Readers of "the nation's newspaper," USA Today, could turn to the sports section Tuesday and see a photo of new Virginia football coach Mike London atop the front page.

Virginia has slipped from the national stage while suffering losing records in three of the past four seasons, but the choice of London has been well-received by groups seeking diversity in college coaching.

London became the second black head coach in a Bowl Championship Series conference, joining Miami's Randy Shannon.

"I understand the significance of being an African-American -- or the second -- at a BCS school," London said. "That's a tremendous honor. And I don't look at it as a burden because people say, 'Well, you're going to be scrutinized more.'

"When you have seven kids, you're scrutinized all the time because every decision you make is not always popular with them. Isn't that right, Korben?"

Son Korben, sitting in the front row, nodded his head in affirmation.

"I always want it to be known that [Virginia] hired me because I'm the best candidate," London said. "You can talk about the historical significance of it. I don't think about it when I'm coaching. The players don't. The coaches don't because all that matters is how [the players] are playing or how I'm coaching them."

When NBC analyst Tony Dungy commented Sunday night that the shortage of black head coaches in college football was "disgraceful," host Bob Costas hastened to mention that Virginia was set to introduce London.

First commit

Michael Strauss, a 6-foot-3, 208-pound quarterback from Gulliver Prep in Miami, announced Monday that he will not follow through on an oral commitment to Tulane and will sign a letter-of-intent with Virginia.

Strauss, who passed for more than 2,900 yards and 29 touchdowns this past season, took an official visit to UVa this past weekend and saw London during his trip.

By then, UVa had requested permission to speak to London, who was on campus Sunday.

Top-ranked Alabama was one of eight Division I-A programs that had extended scholarship offers to Strauss, who had passed for 3,193 yards and 32 touchdowns as a junior.

The football coach at Gulliver Prep is Earl Sims, a linebacker on the 2001 Virginia team. London was the defensive-line coach on that UVa team, the first with Al Groh as head coach.

The Gulliver connection came back to haunt UVa this year, when Duke wide receivers Donovan Varner and Conner Vernon each had more than 100 yards in receptions in Duke's 28-17 victory in Charlottesville.

Odds 'n' ends

UVa athletic director Craig Littlepage said that school president John Casteen was traveling Monday and was "deeply disappointed that he could not rearrange his schedule to be with us today."

There were unconfirmed reports that Casteen was in London, of all places. Casteen will be retired by the time Mike London coaches his first game.

n Fork Union Military Academy coach John Shuman held a practice session for college coaches Tuesday and said that Virginia was represented by the Anthony Poindexter and Bob Price from the Groh staff but that London was occupied by transition matters in Charlottesville.

n The name most closely linked with the defensive coordinator post is Jim Reid, formerly the head coach at Richmond and VMI and currently the linebackers coach for the Miami Dolphins.

Longtime Richmond defensive-line coach and top Reid aide Jeff Hanson is seen as a likely UVa hire.