Virginia Return, Field Goal Units Eye Consistency

 

Virginia
Billy Kemp IV handled most of the Virginia punt return duties late in the Bronco Mendenhall era. ~ Photo by Kris Wright/TheSabre.com

Virginia football fans can expect a lot of changes in the 2022 season due to the arrival of coach Tony Elliott. A strong offensive mind, coming to the Cavaliers following a stint as the offensive coordinator at Clemson, Elliott will hopefully pair well with returning starting quarterback Brennan Armstrong and his corps of elite pass catchers. To assist him in his new role, Elliott brought on a host of new staff to help him manage the rest of the field. This includes new special teams coordinator Keith Gaither. 

Coach Gaither came to Virginia in January of this year. Prior to accepting the role as special teams coordinator and running backs coach, he worked as the wide receiver coach at Army from 2015-2016 and 2020-2021, spending the 2017-2018 season at East Carolina and the 2019 season at Western Michigan. Gaither joins the Cavalier special teams in a difficult period, one in which they have struggled to find improvement and consistent success. Hopefully, though, the spark of a new era for Virginia football will help him turn things around.

Here is a closer look at the offense’s side of special teams.

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