Virginia Tech Postseason Thought-Sorting, Part 1

29 Comments

1. 

   marymoss December 1, 2022 at 5:58 PM

   i HAVE SAID MANY TIMES THAT YOU ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE PEOPLE UNDER YOU
2. 

   vtox1 November 30, 2022 at 11:56 PM

   B St explained all this. Pry and staff took the cold turkey approach to transition. Had they pulled back a bit taken a more incremental approach might have 6 wins. Hopefully it pays off in the long run, no since in crying over spilt milk - on-ward. I think Pry had more to bad to kill in program than Elko at Duke. If you look at nfl talent, we lost off last years team 6-6 was grossly underperforming!
3. 

   HokieACC November 30, 2022 at 9:58 PM

   I really like coach Pry, but I don't think this offensive staff could put together a winning season in ten years, because I believe what my eyes tell me. The offense almost never looked in sync or really looked like they practiced the entire season. Of course I would love to be proven wrong and eat these words! I've disconnected a little bit from the FB team for self preservation reasons, but will definitely keep watching and hoping for a turn around!
4. 

   HokieinSD November 30, 2022 at 8:09 PM

   This writing is a very good out take of a bad football situation ... LOL
5. 

   Cheesehokie November 30, 2022 at 6:57 PM

   This piece and others have me questioning the process Whit used to interview candidates, and how he processed the answers. To me, Pry's most glaring weaknesses were: (1) Lack of HC experience at any level; and (2) Lack of offensive experience of any kind. Had I been the hiring official, I would've asked Pry how he intends to approach his first HC job. I would've needed to confirm that he understands the new role, along with the 'span of control' challenges that accompany being the CEO of the football program. Additionally, there is no way I would have extended an offer to Pry without a clear bilateral understanding that I'd be requiring (not asking) that he hire experienced O and D coordinators to mitigate the risk associated with his newness to the HC role. I hired a lot of people during my working career. The way Pry's staff hires worked out, coupled with his reluctance to delegate the DC role, makes me wonder whether either he or Babcock even understood these challenges, let alone had a plan to manage them.
   1. 

      dougellen1 December 1, 2022 at 4:13 PM

      Hiring is not prys strength.
6. 

   Suffhokian November 30, 2022 at 6:48 PM

   What a sobering article, filled with facts, which articulates how I feel about the program. Excellent write up!!
7. 

   PlayerHokie November 30, 2022 at 5:22 PM

   This is a harsh commentary and sadly, well deserved. I hate saying that because I like the coaches. Still, the results must be used to evaluate and make changes. This is definitely not " steady as she goes." Leadership is doing the right thing despite pressures against change — in this case the pressure comes from within. Here's to hoping Coach Pry makes the changes that will bring a different result. We were out-coached in most games we played. For VT to succeed, that has to change.
8. 

   Will Stewart November 30, 2022 at 3:21 PM

   "You know how they say you shouldn’t name animals you plan on killing for food? I shouldn’t watch the press conferences of Virginia Tech coaches." That's one of the funniest damn things I've ever read here.
   1. 

      teaysvalleyhokie November 30, 2022 at 4:22 PM

      I second this thought.
   2. 

      Cheesehokie November 30, 2022 at 6:38 PM

      Agree. And it isn't often that I run into a word for the first time, either, but "amanuensis" got me!
   3. 

      Tim Lewis November 30, 2022 at 11:48 PM

      Yeah, that's why I named my cow nick Saban
9. 

   DADEC52 November 30, 2022 at 3:16 PM

   No doubt you want him to do well but I got the distinct impression you don't expect him to, at least with this staff? Any thoughts on the guy who hired the guy. This season has just been one red flag after another (no that's not a penalty comment!) makes me wonder what sold Whit on not just Pry but his plan?
10. 

    HOKIEFROY November 30, 2022 at 2:55 PM

    Me too!!!!!!!
11. 

    hokie4life93 November 30, 2022 at 2:38 PM

    This staff is painful to watch. Pry's in over his head. Anybody who says different is a fool.
12. 

    phonedude November 30, 2022 at 2:07 PM

    Overall, I feel worse about our situation than I did a year ago. I figured 2022 would be bad bc we pretty much had the same team that Maryland curb stomped in the bowl game last year. This summer I worried a bit about the head coach and both coordinators only having OJT, but hoped “youth and enthusiasm” would carry the day. Now I’m sitting here, looking at a coaching staff that didn’t adapt during the season, hasn’t really put recruiting into overdrive, and I’m hoping “evaluation and development” will carry the day. About the only 2022 bright spot for me is that UVa seems to have a similar problem w Elliott, and I’m glad Elko ended up at Duke and not UVa ;-/
13. 

    Steeltown Hokie November 30, 2022 at 2:06 PM

    Glad to see someone speaking the truth and not carrying the water for VT football.
14. 

    23434 November 30, 2022 at 1:55 PM

    Don’t agree that VT is a “bottom feeder” in the ACC right now; the use of “a” allows for more than one. Maybe, Tech is “the” bottom feeder in the ACC right now and challenging for inclusion in the bottom 25. Beating BC, Wofford, and Liberty, while losing to the likes of ODU is the recipe for failure and leaves no doubts about the accuracy of being left off the list of the top three all ACC teams. Think, heading up the bottom of the worst division in the worst Power 5 conference and digging to reach the bottom of Division One. VT is competing with its 1950 team.
15. 

    GO_HOKIES_GO November 30, 2022 at 1:46 PM

    This entire season has felt like it was a training event for the coaching staff, not like a P-5 program trying to return to relevance. These guys might figure it out, but I don’t think they are going to get anything like the amount of runway that FB had early in his career. One thing is for certain, VT has shown that there is an advantage to having done the job you are being hired to perform. JF was a HC prior to VT, but not in the P-5 (and it is obviously a different animal) and BP had never been a HC anywhere. The old saying is, “you don’t know what you don’t know” and that has been on display since 2016.
16. 

    HokienGeorjaw November 30, 2022 at 12:48 PM

    Time and time again it has been proven that former head coaches have done better than assistants in most of our sports . It happened in men’s and women basketball, baseball, now football. Wish we had stuck to that game plan.
17. 

    Walkin` Willie November 30, 2022 at 12:23 PM

    Great article although I think Brandon was in a bad mood for at least the first part of it. ? I'm sure Coach Pry is doing a heck of lot of reflecting and internalization about this year. All I am looking for next year is noticeable improvement - both on the field and in recruiting.
18. 

    MDHokie79 November 30, 2022 at 12:01 PM

    Wow, Brandon! Can't wait for Part 2....and beyond! Good stuff!
19. 

    GretnaHokie November 30, 2022 at 11:56 AM

    Hope I wasn't the only one who had to look up the definition of amanuensis
    1. 

       MDHokie79 November 30, 2022 at 12:02 PM

       I definitely did!
    2. 

       VT_Consul November 30, 2022 at 12:27 PM

       I'm at work and didn't want to search for anything NSFW...lol
    3. 

       DonQuiHokie November 30, 2022 at 1:55 PM

       Yep. He threw me with that one. Glad to learn a new word.
    4. 

       ArdbegHokie November 30, 2022 at 2:27 PM

       I did too! :-)
    5. 

       HOKIEFROY November 30, 2022 at 2:54 PM

       Me too!!!!!!!
    6. 

       Will Stewart November 30, 2022 at 3:20 PM

       LOL, what an obscure word! ?