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Meeting Mike London, part 1 of 2

As I waited diligently outside Mike London's office to begin what would become a 50-minute interview, I didn't know what to expect. Who knows what sort of dark business is conducted deep inside the never-ending, labyrinthine corridors of the McCue Center, the football team's practice facility?

Then, I was offered a Coke: immediate and necessary reassurance that today - last Friday, that is - would be a good day.

I twiddled my fingers for about half an hour until the man I had been waiting for approached me and asked, "Hey, are you Andrew?"

It took me roughly 10 seconds to realize that when Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said "One coach, just one, stood out among many excellent coaches," he wasn't lying.

I could tell immediately that Mike London is a passionate man. He doesn't just say so - it's written all over his office, inscribed in his history. Portraits of his seven children surround his desk. One image in particular caught my eye: his daughter, Ticynn, who needed a bone marrow transplant to survive.

Mike London was the donor.

And as I started talking with the man who will lead Virginia onto the football field in the fall, I knew Littlepage had selected a man of high character, whose infectious personality should generate excitement perhaps heretofore unseen in the University community.

With every word he spoke, I was reminded of Jim Valvano's memorable speech at the 1993 ESPYs, when he said, "To me, there are three things we all should do everyday. Number one is laugh - you should laugh every day. Number two is think - you should spend some time in thought. And number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears - could be happiness or joy. But think about it, if you laugh, you think and you cry - that's a full day, that's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're gonna have something special."

And I can tell Mike London is a man who laughs. He is remarkably insightful. And I know that he cries.

Because that's what happens when you save a life. When you almost lose your own. I know Mike London is a guy who gets it.

Here's proof:\n\nIn Al Groh's final press conference, he read a poem entitled "The Guy in the Glass." Afterward, he said, 'When I visited the guy in the glass, I saw that he's a guy of commitment, of integrity, of dependability and accountability. He's loyal, his spirit is indomitable, and he's caring and loving.' If you were to follow Groh's advice, what would you see in the glass?

I would see a guy that's very committed to his faith, his family and football. I'd see a guy who's had the opportunity to be involved in life-changing events that have put a different perspective on how I view life. Goes back to being released by the Dallas Cowboys shortly after I arrived in camp - how devastating that was as a young man in college, thinking the world is gonna come to an end. But you know what, there is a next day - the sun always rises. Being a police officer who stared down the barrel of a gun - the gun was pulled and didn't go off. Being thankful to see another day. Being a young parent in college and having to be responsible academically, as a husband, as a father and all its challenges that come with being a young parent. Being a bone marrow donor to my daughter, saving her life, when doctors tell you there's 10,000-to-1 odds.

So I think - just kind of a culmination of just - you know, just living life. We're all sum totals of our own experiences. And in this position, in this profession, being a football coach - more than that - a role model, a mentor. Unlike what Charles Barkley says, 'I'm not a role model' - you are, Sir Charles. But having an awesome obligation to basically raise other people's sons and being part of an extended family ... I'm a servant, I'm a coach but my job is to serve other people - help develop other people. So that's what I'm excited about.

What made you want to be a police officer and can you talk about that experience?

I wanted to be a U.S. Marshal, secret service agent, FBI, so I kind of went that route. And the only way to do it after I got cut from the Cowboys was you had to get, at that time, law enforcement experience. So I did that - went to the Richmond Bureau Police Academy for six months, down there in downtown Richmond next to VCU.

Shortly thereafter, I was promoted to detective, called the Street Crimes Unit. Basically I got a chance to grow a beard, man, wear earrings, drive around in an unmarked car - all that stuff. And we used to target career repeat offenders. We used to go after the worst of the worst. Spending a couple years doing that, you see the worst human beings do to each other and environments sometimes people live in. And what I learned from that whole process - when I talk about to the team, going to class, show class, treat people with dignity and respect, as far as those rules - what you learn is communication is so, so big. And the lack thereof can cause a lot of issues.

You're one of four African-American coaches in the BCS. You said in your press conference that you don't think about stuff like that during games. But now that you've had the job for more than a month, have you had time to reflect on this fact? How much significance do you attach to it?

When I'm on the sideline, I'm thinking about being a football coach. And I'd like to think that my things I've accomplished over the years, particularly here, every job that coach Groh gave me, I think I excelled in doing. It takes a long time to build a reputation as a communicator, as a recruiter, as a family guy, a good person, honorable. I like to think the accumulation of all those things has led to this one moment.

And then the big pink elephant in the room is - actually, oh, I am African-American. But very proud of the fact that opportunities have not been afforded traditionally, but it appears now - just recently as we talk now - at East Carolina, they just hired the former defensive coordinator at Texas Tech, Ruffin McNeil. But again, because you qualify, because you have documented proof of success of doing things along the way.

Note: In part two of this interview with coach London, he will discuss his plan to convert Virginia to a 4-3 defense, what he will do differently from Al Groh, the recruiting process and his expectations for next year's team.

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