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Football
Reid Likes View From Above
Aug. 31, 2010
5:38 p.m.
CHARLOTTESVILLE — Mike London will have plenty of company on the UVa sideline Saturday night at Scott Stadium.
Six of his assistants also will coach from the field: Bill Lazor (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Mike Faragalli (running backs), Ron Mattes (offensive line), Jeff Hanson (defensive line), Vincent Brown (linebackers) and Anthony Poindexter (special teams/safeties).
In the press box will be London’s other four assistants: Shawn Moore (wide receivers), Scott Wachenheim (tight ends), Chip West (cornerbacks) and Jim Reid (defensive coordinator).
In the season-opener for both teams, Virginia hosts Richmond at 6 p.m. Saturday.
For years, Reid said on a teleconference Tuesday, he coached from the sideline, where sometimes “you get really excited and you miss something. Personnel groups are very, very important when you’re calling defenses. A lot of times you’ll make a call based on the personnel group that’s in the game.
“In today’s game — when I say ‘today’s game,’ I don’t mean Saturday, I mean the last 8 to 10 years — with the addition of all of these special personnel groups you get on third down and third-and-short, second-and-1 and second-and-2, all those different personnel groups for those situations, it’s sometimes good to have your charts right out in front of you.”
Moreover, Reid said with a laugh, if “my glasses fall off, I’m in trouble. I need to have my glasses on, looking at my charts, all the time.”
In 2008 and ’09, Reid coached the Miami Dolphins’ outside linebackers. He worked from the press box during games and really liked it.
“It’s a great place to view the game and what’s happening,” he said. “Not that you can’t on the field. People that choose to be on the field, I understand that. I was on the field for a long time. It’s a little easier to make the calls, see the personnel groups and know what they’re trying to do.”
* On the depth chart UVa released Monday, the starting middle linebacker is listed as junior Aaron Taliaferro or sophomore Steve Greer.
Greer led the Cavaliers in tackles last season, but he missed most of spring practice this year with a high-ankle sprain. Since the start of practice this month, his play has steadily improved.
Look for Greer and Taliaferro to split time against Richmond.
Greer has “done really a terrific job,” Reid said. “He’s lost a little bit of weight and really looks fast and quick out there, and he’s had a really fine preseason.”
* There will be also be a rotation at defensive tackle, where senior John-Kevin Dolce and juniors Nick Jenkins and Matt Conrath are all considered starters.
“They’ve all worked very, very hard,” Reid said. “They deserve playing time, and they’re all basically the same type of player. And so as we get moving here during the game and try to keep everybody fresh, we’ll alternate them, sometimes by series, sometimes by quarters.”
The defensive tackles will rotate by series Saturday night, Reid said.