- Mike London
-
For the linebacker, see Mike London (linebacker).
Mike London 
Coach London at Scott Stadium Sport(s) Football Current position Title Head Coach Team Virginia Record 12–11 Biographical details Born October 9, 1960 Place of birth West Point, New York Playing career 1979–1982 Richmond Position(s) Defensive Back Coaching career (HC unless noted) 1988–1989
1990–1993
1994–1996
1997–2000
2001
2002–2004
2005
2006–2007
2008–2009
2010–presentRichmond (OLBs)
William & Mary (DL)
Richmond (OLBs)
Boston College (DL)
Virginia (DL)
Virginia (DL, RC)
Houston Texans (DL)
Virginia (DC, DL)
Richmond
VirginiaHead coaching record Overall 36–16 Statistics College Football Data Warehouse Accomplishments and honors Championships 2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship
2009 CAA Co-ChampionshipAwards AFCA FCS Coach of the Year, 2008
BCA National Coach of the Year, 2008[1]Mike London (born October 9, 1960) is the head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers football program of the University of Virginia. A native of the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, London played college and pro football as a defensive back for the Richmond Spiders and Dallas Cowboys. He was a police officer and detective in Richmond, Virginia with the city's street crimes unit before pursuing a coaching career.
He has served in various coaching roles with Richmond, William & Mary, Boston College, and Virginia, as well as the Houston Texans. His most notable roles have come as defensive coordinator and now head coach at the University of Virginia, and previously as head coach at the University of Richmond, where his team won the NCAA Division I Football Championship in 2008.
Contents
Coaching career
Position coach
First hired as a linebacker coach at the University of Richmond, Mike London later coached the defensive line at the College of William & Mary, Boston College, the Houston Texans of the National Football League, and the University of Virginia, twice.
London worked closely with St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long while he played for the Virginia Cavaliers. In an interview with The Washington Post, Long would later say of London, "when you get a coach who matches your intensity and emotion, you can just look at that person and know that at some level that coach is going to be with you through the thick and the thin."[2]
Defensive coordinator
In 2006, London was named by Virginia coach Al Groh as the team's new defensive coordinator to replace Al Golden. Virginia's defense under London was much more aggressive than it was under Golden.[3] Allowing just 289.5 yards per game, the Virginia defense under London gave up fewer yards than any Virginia defense had in the past 27 years. London developed first year defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who by the end of the season had more tackles than any freshman in the country.[4]
The next year his defense was perhaps even better. A highlight of this season was when Virginia was scheduled to play the Miami Hurricanes in the last game ever in the legendary Miami Orange Bowl. The Virginia defense, under the supervision of London, dominated the 'canes and Virginia won, 48–0. It was Miami's worst loss at the Orange Bowl in their 70 years of playing there. The Cavaliers finished the season ranked 6th in the nation in sacks with 40, and allowed the 19th-fewest rushing yards (106.7 yds/game) and the 16th-fewest points against (19.7/game) on the way to a 9-win season and a narrow loss to Texas Tech and Heisman Trophy candidate Michael Crabtree in the Gator Bowl.[5] At the end of the season, lineman Chris Long won the Ted Hendricks Award and was drafted second overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Head coach
Richmond Spiders
- 2008 Season
Main article: 2008 Richmond Spiders football teamOn January 19, 2008, Mike London was named the head coach of the Richmond Spiders. Previous coach Dave Clawson had left to become the offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee. Sixteen starters returned from a team that Clawson had taken to the semifinals of the FCS Football Championship playoffs. Soon after opening the season with a loss to Football Bowl Subdivision team Virginia 16–0, the team suffered heartbreaking losses to the James Madison Dukes and Villanova Wildcats by a touchdown or less. After the JMU loss, London's team stood at 4–3.
The 2008 Spiders would not lose another game. They rattled off nine straight victories including last-minute heroics against the William & Mary Tribe and Northern Iowa Panthers, a 33–13 dismantling of the heavily favored Appalachian State Mountaineers in Kidd Brewer Stadium, and culminating with a 24–7 blowout victory against the Montana Grizzlies in the NCAA Championship Game. In his first season, the University of Richmond had earned its first National Championship in any sport.
- 2009 Season
Main article: 2009 Richmond Spiders football teamOn September 5, 2009, Richmond upset the Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference, 24–16, on their home turf in Wallace Wade Stadium. After beginning the 2009 campaign 8–0 and riding a streak of 17 straight wins, the Richmond Spiders became only the third FCS team ever to receive a vote in the AP Poll (after Northern Iowa in 2007, and Appalachian State later in the same season). Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the Spiders their AP Top 25 vote for the week of November 2.
The Spiders won the CAA regular season, but lost in the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament to Appalachian State. Just two days later, Mike London was announced as head football coach at the University of Virginia on December 7, 2009.
Virginia Cavaliers
- 2010 Season
Main article: 2010 Virginia Cavaliers football teamFollowing the termination of Al Groh, London was hired to coach the Virginia Cavaliers and initially awarded a five-year contract paying $1.7 million per year.[6] He is the second African-American head football coach in the ACC, behind Wake Forest's Jim Caldwell. He is also the second African-American head coach of a major sport at Virginia; the first was former men's basketball coach Dave Leitao.
In London's first season with Virginia, his Cavaliers went 4-8, with two wins coming against I-FCS opponents.[7] The best win of the season was over then-#22 Miami.
Following the season, London enjoyed a strong recruiting class, pulling in what is widely regarded as Virginia's best (and largest) recruiting class since Groh's first full season in 2002.[8]
Personal
His son, Brandon London, is a wide receiver for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. His younger brother Paul London played defensive back for Virginia under George Welsh in the early 1990s. His daughter, Kristen London, was a women's basketball player for Debbie Ryan, also at Virginia. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
Head coaching record
Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs TSN# Coaches° Richmond Spiders (Colonial Athletic Association) (2008–2009) 2008 Richmond 13–3 6–2 3rd (South) W FCS Championship 1 1 2009 Richmond 11–2 7–1 1st (South) L FCS Quarterfinals 4 4 Richmond: 24–5 13–3 Virginia Cavaliers (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2010–present) 2010 Virginia 4–8 1–7 T–5th (Coastal) 2011 Virginia 8–3 5–2 Virginia: 12–11 6–9 Total: 36–16 National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title #Rankings from final Sports Network Poll.
°Rankings from final Coaches Poll.References
- ^ London Named Coach of the Year Over Tomlin
- ^ Carpenter, Les (September 1, 2009). "London's Calling: From Cop to Coach". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/31/AR2009083102416_2.html.
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2860237
- ^ http://www.virginiasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=1133441&SPSID=88794&SPID=10606&DB_OEM_ID=17800
- ^ http://www.caasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8500&ATCLID=1371964
- ^ "London replaces Groh at Virginia". Associated Press via ESPN. 2009-12-09. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4722184.
- ^ Yanda, Steve (2010-12-02). "Poll: Grading Mike London's first season as Virginia's HC". The Washington Post. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/cavaliers-journal/2010/12/poll_grading_mike_londons_firs.html.
- ^ Kurz, Hank (2011-02-02). "London gets Virginia's biggest class since 2002". Associated Press via USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2011-02-02-2581784149_x.htm.
External links
- London's Calling: From Cop to Coach - The Washington Post
- University of Virginia biography - University of Virginia
- Hampton native London to take over at Richmond - Daily Press
Richmond Colts / Spiders head football coaches M. C. Taylor (1881) • C. M. Hazen (1882) • No team (1883–1884) • C. M. Hazen (1885–1886) • H. R. Hundley (1887) • C. M. Hazen (1888) • Frank Johnson (1889) • C. T. Taylor (1890) • Dana Rucker (1891) • Penwick Shelton (1892) • Dana Rucker (1893–1895) • No team (1896) • Bill Wertenbaker (1897) • O. L. Owen (1898) • Julian Hill (1899) • Edward Kenna (1900) • Garnett Nelson (1901) • Graham Hobson (1902) • Fred Vail (1903) • Harry Wall (1904) • E. A. Dunlop (1905–1909) • E. V. Long (1910) • Sam Honaker (1911) • E. A. Dunlop (1912) • Frank Dobson (1913–1917) • Robert Marshall (1918) • Frank Dobson (1919–1933) • Glenn Thistlethwaite (1934–1941) • John Fenion (1942) • Malcolm Pitt (1943–1944) • George Hope (1945) • John Fenion (1946–1947) • Karl Esleeck (1948–1950) • Ed Merrick (1951–1965) • Frank Jones (1966–1973) • Jim Tait (1974–1979) • Dal Shealy (1980–1988) • Jim Marshall (1989–1994) • Jim Reid (1995–2003) • Dave Clawson (2004–2007) • Mike London (2008–2009) • Latrell Scott (2010) • Wayne Lineburg # (2011– )
Pound sign (#) denotes interim head coach.
Virginia Cavaliers head football coaches No coach (1888–1892) • Johnny Poe (1893–1894) • Harry Arista Mackey (1895) • Martin V. Bergen (1896–1897) • Joseph Massie (1898) • Archie Hoxton (1899–1900) • Wesley Abbott (1901) • John de Saulles (1902) • Gresham Poe (1903) • George Sanford (1904) • William C. "King" Cole (1905–1906) • Hammond Johnson (1907) • Merritt Cooke Jr. (1908) • John Neff (1909) • Charles B. Crawford (1910) • Kemper Yancey (1911) • John Elliott (1912) • W. Rice Warren (1913) • Joseph Wood (1914) • Harry Varner (1915) • Peyton Evans (1916) • Harris Coleman (1919) • W. Rice Warren (1920–1921) • Thomas Campbell (1922) • Greasy Neale (1923–1928) • Earl Abell (1929–1930) • Fred Dawson (1931–1933) • Gus Tebell (1934–1936) • Frank Murray (1937–1945) • Arthur Guepe (1946–1952) • Ned McDonald (1953–1955) • Ben Martin (1956–1957) • Richard Voris (1958–1960) • Bill Elias (1961–1964) • George Blackburn (1965–1970) • Don Lawrence (1971–1973) • Sonny Randle (1974–1975) • Dick Bestwick (1976–1981) • George Welsh (1982–2000) • Al Groh (2001–2009) • Mike London (2010– )
Current head football coaches of the Atlantic Coast Conference Atlantic Division Frank Spaziani (Boston College) • Dabo Swinney (Clemson) • Jimbo Fisher (Florida State) • Randy Edsall (Maryland) • Tom O'Brien (NC State) • Jim Grobe (Wake Forest)
Coastal Division David Cutcliffe (Duke) • Paul Johnson (Georgia Tech) • Al Golden (Miami) • Everett Withers (North Carolina) • Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech) • Mike London (Virginia)
AFCA Division I FCS Coach of the Year winners 1983: Dempsey | 1984: Arnold | 1985: Sheridan | 1986: Russell | 1987: Duffner | 1988: Satterfield | 1989: Russell | 1990: Stowers | 1991: Tressel | 1992: Taaffe | 1993: Allen | 1994: Tressel | 1995: Read | 1996: Tellier | 1997: Talley | 1998: Whipple | 1999: P. Johnson | 2000: P. Johnson | 2001: B. Johnson | 2002: Harbaugh | 2003: Biddle | 2004: Matthews | 2005: Moore | 2006: Moore | 2007: Moore | 2008: London | 2009: Talley | 2010: Keeler
Categories:- 1960 births
- Living people
- African American coaches of American football
- Boston College Eagles football coaches
- Dallas Cowboys players
- Houston Texans coaches
- People from Hampton, Virginia
- Richmond Spiders football coaches
- Richmond Spiders football players
- Virginia Cavaliers football coaches
- William & Mary Tribe football coaches
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
