Virginia Tech's upcoming coaching hires will be very important for Tyler Bowen. (Jon Fleming)
On Monday, word leaked that Virginia Tech offensive line coach and running game coordinator Joe Rudolph was leaving for Notre Dame. That makes the second offensive assistant to leave the program in the last week after quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Brad Glenn departed for Cincinnati.
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Any adjustment to this theory after the sit down with Coach Pry?
WE3VT
How about this simple answer.
1) Tech's Coaches are good, good enough to get offers from very good programs
2) Tech's players are not so good or there are significant holes at positions that correcting it is no easy task
3) Recuriting the quality of players has turned out to be much more difficult that expected and the repair job that Pry and his staff need to do will take longer
4) This led to the Coaches deciding to take a new opportunity that was closer to home, closer to friends/associates or just wanting a better return in on-the-filed performance by the players for the efforts of these coaches.
I don't see this as any implication on Pry or the remaining coaches. In fact I belive that it shows that Pry made very good hires for these guys to get these Jobs after the tough year in 2022.
I also believe that Pry is making progress in relationships with HS Coaches and with time we will see vast improvement over 2022. It may be slower that we want but it will come if we stand behind this team and the coaches.
McHokie78
I totally agree with this post. Relax and let Pry do his job. College football has changed forever due to the stupidity of the NCAA. There will be many more twists and turns. No need to get too worked up about it short term as long as you have great character people at the top.
CaryHokie
We still won't be able to tell after next year whether Bowen is a good OC. If we improve, is it the assistants we hired or is it Bowen? Or something else all together? If we don't improve, is it all down to Bowen or do we have the same thought as we do now? Our thought currently is that there were too many cooks in the kitchen. Well, isn't up to the OC to get everyone on the same page? Hopefully Bowen learned alot about handling his assistants and getting them on the same page, although there is no evidence to prove it, if indeed that was the problem.
hokiejim63
The loss of of two assistant coaches, especially this close to spring practice, is definitely a negative. But from the positive side, it says a lot about quality of the staff that Coach Pry put together. To have your quarterback coach hired as offensive coordinator of a very successful football program going into the Big 12 and the loss of Joe Rudolph to an iconic program such as Notre Dame are affirmations of the job he did in putting together his staff. I was surprised at Brad Glenn leaving but not surprised by Joe Rudolph. Anyone who thought we could keep him on a long term basis was was not really facing reality. I have a real concern about losing most of the offensive line recruits that may have been leaning toward VT. What really surprised me was that these two positions were open at this time of the year.
MDHokie79
And to top it off, Son of Clem and F$U are threatening to leave the Conference because the annual payouts aren't enough to compete with SEC and Big whatever, and who can blame them. The whole football world, micro and macro, is currently a scary mess, and the future looks iffier than ever. That said....GO HOKIES!
I-W-K-Y-I-T-N
No smoke here.
garethembrey
Too early to give up on Bowen. Granted it was as a position coach, but he has NFL experience as well as Power 5 experience before that; he's clearly done enough to impress other people who know what good coaching looks like. One year isn't enough to draw any conclusions especially when they would seem to be out of line with past performance.
Can't speak to Brad Glenn, but with regard to Rudolph, none of us should be shocked. We were shocked when VT hired a guy with that resume! We shouldn't be surprised a guy left who we honestly had no business even having hired to begin with.
Hokie67
Chris - beautiful insight into a complex problem - as you gave the simplest answer. BTW - the 2023 VT O will get better or it will get worse. :-)
Job movement among college football coaches is driven by the HC situation. Is he a new first year HC - a HC moving to a new HC job - or an in-place HC filling a staff opening. So - conversely - an assistant leaving a team with an in-place HC is almost always a mutually exclusive event from another assistant leaving.
Look at the movement at Notre Dame.
As for Rudolph leaving. See above. HMMM.
McHokie78
See ya there Joe. Next man up.
Bwaterhokie
Certainly, there is cause for concern. I believe Coach Pry is aware that the offense has to get better. He made that statement in the middle of last year. The question is what is going to happen to improve the offense. Better players are the first key action and recruiting is improving. But, can he get the coaches to put them in a better position to be successful? It will be interesting to see the quality of the two hires. Todd Washington would be a home run.
Long-Lost Hokie
I don't know if commanding a promotion and/or a raise is a surefire way to determine a coach's value. Most of the people who hire coaches are bad at it. It's important to consider who's doing the hiring.
Cincinnati didn't hire (and promote) Brad Glenn; Scott Satterfield did. The same Scott Satterfield who was on the chopping block at Louisville as late as October of 2022. And Satterfield won't be trusting Glenn to call the plays, so maybe he's just going to be a glorified and overpaid QB coach.
Notre Dame didn't hire (and grossly overpay) Joe Rudolph; Marcus Freeman did. He's one year in and presiding over some measure of disappointment and a considerable amount of turnover in his offensive staff himself. The jury's still out on him as a HC.
If Kirby Smart had replaced Todd Monken or Nick Saban had replaced Bill O'Brien with Joe Rudolph or Brad Glenn, I'd be pretty sure Rudolph and Glenn were better than the VT offensive performance last year. As it is, I think it's too soon to tell.
vtgriff09
Not sure I would consider ND at 9-4 w/ a new HC a measure of disappointment. I would love those sorts of problems. They scored tons of points and got better throughout the year. For a new HC, that is what you look at...growth. We...now we finished 3-8 w/ a pathetic schedule and showed no signs of improvement, some regression. We had all of 1 P5 wins. I understand coaches leaving and others looking.
Unlike CC, I see these departures as excuses to give Bowen an extra yr. "We're just starting to gel," is something I can hear after a 4 win season. Let's hope it is 9-4 and disappointment though.
Long-Lost Hokie
I hear you on the "disappointment." Definitely not rational. But a quick scan of articles and fan sites suggests there were grumblings during the season and even a little bit this offseason. A lot of staff turnover plus he's 9-5 overall (with the bowl game Kelly didn't coach last year). Again, it's not rational, but their fanbase seems to have already begun "show me" mode in the Freeman era.
I agree with you re: Bowen's performance this year -- there has to be significant improvement.
vtdwight
Who is left to look around? RB coach?
Long-Lost Hokie
Yes. Rumors that Holt is looking to move too.
swishdeladish
This may be a blessing. Wasn't real impressed, plus special teams were a mess.
VaPoly07
or our RBs were always hurt....Holt couldnt do anything with no talent on the field
LDBHokie
Regardless of how some will spin this (& irregardless of opinions on effectiveness of departing coaches), losing an assistant coach to Cincinnati is embarrassing. Notre Damn alum, and some idiots, think their football team has some sort of aurua. Don't buy it & never have. They've never actually WON anything. In my book, losing an assistant coach to that bunch is pretty damn embarrassing as well.
VTCCA99
“They’ve never actually WON anything”
Notre Dame has 11 national championships in football.
As far as losing a coach to Cincinnati being embarrassing, they made the playoffs last year. We’ve made the playoffs never.
HOKIEFROY
What If What If What if What if the coaches just took a better job with a better situation than waiting several years to build at VT?
GO_HOKIES_GO
To borrow Luke Skywalkers’ line from 1977, “I have a very bad feeling about this." I doubt VT football is about to encounter the Death Star, but I am afraid that a lot of time and resources (both of which are in short supply in Blacksburg) have/are going to be wasted on the offensive side of the ball (especially if a third offensive coach is about to bolt). It might be a good time to follow Miami’s lead and find a new OC who can then go and hire a QB and O-line coach. I am sure it will get better than “historically bad” next year, but VT needs to be better than average on offense to win games.
DoYouLiftHokies
We're well on our way to ice planet Hoth status if things don't turn around soon.
ChazB
Timing is bad, though changes were needed as we couldn't run the ball, passing routes/trees were basic. Overall the offense was plain bland & bad.
Best of luck to all coaches who are leaving as VT had to make some changes and now they can get a crew aligned with the objectives of the Pry's goal. Ball control physical offense mindset.
Let's Go... Hokies!!!
Beat F$U!
134435Hokie
What a stinking mess. Thank goodness for women's basketball, women's softball, wrestling, track and baseball. Why not ditch the football team and give the money to sports programs that are meeting and exceeding expectations? Isn't that the way it's supposed to work?
bhokie
Agree
The Big Cat
Wake up. Not going to happen IMHO. Football is critical for VT in many ways!
McHokie78
Without football there is NO money. Football pays the bills. We will be OK in the long run.
Maroon Effect
Yup
Atlee Hokie
If football were ditched, money for women's Bball, softball, wrestling, T&F, & baseball dry up.
HOKIERIT
Get rid of football, and WHAT money??? Not MY money..
Without football (as bad as things are), we are Division 2 at best
132881Hokie
In 2022, although we had some good football players, we had no “playmakers “ who could bust a big play and turn a short gain into a touchdown. It now appears we have recruited
Some of these for 2023. We lost a lot of close games. Keep the faith
The Big Cat
?.
jfhokie
I don't begrudge asst coaches going for promotions and raises or in Rudolph's case going to the Valhalla with probably a decent raise. I just hope that whoever they (T Washington) hire will mesh well with Bowen and we go at least 6-6 next yr
hokie4life93
Thank you for writing this tonight. This is the kind of timely insight that is the reason I subscribe.
RVance
Todd Washington w/ Jacksonville Jaguars should get a look as new offensive line coach! Former Hokie, 8 year NFL playing career, 2 time Super Bowl Champ, experienced oline coach!
5000 Miles to Blacksburg
Would love that...but what's his contract situation. This is the same Jags team that wouldn't let Bowen out early so he may be unavailable.
VTDKE
Biggest issue, he has no recruiting experience. That's not easy to learn on the job when you only have limited time to prove yourself. Would he be ALL IN...definitely..he's a HOKIE and would give everything.
uvabasher
No issues with a first time HC who was a good DC hiring a first time DC. However I have an issue with a first time HC basically hiring a first time OC
atlhokie1
Yep. Not a wise move.
tallahasseehokie
In today's ball if you can't light up the board you lose. Our OC is in over his head. It was apparent from the first game to the last and it could get worse.
I attended VT in 1973 and 1974 seasons- 2 wins followed by 4 wins. Last year of Charlie Coffee, first year of Jimmy Sharpe. Students would take flasks into the stadium, get snockered, leave at halftime. That is what the BOTTOM looks like.
hokierobbie
None of the students that I was with 73-74’ left at halftime and guess what; the same group still doesn’t leave until the final gun.
hokie_world
agree, I and my friends would stay until the final gun. I will admit there was some bourbon involved at those games too.
tallahasseehokie
so you and your friends loved bad football...were u also a Bucs fan back then?
44 Comments