Disappointing season. I like Pry but......
When we hired Fuente I was optimistic but there were little (and sometimes big) red flags that I ignored. He was NOT a good culture fit for Blacksburg. He didn't get it. From him alienating himself & the program from former players, losing relationships with Virginia HS coaches, and losing the locker room it was bound to fail.
I like Pry. He gets Blacksburg. He gets the traditions of Virginia Tech. He's reestablished relationships with Virginia coaches & former players. A coach from the Beamer tree he has a LOT to bring to the table.
The problem isn't that he was inexperienced when he got here but that he hired two inexperienced assistants as well.
Mike Elko was inexperienced but he brought is very experienced assistants & turned Duke around on a dime.
Duke!
And that gamble hasn't paid off. I think that inexperience is most glaring when you look at this programs struggles making adjustments. It has been a repeating problem all year that if we have a good game plan in the first half we struggle in the second because the other team adjusts & we have no counter adjustments. And that almost bit us again Saturday as we let a 24 point lead dwindle down to 11 before we opened it back up again.
Thank goodness we were playing Virginia!
25 Replies
1y
(In response to this post by CyberHokie)
1y
(In response to this post by Hoakie82)
1y
Would’ve cared about his personality or “fit”, if Fuente had been able to keep winning. The same goes for Greenberg. Bobby Knight basically proved this theory. Knight was quite often a total AHole but he won so the fans loved him or turned a blind eye to his personality.
I still like both Fuente & Greenberg & would’ve liked to have seen both been given more time but the naysayers ran them off in search of a better coach & fit. Which we’re still searching for years later. Unfortunately, between the portal, NIL & conference realignment, I think VT is wasting their time. Even if we were to convince a couple of superstars to come to Bburg, they’d have one good season & get lured to a more lucrative school.
(In response to this post by CyberHokie)
1y
(In response to this post by Hoakie82)
1y
A legend leaves In Fuente’s first year. When he introduced the idea of one of the players getting picked each week to wear Beamer’s number, Fuente was a genius. It just so happened that in first year, we gave Clemson a good scare in the ACCCG which exceeded all expectations. Unfortunately, Fuent’s star started to dim the next year when we lost the QB (whose name escapes me) that opted to go pro & then wasn’t drafted. That decision still bothers me all the way around because the result hurt the QB, the team, & Fuente. Personally, I will always believe the NFL missed out on a possible rising star, too.
(In response to this post by marcbvtgm)
1y
Judgement, decision making and acumen that goes with the role. You can see clearly the job is too big for him. He coaches SCARED.
Also, Fuente wasn’t given the tools, resources, and support that comes with the job. Guess who can can blame for that part??? Maybe if he was given the same tool set Pry has been given things would have turned out differently?
I wasn’t a Fu fan for the reasons listed above, but he really wasn’t given the same chance to succeed as Pry has, and look what Pry has accomplished this far….his best is AVERAGE.
(In response to this post by CyberHokie)
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Gman12
1y
I don't get the comparison. I wouldn't hire Fuente to run a hotdog stand. Everyone complains about Pry's staff but Fuente's was infinitely worse once Bud Foster left. Everyone is disappointed about the season and there were several games that we should have won that we didn't. I am an optimist. The culture is drastically better under Pry. Heck, the players had a mutiny against Fuente. Pry inherited a roster that had the least amount of talent in 30 years. It is a wonder that he won a single game. While this year's record was the same as last year (not including the bowl game) the largest deficit in a loss was 10 points and that was to Clemson. I look for the team to take another step next year. I believe Pry will be very active in the portal as well.
(In response to this post by Irish Hokie)
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Gman12
1y
His players didn't want to go to a bowl game so they tried not to win which is like a mutiny. Many players left the program under Fuente. He ruined recruiting relationships in VA that took decades to build. He thought it was a good idea to focus on TX to get recruits all the way to Blacksburg. He only won with Beamer's players the first couple of years. He had the personality of a rock. He had no culture. He was a horrible recruiter. He ended the bowl streak. Most importantly, his team regressed each year. Other than that, he was great.
(In response to this post by BG Hokie)
1y
subscriber articles and the podcasts that when Fuente focused in on one area of the team, that area got better. Based on recollection, there was a particular year where, one of his last, where the scout team defense wasn't giving the offense good looks. He got heavily involved with the scout team defense and they immediately got better.
He was a good technical X's and O's coach. With more time to prepare, he was often good in openers. His people skills fell off a cliff at VT. No doubt about it. After his best assistants moved on, his next assistant coaching hires failed but make no mistake he was a good X's and O's coach and the teams generally had better offensive schemes compared to the new staff.
Couple Pry's personality and strengths with people and take Fuente's X's and O's / game planning acumen and you'd have a really good coach. As we have it now, we probably have two post Beamer coaching failures.
(In response to this post by Gman12)
agreed. would be nice to have a combo version of Fuente/Pry
(In response to this post by Irish Hokie)
1y
assistant coaching hires. Most of these uber successful coaching hires, I would wager, absolutely nail coordinator hires.
(In response to this post by kingofcassell)
1y
(In response to this post by CyberHokie)
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teams ranked at gametime (one in the Top 10) since his tenure started.
(In response to this post by CyberHokie)
1y
over the last two seasons we're 13-12, and they're 8-16. Oh, and we beat them by a combined score of 92-34.
Yes, we're significantly better than them. SIGNIFICANTLY.
It's silly to suggest otherwise....
(In response to this post by Tuckahokie)
1y
When you lose 5 one score games (two OT games) & the other by 10 that's not good. You expect to go around 50?50 on those. Heck even if we won two of those the fan base is a lot happier today.
(In response to this post by Tuckahokie)
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ombandit
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(In response to this post by CyberHokie)
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In the first half this year we've given up 100 points. In the 2nd half we've given up 173.
We've lost out 6 games by 7 OT, 3, 4, 7 OT, 10 Clemson & 3.
Really looking at the numbers the Tech offense has been better (if only marginally 172 first half / 184 second) but the defense
has been disappointing.
(In response to this post by ombandit)
1y
We have been competitive in every game, except maybe Clemson. Last year, we weren’t competitive against good teams. That’s a step forward.
But Pry needs to spend a lot more time thinking about and preparing for end of half and end of game decision making g and clock management. If he can’t improve in that area, he could lose the confidence of the players.
He also needs to hire an experienced DC who can make in-game adjustments.
(In response to this post by CyberHokie)
1y
The lack of adjustments by Marve is sickening. There is no way he should be our DC next year. Guys out of position all the time and struggles with a mobile QB are never ending. Four times this year we scored 27 or more and LOST!!! Seriously, this is unacceptable!
(In response to this post by CyberHokie)
1y
Virginia found something with Muskett running & we didn't adjust until the UVa made it interesting.
(In response to this post by ForgeHokie)
1y
(In response to this post by CyberHokie)
1y
...the pressure was on to score & score quickly, which usually means more passing.
(In response to this post by Happy Dog)