As current Cavalier Daily sports editors, we understand that as a new coach at a new school in a new league, you have many challenges before you. But the challenge we are most familiar with is one you may not have considered: repairing the broken relationship between the student body and the basketball program.
Given the fact that filling the new John Paul Jones arena in 2006 has been one of your most widely discussed challenges, we are sure increasing student interest is on your agenda. That task, however, may be more daunting than you think. In order to understand where student interest lies now, you must first go back and examine where the decline began.
Your predecessor, good ol' Petey G, came to Charlottesville when students thought of Virginia as a basketball school. Pre-Groh, pre-Ahmad, pre-Heath and pre-empty U-Hall, Gillen wasn't faced with the burden of proving himself immediately to the student body.
You, however, take up office in U-Hall in a different age of Virginia athletics. Sadly, basketball has taken a back seat to the now-beloved Virginia football program and its savior, Al Groh. In less than four years, Groh has captured the hearts and free time of nearly all Virginia students. With the snap of his fingers, he was able to change hundreds of years of Virginia tradition -- guys shed their ties and jackets for face paint, girls left their sun dresses in the closet in favor of "orange fever" shirts. Simply, he changed the face of Virginia football.
The reason students responded so positively to him had nothing to do with his personal demeanor. No one will dispute the fact that Gillen was a more personable guy than his football counterpart.
The secret to Groh's success, however, is making the students feel like they have an impact on the game, like they are partially responsible for the wins and the losses. Peer pressure also plays a huge role. Cavalier fans who miss big games are ridiculed to no end. On the other hand, we know more students who have never seen a Virginia basketball game than students who have been to at least one. That fact alone speaks volumes in terms of the work that lies ahead of you.
But it's not impossible. Before the beginning of the 2004-05 season, Gillen made the rounds to each fraternity and sorority asking people to come to the games. While Petey was on the right track, it was too little too late. Luckily, for you this is not the case. You still have time.
While any coach wants to portray him or herself as infallible, it is important to reach out to the student body and address it directly. Mass e-mails, public appearances, specific requests for student involvement in one way or another are essential to regain the trust and attention of the student body.
The apathy regarding the state of the basketball program is deep. People just don't seem care anymore. And if they do, they are cynical and more than willing to jump off the Leitao bandwagon at the first sign of trouble unless you do something now.
We don't mean to sound doomsday. We are very optimistic about your ability to turn this program around. But, it is important that you take this element of success as seriously as any other.
As you referenced in your press conference, "if you build it, they will come." You were right, but JPJ is not the answer. What needs to be built is the student support. And the time is now.
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