He will step down as soon as they hire his successor.
This certainly is worth keeping an eye on, as it could have an indirect impact on VT. While they never were able to get rolling in football, the UVa Athletic Department came alive under Littlepage with a combined 13 team National Titles in the 16 years he was AD. They also won an ACC-leading 64 team Conference Championships since expansion in 2004. Both are impressive numbers, to say the least, but there is certainly a gaping hole in their football successes.
It'll be interesting to see if they double down on keeping the department good across the board, or if they bring in someone to focus on bringing football up to where their fans want it to be. If they take a focus in football, we could see the rivalry take on a whole new level of intensity over the coming years.
To further complicate things, the UVa President, Teresa Sullivan has already announced her retirement, effective at the conclusion of the current school year. Any new AD they bring in will likely come as part of a package deal with the new university President. This also comes on the heels of the UVa Executive Associate Athletic Director, Jon Oliver leaving the program last week. He was originally brought in, in part, to be their Athletic Director in waiting after having the same position at West Virginia.
Edit: Included more information about other moves in the university
Comments
Also interesting that John Oliver announced he was leaving a week ago.
Aren't these the 2 people UVA fans associate with the dumpster fire that is UVA football?
Yes but those are also the guys that have made their Olympic sports in the top 15 in the country all around.
They also have a first rate squash program.
I'm sure going to miss that guy. /s
To be fair, though, he did a great job in pretty much everything but football.
Also, they're undefeated in football this year.
Littlepage wanted to adopt the 1-0 approach and leave while UVA was still undefeated.
Retiring "undefeated and untied" worked for this guy...
Wasn't his impending retirement an issue with the football team getting a coach?
It's probably not an accident that the AD and President are leaving at around the same time. I think it will let them just start from scratch, more or less. It's not all that unlike us transitioning from Weaver to Babcock and Steger to Sands kinda back to back, albeit under somewhat different circumstances. It worked out well for us.
I have nothing positive or nice to say about UVA so I will just move on from this thread.
So if Bronco does poorly this season, does a new AD make a move to fire him in hopes of a splash hire?
no, Bronco was a splash hire. He gets at least another year, especially with a new AD. The new guy will have to build some goodwill among the fan base before having to pay someone not to coach.
I would not be surprised for Bronco to take a job on the west coast that is at best a lateral move after this year. New AD and he seems to understand what he's up against.
The whole thing is concerning in kind of a "what-if" kinda way. What if they get a Prez who wants a real D-I football program? What if they hire an AD who wants a real D-I program? What if pigs fly? Who am I kidding? It's LOLUVA folks! They will get some academic weenie for a Prez, and make obeisance to the big donors who want a football team that realizes that a round ball is not a football. They'll find an AD that understands the best way to donor's wallets is the wine and cheesefest they throw before a game. They'll fire Bronco after next season, and settle for the biggest available name in FCS football.
I'm just saying, people said the same thing about VT and everything but football, and yet here with are with Whit Babcock, Buzz Williams, John Szefc, Kenny Brooks, and John Sung, among many, many others. And UVa has the money that, if they go with a football oriented AD who knows what he's doing... could be problematic for us in short order.
I don't buy that they aren't all-in for football, they hired a successful coach with 100+ wins on his resume.
They will lose more from the Littlepage/Oliver regime in their investment in the Olympic sports, especially their coaches, than they stand to gain by investing more in football.