Diaco leaves UVA football team

The news that broke Sunday became official yesterday, when the University of Cincinnati announced it has hired Bob Diaco away from the University of Virginia.

In early December, Diaco was named Virginia’s defensive coordinator, and he’ll hold that same position at Cincinnati. The Bearcats’ coach is Brian Kelly, under whom Diaco worked as an assistant at Central Michigan in 2005.

U.Va. coach Al Groh has lost two assistants this month: Diaco and Bob Pruett, who retired last week citing family reasons. In all, five assistants from Groh’s 2008 staff are gone. In early December, he announced that his son Mike, Levern Belin and Steve Bernstein would not return in 2009.

Diaco, who turns 36 today, came to U.Va. from Central Michigan after the 2005 season. He coached linebackers (along with Al Groh) and coordinated Virginia’s special teams in 2006, ‘07 and ‘08.

Pruett was Virginia’s defensive coordinator in 2008, but his title was changed to assistant head coach for defense in early December, at which time Groh promoted Diaco to coordinator.

At Cincinnati, Diaco will replace Joe Trosey, whom Kelly fired last week. The Bearcats closed last season by losing to Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

Groh has two openings on his staff, one of which will be filled by Ron Prince, who spent the past three seasons as Kansas State’s coach. Prince, a former U.Va. offensive coordinator and offensive line, is expected to coach special teams.