Part II: Carla’s Opinions On Things OTHER Than Football At UVA

Our Jerry Ratcliffe has personally known every Virginia athletic director dating back to Gene Corrigan, followed by Dick Schultz, Jim Copeland, Terry Holland, and Craig Littlepage. Jerry’s first one-on-one sit down with new UVa AD Carla Williams, took place this week.

In Part 1, which you can read by clicking here, football was the main topic of conversation. Today’s Part 2 of the Q&A session hits a variety of topics:

Jerry: Carla, you’ve inherited a Top 25 athletic program. How do you enhance that position?

Carla: I think we need to sustain it. A strain on the budget impacts everyone. Just because you’re in the Top 25 now doesn’t mean that you’re guaranteed to be in the Top 25 unless there is reinvestment in those programs. When there’s a financial strain it’s difficult to reinvest in those programs.

So, you have to go to the source and figure out how to improve the financial status of the department. Football is a way to do that. That’s what we’re working on.

Jerry: How many speaking engagements have you fulfilled since you’ve been on the job at Virginia?

Carla: I have no idea. It’s a lot.

Jerry: What are your audiences curious about?

Carla: Football, football, and football (and her banana bread pudding recipe, which she admits has been popular). What will it take to be competitive [in football]. They want to know about Bronco and his staff, recruiting in Virginia, competing with Virginia Tech, keeping Virginia prospects (not just in Virginia but coming to the University of Virginia), men’s basketball, which is phenomenal here as everyone knows.

I will just say, I grew up a basketball fan, love basketball, played basketball in college, coached basketball in college and had a lot of success. So I’m a fan of college basketball.

I recognize and appreciate good fundamental basketball, so I’ve watched Virginia men’s basketball for a long time, and in particular Tony and his coaching style, and the way his players play hard and hustle, and how they do the fundamentals at such a high level.

I always knew and heard that he was such a good guy. After being here and working with him, he is better than advertised. I mean he is the real deal, and I am blessed that he’s my men’s basketball coach.

So, people want to talk about men’s basketball and then the new hires, Tina Thompson. They want to talk about our coaches. Craig hired some phenomenal coaches. There are a lot of new coaches. People don’t realize how many coaches we have here that have been here for less than three years. People want to talk about Brian O’Connor and baseball and what a great job he has done.

There are some other coaches in Olympic sports that don’t get any fanfare that are just phenomenal, like Kevin Sauer and Steve Garland, and some of the younger coaches.

But really [they want to talk about] football, football, and football.

Jerry: There was an informal poll of major college basketball coaches last year, asking if they could have their sons play for any coach in America, who would that coach be. Tony Bennett was an overwhelming first place choice by his fellow coaches.

Carla: It’s kind of like when I was thinking about where would I like to be an athletic director. Well, Virginia was one of those places. I have a son who is 14 years old. Who would I want him to play for? Tony Bennett, Bronco Mendenhall, Brian O’Connor. You don’t always get to say that [as an AD].

Jerry: Speaking of terrific people, Tina Thompson seems to be making an immediate impact as your new women’s basketball coach. Is that what you envisioned when you hired her?

Carla: She’s got a lot of energy and a high ceiling. What I thought would be immediate, her first priority would have to be recruiting our current team and helping those players become better. The relationship there was almost instantaneous between her and the current team, and their belief in what she is asking them to do to get better as players.

My hope, short-term is that we’ll be able to maximize the players that we have. I know it will take some time to build more talent, but early indicators is that she’s brought in some really good players for some official and unofficial visits. I think the future will be bright there from a talent standpoint.

Knowing that the players trust her in what she’s telling them to do on the court is huge. She’s obviously super smart, USC degree, so academics is a no-brainer. That’s at the top of her [recruiting] list. She’s just like me, new to Charlottesville, new to UVa, so we both have a lot to learn in that regard, but both determined to do a good job.

Jerry: Is the giving level from your donor base where you’d like it to be?

Carla: When we started the emergency fund for football, there was immediate support to help. That’s where we’ve seen incremental improvements in recruiting and in strength and conditioning. Our first request was met with a lot of enthusiasm, just to merely supplement the operating budget.

We’re hoping for the same enthusiasm when we roll out the campaign for the facility.

Jerry: Are football costs spiraling out of control around the country in your opinion?

Carla: Only if you let it. That’s the way I see it. For us, we can make sensible steps that are true to Virginia’s core values that allow us to be consistently competitive in football. Once that happens, the revenue will increase and then we can sustain ourselves as a department. We will always do what we need and will be great stewards of our supporters and the contributions they make to us, and focus on what UVa needs to do to be successful academically, athletically, in the community, and making sure our student-athletes are prepared for life after their sport. For us those are basic fundamental needs specific to UVa. I can’t and won’t speak to what everyone else decides to do, but we will only do what is needed for UVa.

Jerry: Living in Charlottesville, almost nine months, what do you like about it?

Carla: I love it, I really do. It’s so much Athens, a typical college town where the university and the hospital are pretty big. Music, food. My husband is a college professor, so he’s used to being in college towns.

My children have grown up on campuses. One was born in Athens, Ga., one was born in Tallahassee, Fla., and one was born in Nashville, Tenn. They’ve all grown up on all of those campuses. So this is a natural for them. Wherever sports are is home to them.

The same is true for me. The people here have been wonderful. The university is great. We live just outside of town and we love it, it’s beautiful. Great place to raise a family, have a family, work, live.

To me, it’s a hidden gem. You guys already know about it. I’m thinking UVa, great Olympic sports, ACC, great part of the country, and I get here and it’s just gorgeous. Just a great, great place to live.

Jerry: Is your husband still a professor?

Carla: Yes, in public policy.

Jerry: What do you guys do for fun?

Carla: Cook, watch sports (laughter). Friday’s After Five, I went to that for the first time last week. My job [keeps her more than busy]. I like to cook and spend time with my family. That’s really all we do when I’m not working.

Jerry: Was your mom a good cook?

Carla: My entire family … I learned to cook from so many different people in my family. My dad was the baby of 19 children. One of my aunt’s in particular I learned how to cook from scratch. My mom has passed now, but she was a great cook. My husband knows how to cook. It is something that has been passed down from several generations.

Jerry: What’s your specialty … your go to? Bet you can make skillet cornbread.

Carla: Oh yeah … with a black, cast-iron skillet. Yeah, oh absolutely. My son loves french toast, so I do that in a variety of different recipes. Desserts, I like to make desserts. I can make just about anything.

Jerry: When you do get a chance to go out, do you have any favorites?

Carla: I like, The Local, I’ve been there a few times. What’s the breakfast place downtown? The Nook, I like The Nook. Oh, and I went to Mel’s recently for the first time. I like that a lot. And The Downtown Grill, and Duner’s.

We ran out of time because as a new AD, Carla Williams has one meeting after another, so we thank her for her time and fitting us into that schedule. Hope this gave our readers more insight into what she is all about.