University of Virginia Library

New Coaches, More Recruits Named

By Bill Nachman
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Pete Pucher

Bobby Roper

Turnley Todd

Sil Carnachione

Don Lawrence

As football recruiting rolls into
its latter stages, the coaching staff is
pleased to announce that as of
yesterday afternoon 23 boys had
been inked to grants-in-aid. Of this
number 16 are from Virginia.

Helping to sign these boys have
been all nine members of the
football department. Don
Lawrence, head coach, has
coordinated the effort. Al Groh
(defensive line), Bill Clay (defensive
coordinator and in charge of the
linebacking corps), Ned McDonald
(assistant first year coach), and
Tom Fletcher (head of the receiving
unit) all have pitched in the make
the signings go smoothly.

Recently four other coaches
have been brought into the
"Virginia football family," and all
are currently assisting the other
staff members in trying to add
more recruits in these last few
weeks. Sil Carnachione has assumed
the position of offensive
coordinator and is also in charge of
the offensive backfield. A native of
Cleveland, he attended the area's
John Carroll College, from which
he graduated in 1951. Coaching on
the high school level for eight years.
Mr. Carnachione later returned to
his alma mater, where he was head
baseball coach with a 85-47 record.

For four years Mr. Carnachione
served as the offensive coordinator
at the University of Toledo. Here
his teams won 37 out of 43
contests, including winning the
tough Mid America Conference
three times. It was from his Toledo
post that he was recruited to join
the staff of the Cavaliers. Mr.
Carnachione is married and has four
sons.

Holy Name

Pete Pucher comes to the
University from Holy Name High
School in Cleveland. At Holy Name
he served both as head football
coach and athletic director for the
past five years, where his gridmen
were 35-10-1. Graduating from
John Carroll College in 196
(where he quarterbacked the only
undefeated football team in the
school's history in his senior year).
Mr. Pucher was a high school
teacher, coach, and guidance
counselor before he joined the staff
at Holy Name. Here at Virginia Mr.
Pucher will take over the reins of
the first year football squad and
will advise all players from his
position as academic counselor. He
is married and has two daughters.
This summer he plans on finishing
up work on his doctorate in
guidance counseling.

Defensive Coach

Taking over as the new coach of
the defensive backfield is Bobby
Roper. In 1966 he graduated from
Arkansas, where he was twice
named as an All Southwestern
Conference selection at a defensive
end slot. For two seasons Mr.
Roper served as a graduate assistant
to Bear Bryant at the University of
Alabama. In 1968 he assumed the
post of an assistant coach at
Wichita State, but he quickly left
after one season to coach the past
two years at the Citadel, where his
duties mainly were limited to the
defensive secondary. Mr. Roper is
married and has one son.

Virginia's own Turnley Todd
returns to Scott Stadium, only this
time he will work the sidelines
coordinating the offensive line. Last
time here for Mr. Todd was 1964
when he took his degree, but not
before he had captained the
Cavaliers during his fourth year, a
season which also saw him named
to the All ACC squad at a guard
position.

Professional Tackle

After serving a tour of duty with
the Army. Mr. Todd played three
seasons (1965-67) of professional
football with the Green Bay
Packers, the New York Giants, and
The Philadelphia Eagles. Two years
with Bill Elias at Navy followed,
and for the past two seasons Mr.
Todd has been an assistant on the
football staff at Davidson College.
He is married and has three
children.

New Faces

Despite their varied
backgrounds, the new coaches
eagerly have been trying to aid the
other five members of the coaching
staff. Key among new signings have
been three boys from northern
Virginia. Glen Lambert, 6-3, 218
defensive tackle, was a two-year
starter for Annandale, traditionally
one of the top teams in the state.
Also, he was an outstanding
scholastic wrestler.

Kurt Swanson, a student at W.
Woodson High also in northern
Virginia, excelled as a defensive
tackle. At 6-2, 200, he was a two
season starter for Northern District