Who am I to tell the University of Virginia what they should be wishing for this Christmas? I am not a fan and to be honest I rout against them more than I cheer for them. The reason I can tell them what they need to be hoping is under the Christmas tree is because I have the plan that will make their football program relevant for the first time since, ever.
All Cavalier fans need to hope they wake up tomorrow, look in their stocking and find a 4-8 2009 football record. This may seem absurd but if the Cavs can find a way to lose to Virginia Tech during the last weekend of November next year and finish off another disappointing season they might be bold enough to put my plan into action.
Hire Mike Tomlin.
This statement by itself seems as likely as my UVA playing in a BCS bowl game next year but if UVA can make a unprecedented commitment, why can't it happen. I think next December UVA's President, Criag Littlepage and Tiki Barber need to board a plane in Charlottesville for Pittsburgh and not come back until Mike Tomlin is their new coach. They need to convince Tomlin that taking this job would be a historic decision that would bring him close to home and show him their commitment by offering him a 20 year contract worth $100 million.
This type of contract is crazy and many outsiders would blast The University for throwing this kind of cash around in these tough economic times. Screw the outsiders, Mike Tomlin is as close too a sure thing in that position as they come and if they were too pull it off the return on their investment would make the contract seem like a bargain by 2015. Tomlin is a sure thing in this job for multiple reasons. First of all he is a hell of a football coach. Secondly, he is a Virginia native with ties to the recruiting hotbed of Hampton Roads. He is also young enough to be able to coach the entirety of the contract and then some. Finally, this would create the a buzz around the program that has never been seen. The Black Coaches Association would be applauding and the national media would be discussing this hire throughout the off season. Twenty years is a long contract and their is some risk involved in making this type of commitment but with the state of the UVA program can it really get any worse?
It is easy to say that Tomlin would say thank you for the offer but I have have one of the best jobs in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He very well might say that but he might not. With that kind of security, that kind of historic contract and the ability to be back in Virginia he would consider it. He would owe it to his family and could see it as an opportunity to further the reputation of minority coaches in the college game.
It is a pipe dream and it would be very tough to follow this offer up with a coaching search if he turned the job down. Nonetheless it is the kind of risk Virginia needs to take if they are serious about getting their football program to the next level. I have no doubt this will never be discussed in Charlottesville when Al Groh's time is over but in my mind it should be.
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