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UVa coach Dave Leitao |
Tyson Leitao, 2, squirmed in his mother’s lap. Reese Leitao, 6, started to doze off halfway through his father’s introductory press conference as Virginia’s basketball coach. Unlike his predecessor, Dave Leitao proved he isn’t full of quips and manic energy. But that’s OK.
Projecting confidence, calmness, dignity and humility, Leitao made a good first impression in his first official function as UVa coach. He talked about his ambitious goals for the program, his basketball philosophy and much more in an hour-long session short on one-liners but long on substance.
“My vision is to take this basketball program and put in on a championship level, both on and off the court,” Leitao said. “And do it in a way that makes each one of our players, each one of the coaches, and everybody here at Virginia very proud.”
Leitao, 44, agreed to become UVa’s coach Friday after nearly a week-long courtship by the Cavaliers. Athletic director Craig Littlepage said he talked to Leitao several times on the phone last Sunday, and President John Casteen followed up with a call Monday. Littlepage spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Chicago, wooing the DePaul coach. Leitao then flew to Charlottesville for a formal interview Thursday. On Friday, he signed a five-year contract worth $925,000 annually.
“This appointment feels right,” said Littlepage, who sat next to Leitao throughout the press conference. “Most of all, the appointment of Dave Leitao is an appointment that fits the University of Virginia. This is the time and the time is right.”
Littlepage said he wanted a coach who would stress rebounding and defense, areas that were deficient in Pete Gillen’s seven years as Virginia head coach. Leitao’s teams at DePaul excelled in those respects, as did most of the Connecticut teams he helped lead as an associate head coach under Jim Calhoun.
“We want to build not for today, not just for tomorrow, but for long-lasting success. That’s what I’m about. That’s been my history,” said Leitao, who won a national championship as a UConn assistant and went 58-34 at DePaul. I really don’t know it any other way. I don’t like nor do I know a whole lot about failure. So I enter into this process knowing that winning is something we will do. I believe that in the bottom of my heart.”
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“I don’t like nor do I know a whole lot about failure.” |
Leitao said he would spend a few days evaluating everything about Virginia’s program before making any major decisions, such as hiring assistants. He said he might bring some of his staff from DePaul, but he also wants to hire someone with ties to UVa (probably a former player with name recognition).
All eight of UVa’s returning players also attended the press conference, and Leitao addressed them briefly. “I can tell you that the next time we play a basketball team, these young men will play and fight together like never before,” he said.
Some of the players later admitted that they knew little or nothing about Leitao before the coaching search began last month. They met with him briefly today and all seemed to be impressed.
“He’s going to take us to the [NCAA] tournament, I know that,” said point guard Sean Singletary . “Defense and rebounding, those were our weaknesses last season. He’s going to take them off the backburner and put them on the front.”
“He’s a cool guy,” said guard T.J. Bannister. “I liked it right away when he gave thanks to God. I got to know him a little bit when he recruited me when he was at DePaul. I think he’s going to do great job.”
Sophomore swingman Gary Forbes said he knew three DePaul players, who told him that Leitao is “a great guy. He’s a family guy. He’s up front with you. He’s a good coach.” Forbes also squelched rumors that he was planning to transfer. He admitted that he considered leaving UVa, but already had decided to stick around before Leitao was hired as coach. “I’m definitely staying,” he said.
Littlepage and Casteen, who were publicly mum throughout the coaching search, also seemed eager to fight a few popular perceptions. Casteen said that financing for John Paul Jones Arena, “contrary to what’s been reported in the sports pages, is on time, on track and ahead of track.” He said fundraising was not a consideration in this process.
Littlepage said today was not the day to discuss the process of the search in detail, but he said erroneous reports (such as those concerning Dave Odom) struck a “raw nerve” that he will address later. He also touched on the perception that UVa struck out on higher-profile candidates (such as Tubby Smith) before settling for Leitao.
“I feel relieved, but there was never a moment that I felt anything other than supremely confident,” Littlepage said. “The search was never stalled. There was never a situation where people were turning us down. I just felt all along we were going to get a great coach. I wasn’t going to be hurried into making a decision based on someone else’s timetable. I clearly knew exactly what I felt was a reasonable time frame. I went through it deliberately, thoroughly, diligently. … I wanted to be a search committee of one and that was purposeful. I didn’t want leaks. I didn’t want friends of mine who might be able to help me in some way run through a grinder that could possibly damage them and their credibility on their own campuses.”
Leitao was asked about the significance of being the first black head coach of any sport in UVa history. He handled that question adeptly, as he did almost everything else in a
“It’s a great honor that Virginia has bestowed upon me. I feel extremely proud to coach the game of basketball as an African-American when others have not had the chance who have come before me,” he said. “At this time, at this university, for our future I carry that with me as not only an honor but a responsibility.
“At the same time, I’m a basketball coach. Anyone who looks at me as such, they will see the same things regardless of my color or anything else. I’m honored and it’s a responsibility, but at the same point in time I’m here to coach basketball.”
(For complete coverage of the Cavaliers, please sign up for Sabre Edge. Edge subscribers can listen to Sunday’s entire press conference with Coach Leitao, Craig Littlepage and John Casteen.)
