But Tranquill has taken an exciting odyssey through the game, from an assistant coach at a small Division III school to walking in the shadows of legendary coach Woody Hayes, from a role as Navy's head football coach to coaching in the National Football League, from a couple of trips through the Big Ten, to three stints under Coach George Welsh. During that 36-year span, Tranquill has compiled a vast laboratory of football knowledge on both sides of the line, knowledge that Welsh hopes will help lead the Virginia Cavaliers to the next level in the college game sometime in the near future. Welsh made it perfectly clear in August, after signing a contract extension that leaves him at the helm of Virginia football for the next four years, that he wants another ACC title and a shot at the Bowl Championship Series during that period. If the Cavaliers can recruit the pieces that Tranquill prefers for his offense, there's no reason that can't happen. When Virginia was ranked No. 1 in the nation for a three-week span in 1990, Tranquill was the guy calling the shots from the press box.
Big plays are what the game is still all about.
That was the greatest collection of players I've ever been around and that allows you to do almost anything you want to do. Quarterback Shawn Moore was so versatile that Virginia could go with a power running game or an option attack. He could drop back and throw the ball or sprint out. If receivers were covered, Moore was even more dangerous on the scramble. Herman Moore, the greatest receiver in Virginia history, could go up and grab anything.