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Will Stewart
Joined: 09/18/1999
Posts: 93,035
Likes: 137,337
Will Stewart Admin
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Here's the thing. Back before Whit hired Pete D'Amour ....

Whit had fired Scot Thomas, but he hadn't hired Pete yet. Whit DM'd me on Twitter on May 23, 2018, and asked me, "What are the thoughts of your subscribers on softball? And how do you feel about it? Scot is a good guy. Just seemed to lose his 🔥 for the job and recruiting. I feel as though we have the third best job in the ACC behind Florida State in North Carolina. Hope you are well." I asked for his email address and sent him an email response .... which is sadly not accessible on GMail due to a big email change we made about 4-5 years ago. It's archived somewhere. but I can't get to it on my home computer (where I am now) and might not be able to get to it at all. I remember what I said, though. I told him Tech fans were very passionate about softball. By the time Whit got here, the Angela Tincher era was 6 years in the rearview mirror, so it wasn't the same, but I told him that she was one of the most beloved athletes in Virginia Tech history, and that softball at VT was a sleeping giant. There was a simmering interest there that would return in full force at the first sign of success, due to the seeds planted while Tincher was here. I encouraged him to go for it with the new hire. I don't know if my email influenced his thinking on Pete's hire, which was announced 8 days later (May 31, 2018). But I turned out to be right. VT's fan base was indeed a sleeping giant on softball. The softball fan base deserves better.
Posted: 04/30/2026 at 09:05 AM ET
(In response to this post by Atlee Hokie)

Thread Replies (56)

Full Thread →
A new "Up the Coast with Alex and Britt" is up
VTChip • 04/29/26 02:04 PM ET
And didn't help VT much, if any, with the sweep**
TomTurkey • 04/29/26 02:07 PM ET
...because we got pounded by Liberty midweek after losing 2 to a subpar GT.**
HoakieBS • 04/29/26 06:22 PM ET
GT is in the tourney field projections and just lost a 1 run game AND 9 inn
hokiepro • 04/29/26 07:54 PM ET
Pounded???! It was 10-9**
VTChip • 04/29/26 07:12 PM ET
Honestly the 10-9 makes it worse from a . . .
MidloHokie • 04/30/26 07:49 AM ET
My bad, i guess i was remembering the 9-0 pounding we put on them AWAY
HoakieBS • 04/29/26 08:43 PM ET
Not a cookie cutter sport. While you're correct, "On any given day!" **
TomTurkey • 04/30/26 10:56 AM ET
Just ignore him. He's one who throws cowcrap against the wall to see if it
ancient alien 2018 • 04/29/26 07:55 PM ET
Well, his screen name does end in BS...**
HokieNL • 04/29/26 07:58 PM ET
Some of us don't mess around.**
vatechcowpatty • 04/29/26 08:44 PM ET
Excellent point!!!**
ancient alien 2018 • 04/29/26 08:02 PM ET
Yeah, maybe 10 runs to a small degree, but my exact reaction.**
TomTurkey • 04/29/26 07:30 PM ET
What's sad is Tech would be in much better position to host
RVAHokie05 • 04/29/26 04:34 PM ET
Yeah, ask Oklahoma State Cowgirls! Same exact thing, now they are playing
PokieHokie • 04/30/26 03:03 PM ET
OSU was in Clearwater. They are 'playing better' because . . .
MidloHokie • 05/01/26 06:56 AM ET
What is overlooked is that of the top 30 RPI we have the lowest # of Home
HoakieBS • 04/29/26 06:32 PM ET
Again, another scheduling issue. I understand weather concerns but . .
MidloHokie • 04/29/26 09:45 PM ET
Chicken .... egg.
Will StewartAdmin • 04/30/26 12:07 AM ET
but the ticket revenue doesn't get funneled back to the SB team.
Chesapeake_Hokie • 04/30/26 08:30 AM ET
Is that a bad thing? What the market will bear?
TomTurkey • 04/30/26 10:52 AM ET
Suppose everyone felt that way?
RRHokie90 • 04/30/26 01:48 PM ET
Ive used your quote several dozen times.
TomTurkey • 04/30/26 02:15 PM ET
And why couldn't that be changed?
VTChip • 04/30/26 08:33 AM ET
I agree. Maybe with the new administration**
Chesapeake_Hokie • 04/30/26 08:36 AM ET
Every(darn)thing doesn't have to be done with the same rules & limitations.
laphroaig • 04/30/26 08:49 AM ET
Yep. That's a legit take. Bottom line Softball is objectively one . . .
MidloHokie • 04/30/26 07:41 AM ET
Here's where I get confused
Raleigh Hokie • 04/30/26 11:10 AM ET
He’s his boss, those that don’t say that get fired.**
Stech • 04/30/26 08:37 PM ET
Nah, it's much deeper than that
Raleigh Hokie • 04/30/26 09:40 PM ET
Ok**
Stech • 05/01/26 02:37 AM ET
Pete knew Whit from working as an assistant coach at Missouri.
RJHokie • 04/30/26 10:07 PM ET
Pete probably understands the pecking order in finances better than us.
TomTurkey • 04/30/26 02:36 PM ET
The next "creative out-of-the-box thinking" fm the old Admin ...
Atlee Hokie • 04/30/26 08:43 AM ET
Here's the thing. Back before Whit hired Pete D'Amour .... ◄
Will StewartAdmin • 04/30/26 09:05 AM ET
Interesting.
Atlee Hokie • 04/30/26 02:42 PM ET
@VTChip 's story of "manager for a day" is volume II
TomTurkey • 04/30/26 10:47 AM ET
That actually happened 10 years ago today
VTChip • 04/30/26 01:47 PM ET
@Ancient Hokie says "hear hear" to the story of the 5 year old...
TomTurkey • 04/30/26 02:19 PM ET
There's a name I haven't seen in a long time.
Atlee Hokie • 04/30/26 02:57 PM ET
Still here, buddy.
Ancient Hokie • 05/14/26 11:29 AM ET
The name referred to a pair of socks
TomTurkey • 04/30/26 03:07 PM ET
Understand he signed away a lot of control. Not good. Easy, less to do,
laphroaig • 04/30/26 08:53 AM ET
can you elaboarate on this please ?
Chesapeake_Hokie • 04/30/26 01:48 PM ET
@saret can explain it better. Bottom line, when you hire outside
laphroaig • 04/30/26 02:31 PM ET
@Chesapeake_Hokie , perhaps I can help here. During Whit's
saret • 04/30/26 03:57 PM ET
In the Greenbier section, lived here virtually (more)
Chesapeake_Hokie • 04/30/26 04:18 PM ET
I'm very familiar with the Greenbriar area, having lived there from
saret • 04/30/26 04:25 PM ET
sure will . . .
Chesapeake_Hokie • 04/30/26 04:31 PM ET
Strike while the iron (and fanbase) is hot!**
TomTurkey • 04/30/26 08:26 AM ET
I believe the DSR and KPI metrics consider that.
RJHokie • 04/29/26 06:39 PM ET
Yep. Pete needs to reassess his scheduling. If he can't get a . . .
MidloHokie • 04/29/26 04:43 PM ET
Who would have thought Georgia, Auburn, and USC would struggle???**
VTChip • 04/29/26 05:34 PM ET
You're making my point. Those are host teams. You need play somewhere .
MidloHokie • 04/29/26 05:56 PM ET
SC was projected top 15; Auburn top 25
hokiepro • 04/29/26 08:05 PM ET
I understand the nuances of scheduling having a daughter who . .
MidloHokie • 04/29/26 09:39 PM ET
But, but, they are SEC teams where it "just means more!"**
TomTurkey • 04/29/26 07:40 PM ET