Groh and Carroll Set to Cross Paths Again

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- In 2001, Virginia Coach Al Groh and Southern California Coach Pete Carroll were hired as alarm clocks for supposed sleeping giants. The moves were independent of each other and on opposite sides of the country, yet the assignments were similar for Groh and Carroll, two coaching veterans with significant NFL experience and personalities that befit their respective schools.

On Saturday, their teams will meet in Scott Stadium in Charlottesville for the season opener. Carroll fulfilled his rejuvenation project, and he now oversees college football's juggernaut. The Trojans have won at least 11 games in six straight seasons with an outright national championship in 2004 and a share of the title in 2003.

Groh, who has not come close to rivaling the success Carroll has produced in Los Angeles, has nonetheless been named the Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year twice since returning to his alma mater and has reached a bowl game in five of seven seasons.

When they meet at midfield to shake hands, it will be one of the many times in their careers that their paths have crossed. Both have respect for the other, although they are more acquaintances than close friends. Groh said during a nearly 45-minute news conference earlier this summer that he would spend more time speaking to reporters that afternoon than any continuous interaction he has experienced with Carroll.

When each coach speaks of the other, it comes with common experience few other college football coaches possess. They never joined on the same staff but served on competing sidelines spanning nearly three decades.

Said Groh: "Pete's teams have always been very full-throttle, high-energy teams whether that was as a coordinator or head coach."

Said Carroll: "He's been affected by his many years in the NFL. . . . He's always been a great coach."

When Groh coached Wake Forest in the early 1980s, Carroll was the defensive coordinator at North Carolina State and they coached against each other in the ACC. Groh became a coach with the New York Giants under Bill Parcells starting in 1989. Carroll joined the New York Jets' staff in 1990.

In 1991, they each served as defensive coordinators: Groh with the Giants, Carroll with Jets. The University of Maryland job opened, and both were considered before subsequently pulling out.

Their NFL careers were linked when Groh followed Parcells from the New England Patriots to the Jets as linebackers coach in 1997. Parcells was replaced in New England by Carroll, who had been the head coach of the Jets two seasons earlier.

"We probably could have traded houses," Groh said.

They game-planned against each other in the AFC East for three seasons before the Patriots fired Carroll on Jan. 3, 2000. On the same day, Parcells resigned from the Jets. Appointed in Parcells' place was current Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who subsequently left the Jets to take over for Carroll in New England.

The Jets turned to Groh to fill Belichick's void in New York.

The connections are either eerie or coincidental, but they indicate the familiarity Groh and Carroll have with each other and their schemes.

"There's been a multiplicity of what they've done that we're familiar with that shows up in a different scheme," Groh said. "It's clear they are very broadly situationally prepared for things to come up. That's as significant to intricate preparation as plays. It's more than just plays. This is a game of situations."

Carroll runs a pro-style offense and defense that showcased his lauded recruits to NFL teams. Since Carroll took over USC in 2001, 42 of his players have been drafted.

Groh has had 24 players drafted during that same span, and the 3-4 system he utilizes has increased in popularity among the NFL.

"His lineage of coaches over the years brings [Virginia] a fantastic system," Carroll said during a conference call with reporters. "The style of play is familiar to me because of the 3-4 stuff he played with Bill over the years. The offensive stuff is very NFL-oriented."

Both Groh and Carroll are cited as prime examples of former NFL coaches who achieved success returning to college. In the NFL, coaches seldom receive full personnel control. In college, a coach is the general manager and player personnel director, too.

Since Groh and Carroll arrived on their respective campuses in 2001, they elevated the emphasis on recruiting. Both have the benefit of telling prospective recruits about coaching on Sundays -- a day when they often saw each other on opposing sidelines.

On Saturday, they will greet each other following a game for the first time in almost a decade. Even though USC is a heavy favorite with a majority of their starting lineup likely destined for the NFL, Groh can count on knowing what to expect from his longtime opponent.

"Just as a football fan, somebody who likes to watch football at its highest level, I'm tremendously impressed," Groh said. "They got great talent and some very intricate schemes. They're well-coached. They're as good a team as we've ever seen."