Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 19, 1991 TAG: 9102190044
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Tranquill, whose quarterbacks rewrote UVa's passing records during his four years on the staff, agreed to become the quarterback coach under new Cleveland Browns head coach Bill Belichick.
"I thought it might be coming," Welsh said. "He's known the Belichicks, so I kind of expected it."
Belichick is the son of Steve Belichick, who was an assistant coach with Tranquill when Welsh was the head coach at Navy. Steve Belichick remained on the staff when Tranquill was head coach at Navy from 1982-86.
"I called [Bill Belichick] to recommend another coach," Tranquill said. "This was when he was talking with Tampa Bay, too, and he asked me if I would be interested. It shocked me a little, but, once I thought about it, I thought maybe it was something I wanted to do."
Tranquill, 50, has been a college coach for 29 years, but said it was an easy decision to move to the National Football League at an increase in pay and with no recruiting responsibilities.
"I'll be forever grateful to Coach Welsh," said Tranquill, relieved at Navy after going 20-34-1. "Things didn't go too well at the Naval Academy. I was a little down. Things kind of took off when I came here. It was fun."
Before Tranquill's arrival, no Virginia quarterback had passed for more than 2,000 yards in a season. In his four seasons, the Cavaliers had a 2,000-yard passer each year.
"He was a lot like Phil Elmassian; he helped us win a lot of games, 33 in four years," Welsh said. "We kept the same system we had before, but expanded the passing game."
Tranquill is the third coach to leave the UVa staff in the past six days, following defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani and Phil Elmassian, who coached the linebackers.
Spaziani had the option of remaining on the staff, but elected to seek other opportunities. Elmassian left to coach the secondary at Syracuse.
"Right now, he wants to be a secondary coach and I did not know if I could accommodate him without input from Rick [Lantz]," said Welsh, referring to UVa's new defensive coordinator. "I also told him at that point that I would have to look at him as the ninth coach."
The NCAA has mandated that Division I-A coaching staffs be cut from nine to eight paid assistants before the 1992 season.
"I have a timetable, which is not to do anything this week," Welsh said. "I'm going on vacation this week, and I hope to sort it out in my mind during that time. I haven't talked to anybody, but I have some names in mind. I'm not going to interview anybody until early March."
Tranquill's predecessor as quarterback coach, Tom Sherman, now coaches the UVa wide receivers. Tranquill has called the plays since 1987; before that, Welsh called the plays.
"I don't think we'll change the system, whoever comes in," Welsh said.
Tranquill said he would recommend offensive line coach Tom O'Brien for the coordinator's position.
"I think OB's a hell of a football coach," Tranquill said. "Sometimes you can get hung up on title. I called the plays and didn't have the title, but there was a lot of good give and take. I think, the way the situation is now, they're going to do it."
Welsh, who kept the same staff from 1987-91, said the latest movements were no cause for concern.
"I've been through it before," he said. "These things seem to run in cycles."
by CNB