Mike Groh

Mike Groh

New York Giants
Position:	Wide receivers coach
Personal information
Born:	(1971-12-19)December 19, 1971 Charlottesville, Virginia,U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	204 lb (93 kg)
Career information
College:	Virginia
Undrafted:	1996
Career history
As a player:
Baltimore Ravens(1996)* Rhein Fire(1997)
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As a coach:
New York Jets(2000) Assistant Virginia(2001–2002) Wide receivers coach Virginia(2003) Quarterbacks coach & wide receivers coach Virginia(2004–2005) Quarterbacks coach Virginia(2006–2008) Offensive coordinator Alabama(2009) Graduate assistant Louisville(2010) Quarterbacks coach Alabama(2011–2012) Wide receivers coach & recruiting coordinator Chicago Bears(2013–2015) Wide receivers coach Los Angeles Rams(2016) Passing game coordinator & wide receivers coach Philadelphia Eagles(2017) Wide receivers coach Philadelphia Eagles(2018–2019) Offensive coordinator Indianapolis Colts(2020–2021) Wide receivers coach New York Giants(2022–present) Wide receivers coach
Career highlights and awards
As coach Super Bowlchampion (LII) 3×National champion(2009,2011,2012) As player Second-team All-ACC(1995)
Coaching stats atPFR

Albert Michael Groh III(born December 19, 1971) is anAmerican footballcoach and formerquarterbackwho is thewide receivers coachfor theNew York Giantsof theNational Football League(NFL). He previously served as thewide receivers coachof theIndianapolis Coltsand as an assistant coach for theLos Angeles Rams,Chicago BearsandNew York Jets.He is a former startingquarterbackat theUniversity of Virginia.

Playing career

High school

Groh attendedRandolph High SchoolinRandolph, New Jersey,graduating in 1991. He played football for the Randolph Rams, starting as the team's quarterback, safety, placekicker and punter.

In Groh's last game, Randolph faced off against Montclair High School on December 1, 1990, in the New Jersey North 2, Group 4 sectional state championship game, which was held at Woodman Field in Montclair in what became of significance in the history of New Jersey high school athletics. While the matchup was already highly anticipated as it was the first-time meeting between the two storied New Jersey football programs, it was also further enhanced by several notable subplots. Randolph, ranked number two in the state, had entered the game sharing a state record for consecutive victories with 48 while Montclair was the top ranked team in the state and sixth in the United States. Ironically, it was on this very same field seventeen years earlier that Montclair had ended Westfield High's then state record 48 game unbeaten streak that Randolph was seeking to overtake.

For Groh and the Rams though, the game itself had taken on greater meaning as it was seventeen days after the sudden death of Randolph head coach John Bauer Sr. The legendary New Jersey high school coach and face of the program had battled a long time illness but had not planned to retire until the winning streak was snapped so as not to burden his successor, his son, with sustaining the program's winning streak. Circumstances with the elder Bauer's death nonetheless forced his son John Jr., the team's offensive coordinator, to take over the head coaching duties streak intact as the team was headed into the playoffs. This included shutting out perennial state power Union High coached by the great Lou Rettino one week prior. But in this state championship game, Montclair was heavily favored as, despite having not lost a game in over four years, Randolph was in its first year playing Group 4 playoff competition which represented the largest schools in New Jersey. Previously the Rams had won four consecutive Group 3 state titles.

Groh's undersized Randolph team, with ten players playing both offense and defense and none weighing over two-hundred pounds, seemed at times to be outmatched during the game by the physically larger and more athletic Montclair team. But some fortunate breaks helped keep the Rams, a team especially known then for its grit and disciplined clutch play, in the game. This included an offensive fumble recovery in the end zone that resulted in an improbable Randolph touchdown.

However, the most improbable events occurred towards the end of the game with Groh's team trailing 21-19 and driving late in the game. With a little more than a minute remaining and already in field goal range, the Rams turned the ball over deep in Montclair territory and at which point many of the estimated fifteen thousand in attendance began to file out of the venue.

Montclair decided to try and run as much time off of the clock as they could. They downed the ball three times, and the idea was that they would take a delay of game penalty on fourth down, which would leave them approximately three seconds to work with, and then just throw the ball away when it hit zero, ensuring the victory. However, the clock operator forgot to stop the clock after the last kneeldown, and with time appearing to have run out, Mounties fans stormed the field to celebrate their apparent victory.

The officials, however, had whistled the play dead once the play clock ran out and the game was not over. Montclair was assessed a penalty for the delay, and the officials set the clock to seven seconds instead of three. This meant that the Mounties would have to punt the ball back to Randolph and defend against a potential winning kick from Groh. The punt, into the wind and nearly blocked, was fair caught at the Montclair 20-yard line after traveling only eleven yards. Groh then kicked the winning 37-yard field goal as time expired to give Randolph its miraculous record breaking victory and the de facto state championship in what The Star-Ledger of Newark later named the greatest New Jersey high school game ever played.

College

Groh enrolled at the University of Virginia in the fall of 1991 and wasredshirtedas a true freshman. He served as a backup quarterback during his redshirt freshman season in 1992 and replaced struggling starter Bobby Goodman in a late season game againstN.C. State.However, in the 1993 season, Groh lost the quarterback competition to fellow redshirt sophomore Symmion Willis and again served as a backup. In the first game of the 1994 season againstClemson,Groh alternated with Willis when the offense struggled during a 6–3 win. Groh and Willis continued to alternate at quarterback for the next few games until Groh emerged as the starting quarterback. The Cavaliers finished 9–3 for the 1994 season with a win overTexas Christian Universityin theIndependence Bowl.

Groh led the Cavaliers to a 9–4 record in the 1995 season highlighted by a 33–28 win overFlorida State,a share of the ACC Championship, and a win overGeorgiain thePeach Bowl.In the 1995 season, UVA's only losses were by a touchdown or less to Michigan, Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech. Groh's fatherAl Grohwas hired as the head football coach at Virginia starting five years after Mike graduated.

NFL Combine

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Vertical jump
6 ft2+3⁄4in (1.90 m)	204 lb (93 kg)	31+5⁄8in (0.80 m)	9 in (0.23 m)	5.17 s	1.78 s	3.00 s	4.41 s	31.0 in (0.79 m)
All values from NFL Combine

Coaching career

New York Jets

Groh was hired as an assistant for his fatherAl,who was head coach of theNew York Jetsin 2000.

Virginia

Groh was hired on the Virginia staff in 2001 as thewide receivers coachbefore he took on the task of coaching the Cavalierquarterbacksin 2003 along with the receivers. In 2006, he was named the team'soffensive coordinator.He was relieved of the offensive coordinator position at theUniversity of Virginiain December 2008.

Alabama

Groh spent the 2009 season at Alabama as an offensivegraduate assistantas the Crimson Tiderecorded a 14–0 recorden route to the National Championship.

Louisville

Louisville Cardinalshead coachCharlie Strongannounced, on January 13, 2010, that he has hired Mike Groh to coach the quarterbacks atUniversity of Louisville.

Return to Alabama

On February 7, 2011, it was announced he had been given the job ofwide receivers coachat theUniversity of Alabama.

Chicago Bears

On February 21, 2013, it was announced that Groh was hired by theChicago Bearsas wide receivers coach.

Los Angeles Rams

On January 25, 2016, theLos Angeles Ramsannounced they had hired Groh as their new passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.

Philadelphia Eagles

On January 21, 2017, Groh was hired by thePhiladelphia Eaglesas their wide receivers coach under head coachDoug Pederson.After the 2017 season when the Eagles wonSuper Bowl LIIagainst theNew England Patriots,Frank Reichwas hired as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, and Groh was promoted to offensive coordinator to Pederson.Groh was fired from the Eagles on January 9, 2020, after they fell to theSeattle Seahawksin the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs.

Indianapolis Colts

On February 1, 2020, Groh was hired by theIndianapolis Coltsas their wide receivers coach, reuniting with former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator and current Colts head coachFrank Reich.

New York Giants

On February 10, 2022, Groh was hired by theNew York Giantsas their wide receivers coach under head coachBrian Daboll.

Personal life

Groh is the son of former American football coachAl Grohand his brother,Matt,is the director of player personnel for theNew England Patriots.

External links

• New York Giants profile