Washington State running backs coach Mark Atuaia, a former assistant at Virginia, announced in a video Thursday night that former Cavaliers assistants got together and chose this as the best way to honor the victims of Sunday’s shooting.
Atuaia said 10 coaches, including himself, will be wearing Virginia’s sabre logo, “dressed up as if we were coaching you back in Charlottesville.”
Atuaia spent the last six seasons on Bronco Mendenhall’s staff at Virginia. After Mendenhall left the program last year, he joined Jake Dickert’s staff at Washington State. Atuaia said the support he and other former Virginia assistants have received this week has been extraordinary.
“Out football fraternity is the best because we take care of each other regardless of where we’re at,” Atuaia said in the video.
MORE: UVa calls off game vs. Coastal Carolina in aftermath of campus shooting
SMU assistants Dwayne Chandler and Shawn Griswold donned the Virginia orange and blue during Thursday night’s game against Tulane, and eight more coaches will follow suit on Saturday.
Here is a list of assistant coaches who will be wearing Virginia gear in honor of the victims, including Chandler and Griswold.
Dwayne Chandler (SMU) Shawn Griswold (SMU) Robert Anae (Syracuse) Jason Beck (Syracuse) Nick Howell (Vanderbilt) Shane Hunter (Utah Tech) Kelly Poppinga (Boise State) Ricky Brumfield (FIU) Vic So’oto (California) Mark Atuaia (Washington State)
Virginia football players D’Sean Perry, Lavel Davis Jr., and Devin Chandler were fatally shot last Sunday night by a former walk-on with the program. Two other players survived the shooting with injuries.
Virginia cancelled its game against Coastal Carolina this weekend, and the status of the Cavaliers’ rivalry game against Virginia Tech next weekend - the last game of the season for both teams - is up in the air.
