Virginia will have a new football coach on the sideline in 2016. On Sunday, the school announced that head coach Mike London resigned from his position.
“I appreciate the opportunity to have been the head football coach at the University of Virginia and for the relationships that have been formed during my time in Charlottesville that will last for years to come,” London said in a statement. “I took this job to make a profound difference in the lives of young men and to re-establish Virginia football as one of the best programs in the ACC. While we were successful in the development of our players in many areas, I would have liked to have won more games for the student-athletes, coaches, fans and everyone that’s a part of the University of Virginia.”
London’s resignation came less than 24 hours after the Cavaliers lost their season finale to Virginia Tech, 23-20. The team finished 4-8 on the year, marking the fourth consecutive season the program has failed to reach a .500 record or a bowl.
In his six years as UVa’s head coach, London accumulated a 27-46 record. He is the fourth-winningest coach the school has had since Virginia played its first ACC season in 1954.
One area where London’s teams struggled was in conference play. UVa was 6-10 against ACC foes in his first two years but was 8-24 over the next four seasons.
During his time in Charlottesville, London and his assistants did have success on the recruiting trail. Four of his last five signing classes were ranked in the top 35 nationally on the 247Sports Composite, with three in the top 30 and two in the top 25.
UVa is the fourth school in the ACC that will be replacing its head coach this year. Miami fired Al Golden last month, while Syracuse canned Scott Shafer on Nov. 23. Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer will retire after coaching the Hokies’ bowl game. Accoring to reports, Virginia Tech has hired Memphis coach Justin Fuente to succeed Beamer.
Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage will now be tasked with finding the school’s fourth football coach in 32 years.
“In our search, we will look for a coach who’s demonstrated the ability to implement his system and achieved a consistent level of success,” Littlepage said. “The coach will have experience recruiting and developing student-athletes who fit his profile for success on the field and in the classroom. We expect our football program to compete for the Coastal Division title on an annual basis, which puts us in a position to win the ACC championship and be competitive nationally.”