University of Virginia Library

Speaking Out

The Replacement

By Ernest Dempsey

GEORGE BLACKBURN'S departure from the helm of
Virginia football set off rumors and questions (as all
announcements of this magnitude will) among those concerned
with the Coach's well-being and/or the football program itself.
What the aforementioned thoughts should be focused on is
twofold. First, Mr. Blackburn's replacement and second, the
future of Virginia football.

THE UNIVERSITY'S unscrupulous method of letting the
former football mentor off leaves the matter of a replacement up
in the air. One factor is that many coaches enjoy bringing their
own staff in with them and Messrs. Sebo, Williams, and Corrigan
did not reveal whether Mr. Blackburn's outright firing includes
saying a farewell to Don Lawrence, Ken Campbell, Ned
McDonald, Bill Clay, and the rest of his assistants. The new coach
might not adhere to Blackie's assistants and vice versa.

HOWEVER, IT IS QUITE OBVIOUS that University Hall will
be flooded with applications. Next year's offensive team can be
developed into a powerhouse, especially with the graduation of
Kent Merritt and Harrison Davis into the varsity ranks. The
defense can also be formidable. Billy Williams and Andy Selfridge
form a strong nucleus that any man would be more than willing
to coach.

ANOTHER CHALLENGE exists. The 1971 schedule is
tougher and more exciting in that it includes Big Ten foe
Michigan and the return of South Carolina after a two-year
absence. Mr. Blackburn's replacement can meet the challenge
head on or fall back on the new rigors of next season's slate. We
would hope that for our sake and Mr. X's the latter can be
avoided. Flimsiness was one of Coach Blackburn's more obvious
traits.

A MESSAGE TO UNIVERSITY HALL. Please remember that
the University is an academic institution and not a pro football
training camp. We should try and parallel Duke's football
program. The Blue Devils have been consistent winners and have
maintained a very high academic ranking. A new coach must be
tactfully chosen in order that the University's ACC ranking and
academic standards improve and be maintained respectively.

IN LESS THAN A WEEK, promising high school football
players all over the country will be permitted to ink their names
onto the dotted line of a grant-in-aid or scholarship form. To
assure itself of a successful recruiting program, the University
must find a new coach and will probably need new assistants.
(There were several gloomy masks on certain members of the
football staff following a secret meeting at U-Hall yesterday.) It
will not be an easy task for the administration, but that is the risk
it took in firing Mr. Blackburn, and that risk must be justified in
an adequate manner.