wanted to make sure our program was fully funded. Over the past ten to fifteen years Virginia has trailed our conference brethren. In facilities, in the number of scholarships we dole out, and in the way we conduct business. How long has North Carolina been fully funded? How long has the Dean Smith Center been in operation? Look at where NC State now plays basketball? Look at what Duke has been able to accomplish with a commitment to Cameron and it’s program.
I hate to turn back the clock, but in the early eighties, Terry Holland was telling a lot of people that building the “football future” was a good idea, but we can’t let basketball take a back seat. Coach Holland was asking for basketball improvements to U-Hall and the locker room facilities. I’ve seen every other locker room in the ACC…and we rank about 7th or 8th in what we have to showcase. Are fans aware that on some basketball recruiting weekends, Coach Gillen and his staff could not even show prospects University Hall because a volleyball game was in progress? Guess what…. UVA fixed that, and now good ol’ Memorial Gym is a terrific place to watch volleyball and wrestling. When Pete and his staff signed the class of Majestic Mapp, Roger Mason, Travis Watson and Jason Rogers, U-Hall was wrapped in elastic bands for fear of collapsing brick. Parts of the ceiling were falling down. The staff could not even walk in the building to show the guys where they would be playing. Do you think Skip Prosser takes a recruit to Joel Coliseum when a tractor pull is in progress? I don’t think so…. doesn’t sound like a solid sales tool to me…. remember, it’s all about presentation.
I’m not na?ve when it comes to actual x’s and o’s…and yes, for 40 minutes, 30 times a year, the head coach is responsible for the product. It comes down to players making plays. Cavalier head football coach Al Groh said it best…”Coaches without players become coaches of unimportant teams.” One feeds off the other…. build an exciting team, fans will come…. fans will feel the frenzy and get excited about the program when they know they have a product. So if anything came out of the Monday night show with our Athletics Director, it was a lesson in unity. I know I’m going to do the best I can to place the Virginia Sports Network in a recruiting mode. I bet our new band director, Bill Pease, is going to do everything possible to give us a great show on game day. I have a feeling our students who come to the games are going to wear orange wigs, paint their faces, and give it all they have when they are courtside. I know Coach Gillen and his staff will continue to work like dogs to win games, and build the team into a contender. Will there be mistakes along the way? Sure. You think General Motors and Ford have had clear sailing for all these many years? Just look at the Vega…or the Pinto.
It’s time for the “Cavalier Nation” to stand as one. WE are the sales people…WE are the representatives…and it was Littlepage who coined our positioning statement…”Uncompromised Excellence”. For thousands of us…that says it all.