I had the lucky opportunity to speak with Athletics Director Craig Littlepage last week. As the big shot, head honcho of Virginia sports conversed with me for a few minutes and took a genuine interest in my life as a fourth-year College student, I began to appreciate just what a remarkable man Mr. Littlepage is and the remarkable success he has achieved.
An examination of Littlepage's decisions since he was promoted to athletic director in August 2001 reveals that almost each of his moves has reaped huge dividends while transforming Cavalier programs from the ACC's basement to top national contenders.
One of his first splashes was to tap Brian Boland to head the men's tennis team. In just five seasons, Boland has revolutionized the squad from an ACC doormat to a No. 1 national ranking in 2006. He has led the team to two ACC titles, two NCAA Quarterfinal appearances and set the record for wins in a season. Suddenly top talents such as Somdev Devvarman and Treat Huey are lining up to hit backhands at the pristine Snyder Tennis Center.
Over on the diamond, Littlepage lured Brian O'Connor to take over the baseball program before the 2004 campaign. The former Fighting Irish assistant was the architect behind Notre Dame's No. 1 recruiting class in 2001. At Virginia, O'Connor has already recorded two top-15 recruiting classes and back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances, including hosting the program's first regional in '04 -- his rookie season as head coach. Don't forget about the best record and winning percentage in the program's history and attendance highs in '04 and '05 in what has been a transformed atmosphere at the immaculate Davenport Field.
In 2002, Littlepage selected Jan Mann to begin the first ever women's golf program at Mr. Jefferson's University. One of the top golf instructors in the country at UNC-Wilmington, Mann led the team to the NCAA Women's Golf National Championships and 13th overall finish in just her second season at the helm. This past weekend the ninth-ranked women's golf won their first-ever tournament title.
If the athletic director's past success to find and lure the nation's elite coaches to Virginia is any indication of the future, it will only be a few seasons before the wrestling and field hockey squads have similar transformations.
Sources said last April Littlepage helped to force out Lenny Bernstein, coach of the underachieving wrestling team. He then brought in the top assistant at Cornell and former Cavalier All-American, Steve Garland. Garland was part of Big Red squads that finished in the top 11 nationally for four straight seasons. And, as the recruiting coordinator in Ithaca, he brought in two top-five classes under 2005 National Coach of the Year Rob Koll.
Littlepage's hire on the field hockey turf in January may have been even more impressive. The Director convinced Michele Madison to leave her head coach job at Michigan State and take over the program at Virginia. The 17-year head coach led the Spartans to their first ever NCAA Semifinal and a No. 1 national ranking two years ago. Madison directly cited Littlepage as one her reasons to leave East Lansing for Charlottesville. This year, Madison has led the squad to a No. 8 national ranking and their first conference win since 2001, when they upset No. 4 North Carolina at Chapel Hill in mid-September. (The Cavaliers were No. 10 in the country before falling to No. 4 Duke in the regular season finale Saturday.)
Optimism of Virginia athletics is sky-high with Littlepage in the driver's seat. The Board of Visitors approved Littlepage's initiative to fully fund all 25 Division I teams -- allowing each squad to use its full allotment of scholarships in the 2004-2005 campaign. Last athletics season, Virginia won a national championship in men's lacrosse and took home five ACC titles -- men's cross country, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, women's rowing and men's swimming and diving.
During Littlepage's reign, construction was completed this summer on the 129.8 million-dollar, state-of-the-art John Paul Jones Arena. And Littlepage's hire to man the sidelines of "the John," Dave Leitao, has rejuvenated interest in the men's basketball program.
(On a side note, I can't get over the idea of opposing teams getting flushed at "the John." As Kenny Bania would say, "It's gold, Jerry, gold!")
It is easy to overlook the job Littlepage has done in maintaining or upgrading nearly all of Virginia athletics to top national contenders in his five years as Athletics Director. The LaMott, Pa. native and 2006 Black Coaches Association's "Athletics Administrator of the Year" is the main reason why Cavalier fans can head to almost any Virginia sporting event and see the top collegiate athletes excelling on behalf of their University.
And that is something that should not be taken for granted.
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