Associated Press | File 2009

New UVa football coach Mike London has yet to name an offensive coordinator.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- For the first 18 months that he was the head football coach at Richmond, Mike London continued to maintain a residence in Charlottesville.

"You know how the housing market has been," said London, previously a defensive coordinator at Virginia. "I was going back and forth to Richmond, but, I was like, 'You know, I love [Interstate] 64, but I don't love it that much.' "

So, last summer, London finally moved to Richmond full time and put his Charlottesville house on the market.

And it sold, just in time for London to be named head coach at Virginia on Dec. 7.

"We just went through closing, a couple of weeks after I got named head coach," said London, who facetiously added. "Right up until the closing date, I was thinking, 'Maybe we could tell them it has termites or do something to get out of the contract.' But, no, we'd had it inspected. Everything was fine with the house."

So, for the record, London owns a home in Richmond and he's now looking for a place in Charlottesville, or, rather, he will be looking at houses when he has the time.

Monday marked London's seventh week on the job and he still has two full-time coaches to name, an offensive playbook to write and player meetings to complete.

"Seven weeks," he said. "Really? It seems like it's flown by."

London also has a second recruiting weekend to stage. London said that he might add as many as 4-6 recruits to a 2010 class that added Decatur, Ga., quarterback Miles Gooch over the weekend.

In the next seven days or so, London also hopes to complete his staff with an offensive coordinator and a second offensive assistant.

He confirmed that former Cavalier defensive lineman and seven-year NFL offensive lineman Ron Mattes will be UVa's offensive line coach.

Mattes, returning to college coaching after a four-year stint at James Madison from 1995-99, will be assisted by another ex-UVa offensive lineman, Gordie Sammis. Mattes and Sammis both will be graduate assistants.

The hold-up with the coordinator's job probably stems from the uncertainty surrounding Atlanta Falcons quarterback coach Bill Musgrave, who joined London on Al Groh's first Virginia staff in 2001.

"Obviously, there is a guy or two that I've had a pre-existing relationship with," London said. "The college cycle and the pro cycle are different in terms of when guys are available."

London said he interviewed college coaches at a convention in Orlando, Fla., earlier this month, but pro teams were still wrapping up their seasons at that time.

"I think I have a pretty good sense for the college guys I interviewed," said London, who spoke to former Clemson and Syracuse offensive coordinator Rob Spence, among others. "We'll finish up with the NFL guys in the next couple of days.

"There's been a tremendous amount of interest from some very good candidates. It's been remarkable. I've talked to some people I never thought I'd talk to."

London said that spring practice starts March 15.

"There is no playbook right now," London said. "Until Feb. 3, everybody is out on the road recruiting. After signing day, when the staff is intact, coaches will have a chance to meet.

"The good thing that happened was all of the commitments stayed committed. There wasn't a hurry to find guys and get them out on the road recruiting. That was a tribute to [Anthony] Poindexter and Bob Price for holding the thing together."

Poindexter was the lone holdover from the Groh staff to retain full-time status. Price probably will remain with the program in an as-yet-undisclosed capacity.

London said he is holding open the possibility that new UVa assistant Mike Faragalli, his offensive coordinator and play-caller at Richmond the past two seasons, could serve in that capacity with the Cavaliers.

"I'm not going to be out there chasing names just for the sake of chasing names when I feel I've got a good one here," London said.

Another ex-Spiders aide, Jeff Hanson, will serve as Virginia's recruiting coordinator.

London didn't have much to say about current players but indicated that running back Keith Payne has expressed interest in returning for a fifth season of eligibility in 2010. Payne left the team in the fall after a difference of opinion with Groh.

"Keith has a certain number of goals and objectives he has to meet," London said. "Thus far, he has met those goals and objectives, and that will be an ongoing process, into spring practice and out of practice. But the window has not closed on Keith Payne."