Monday Thoughts: T-Bow or Not T-Bow, That is the Question

Will Stewart

September 11, 2023 122

Virginia Tech Lane Stadium rain delay — For Hokies fans, the downpour Saturday was both physical and symbolic. (Jon Fleming)

Saturday was the longest day. Not just because of the NCAA-record weather delay, but because of another woeful offensive performance and a rash of injuries. Two games in, things are looking rough.

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122 Comments

Cheesehokie September 13, 2023 at 6:42 AM

Insightful and to the point, Will. Understandable that Bowen is on the hot seat. But is that the extent of the problem? As the head whistle, Pry has many responsibilities. To date, he's excelled at connecting with the fan base with his VA roots, Valley drawl, relative openness, and Aw Shucks demeanor. He's also excelled at rebuilding relationships with VA HS programs and coaches. But his performance as an evaluator and MANAGER of talent - both players and coaches - is unproven and remains a work in progress. Prospective recruits need more than a folksy sales pitch about "Home". They want to see a spark - or at least a pulse - at the programs they're considering. If we have successive 3-8 seasons, our recruiters will be tap dancing on an oily floor.
`lag September 12, 2023 at 11:20 AM

I'm probably way to patient but I think I get it, VT is behind the power curve and has to find some cheat code to succeed. We tried the up-and-coming coach in Fuentes (which sorta worked some) and now we're trying turn over every rock strategy/up and up-and-coming position coaches to hopefully get lucky and I understand that, it's what we can afford. Statistically, the up and coming thing is probably a one and five shot for everybody, so you hire a bunch of guys, hope more than half of them work out - I call that the 60% solution - figure out who those guys are and replace the rest. There may be a lot of reasons that holding over coaches is not doable (but has happened successfully at VT at times) but I sure would have liked to have kept Vice and Shibest and one other guy (Heck, Fuentes at OC: joking but I'm not) for that reason you had a few guys that seemed to work. So yeah, I don't understand Pry having a buddy system, heck, he was at Penn State forever he doesn't owe anyone any favors other than i guess Franklin, he shouldn't have any things like that holding him back. And yeah, I get the "we're 100% behind him" until we're not speech but I would agree T-bow is the first test here whether Pry really wants to win or not. I like Pry, it's not for lack of trying or effort but you've got to be smart too.
hokie_world September 12, 2023 at 10:57 AM

Grant looked good in the second quarter and then looked like a pitcher that couldn't find the strike zone to save his life in the second half. And as such he should have been pulled earlier. I've seen Grant through a great deep ball, but when you start to go high and long consistantly it doesn't help the Offense (and no running game) and then hurts the D by being on the field too long. I agree if you have a 2 QB system you don't have a QB, but you need to know when to pull your starter. And when are we going to start seeing a running game. GO HOKIES BEAT the Knights of Neh!
1. LaneRat September 12, 2023 at 11:40 AM
  
  Pry said Wells was dinged up in the 2nd half. Couldn't plant to throw and couldn't run. Not that this isn't a reason to give the reigns to Drones earlier.
  1. boyd September 12, 2023 at 9:21 PM
    
    Could not plant to throw and could not run. This is the reason you put in the back up qb when the starter is injured and can not play. That is football IQ 1 0 1. Our coach is not thinking. You put in a qb that can run or plant to throw.
gemrooty September 12, 2023 at 9:40 AM

Wow, Will! I’ve been a subscriber for a while, and I don’t remember a post generating over 100 responses. ??
1. Will Stewart September 12, 2023 at 10:00 AM
  
  Oh, we've had plenty. According to WordPress, 45 articles have generated over 100 comments. Here's the all-timer, with 208 comments: https://virginiatech.sportswar.com/subscription/2012/10/01/monday-thoughts-hokies-beamer-facing-tough-road/
Hokie Witch September 12, 2023 at 9:10 AM

Deon = no way in effing hell.
1. phoenixhokie September 12, 2023 at 11:24 AM
  
  1000000000% agree on Coach Prime. CU will finish 8-5. LOTS of people are saying -- 'Fire Bowen right now.' But seriously, who from the outside, with experience and who'd likely stay beyond 1 season will come and take this job? It makes zero sense to fire midstream. Go ahead -- name 5 -- no name just 3 candidates who have some juice and some staying power?????
  1. HokieKanger September 12, 2023 at 10:05 PM
    
    To go 1-11 to 8-5 is outstanding. Deon doesn't need to recruit, ESPN and all other sports outlets are doing it for him with all of the coverage.
SanibelHokie September 12, 2023 at 8:40 AM

GREAT article and spot-on! Man, you guys do a great job. Pre-season we were drinking the cool-aid you were pouring, and dizzy from the prospects and talent that was coming aboard. Awesome. And then reality came. Hard and fast. We're playing young and inexperienced players at almost every position - EXCEPT for quarterback! Wells has not changed year over year. It's time to play the young talent at QB too! We may find something exciting at the Rutgers game when Drones has to do it. Let him do it just like the OL has to do it. OJT-baby!
Chasesfish September 12, 2023 at 6:52 AM

Great article. VT fans aren't stupid. First time HC with VT ties and a respected DC at a blue blood school? Great! Happened to be the guy kicking VT's rear in recruiting? Check. First time DC coordinator? Probably okay given who his boss is. First time P5 OC? Prior job a position coach on an awful NFL staff? Eyebrows were raised and there's no reason to believe yet that the fans were wrong to be suspicious.
1. Hokie TD September 12, 2023 at 11:30 AM
  
  this
HokiePail September 12, 2023 at 3:38 AM

A lot of people have said that VT needs to improve recruiting and its one of, if not the most important thing about a program . Pry has turned recruiting around in one year. I'm behind Pry, he needs the support to keep bringing in better classes and in a couple years we ll see the difference in the players abilities. Without the injuries VT is 2-0 in Prys second season. The games are going to get tougher, but I believe Pry knows what it takes. Something I never thought JF understood. Pry will deal with the OC if he thinks that's the real problem. Let's face it, you hire a guy with no experience at the job. Then you are expecting growing pains. I'm ok with Bowen right now too. VT wasn't going to become Bama after Prys first year. The program was at the very bottom of P5 talent. Beat Rutgers and they are 2-1 and I ll take it.
1. GOML September 12, 2023 at 8:55 AM
  
  100% agree.
  1. gemrooty September 12, 2023 at 9:57 AM
    
    Agreed. Patience is needed.
Howell the Hokie September 12, 2023 at 12:24 AM

We need to fire Bowen and spend a large chunk of our NIL $ on the best OL portal guys money can buy. Other teams have had more success with less talented skill position players than we will have on roster next year, but it all starts up front with the big uglies!!! Tuten is proof…he’s a dynamic RB, but he’s been bottled up 95% of the time because the damn OL can’t block for him!
jecvtmgr September 11, 2023 at 9:43 PM

Good on you embrace the tough conversations. Isn't that what Coach Pry says?!
TomTurkey September 11, 2023 at 9:21 PM

A. It doesn't look good. B. It looks bad. C. It stinks. D. Can it improve? E. If so, when? F. If not, when will we know? G. Do we actually practice patience? H. Or do we get out of whack and, per ARS, sing of Imaginary [Coaches]?
N2VT2 September 11, 2023 at 8:50 PM

Let's promote Fontel Mines to OC. He can't be worse than Anvil Head. and he is the only coach who can recruit his way out of this mess Pry has orchestrated
1. Real_Talk_Hokie September 12, 2023 at 3:08 AM
  
  Terrible idea and I doubt he would want that job anyway. Being a receivers coach and great recruiter doesn’t mean he should draw up the Xs and Os for the offense. Next one must have experience as an OC somewhere.
gaholder81 September 11, 2023 at 8:13 PM

I can't believe anyone could disagree with this article. It's so obvious what's happening. I'm not saying Pry will NEVER be a good head coach. He might end up being great! But the great ones adapt when things aren't working.
Pedmon September 11, 2023 at 7:53 PM

Outstanding Will!! Some of your best work!
1. VTMAN September 11, 2023 at 9:05 PM
  
  Agree. Right on point.
VarinaHokie September 11, 2023 at 7:35 PM

Good article. Maybe Pry can chip in a million or so and while they shop for a OC get a good DC. Might be a good investment for him and could save his job.
Smirnoff September 11, 2023 at 7:26 PM

Pry needs to fire Bowen mid season if he doesn’t start producing.
1. Hokies Rock September 12, 2023 at 10:53 AM
  
  Agreed!!! Bowen needs to go ASAP...
HokieOtis September 11, 2023 at 7:23 PM

Exactly! Bowen catching hell because he inherited a woeful OL. OL Coach left maybe because of this? Pry upgrading skill Offensive talent, he is getting better recruits, but these youngsters are still competing with COVID class men. We must take these lumps, stay allin with Pry (and Bowen) and hope for the best, seeing improvements and discipline and planning on a better future. We are paying the price for lack of recruiting and lack of NIL$. Once we commit to both, we will improve. Its a different time than when Beamer's Special Teams acumen, a once in a lifetime QB and Gentry's top #1 or #2 strength programs took us to unfathomable heights. But we will be better than this mess in the future. Just have to take our lumps.
1. phoenixhokie September 11, 2023 at 9:29 PM
  
  Who’ll come here mid season? It’ll have to be a promotion from within and what kind of ‘bench’ do we have there? Mines, maybe?
  1. dominoman987 September 12, 2023 at 9:56 AM
    
    Brent Davis. I don't think he would be my long term pick but he'd work in the interim.
nkhooch September 11, 2023 at 7:14 PM

I don't consider myself an expert on these things, but a one score loss to a team we were roughly even with going in doesn't seem that catastrophic. And we had some critical in-game injuries. Yeah, it was discouraging because it was a team we thought we could beat. If we had lost last week, sure. But, we won comfortably. Even covered. We will know more the next two games. But, I can't really get that worked up over one close loss.
1. Will Stewart September 11, 2023 at 7:56 PM
  
  Oh, it's all about the 11 yards rushing and another game under 300 yards. That's what has triggered the reaction.
  1. 132761Hokie September 11, 2023 at 9:01 PM
    
    Exactly
  2. vtgriff09 September 11, 2023 at 10:45 PM
    
    Maybe the eye test, and the fact the Head Whistle himself has openly ciriticized his OC now in half his last 8 gms is an issue
    1. vtgriff09 September 11, 2023 at 11:12 PM
      
      *criticized
    2. TexasHokie89 September 12, 2023 at 9:24 AM
      
      I disagree - that is my sign that Pry sees that Bowen is in over his head. Those that raised eyebrows with his hire are proven correct at this point. I gained a lot of respect of Pry by calling the play calling out in his presser. You can’t say it was chemistry with Rudolph and Quinn and then see these guys do well. Rudolph was a pretty good o-line coach and seems to be doing well at ND. Yes, talent is better. I’d like to see Pry hire an analyst to help Bowen. Bowen is in way over his head. One example of an analyst is Gary Patterson. He is a defensive guy but was a successful head coach. He had a pretty successful young and inexperienced OC.
  3. nkhooch September 11, 2023 at 10:52 PM
    
    Yeah, I get that. And the running was bad last week. It is frustrating for sure. Still awfully early to believe it can't be improved on. I'll give it two more games and just stay quiet until then.
  4. Scott0672 September 12, 2023 at 11:00 AM
    
    And the minus 16 minutes time of possession!
  5. zman1978 September 12, 2023 at 5:21 PM
    
    I agree totally!!! Still vanilla too..
shankarhokie September 11, 2023 at 6:57 PM

So, should the fans abandon the football team and stop buying tickets and not fill Lane stadium to make a point?
MACE HOKIE September 11, 2023 at 6:51 PM

Will the article got the fan base into it. A sure sign of good reporting and a plus for TechSideLine.
MKD September 11, 2023 at 5:59 PM

Tyler Bowen wasn't liked or respected in Jacksonville as a position coach. Also, from what I heard, he had a huge ego even though he had nothing to back it up....
Rock Haven Hokie September 11, 2023 at 5:53 PM

Why would you block someone who wanted Prime, over and over. Prime most likely isn’t a good fit for Tech, but why block the man?
1. gaholder81 September 11, 2023 at 6:24 PM
  
  He didn't block him for that. He says why he blocked him in the article.
  1. Will Stewart September 11, 2023 at 7:57 PM
    
    And then because of the way he acted afterwards ... and is still acting.
    1. No_Limit_Hokie September 12, 2023 at 12:08 PM
      
      . Maybe you could write a sequel to your article from a couple of years ago. I wonder exactly how many bozos total you have dealt with. .
cdogvt September 11, 2023 at 5:48 PM

The Dabo comparison is spot on. I am still a Pry fan and Whit fan. Let’s fix the coordinators!
1. VTownie September 11, 2023 at 6:43 PM
  
  I love Pry’s personality, or the bit of it we see. Whit seems like a perfectly nice guy and he’s done great things for the non-revenue sports, but he has not made a very positive impact on football and we ALL know that is what pays the athletic budget. You can’t neglect your sole earner while you pamper your liabilities.
  1. phoenixhokie September 11, 2023 at 9:32 PM
    
    Whit is NOT getting fired. That is knuckle dragging fodder that makes ZERO sense.
    1. VicDrit September 11, 2023 at 11:35 PM
      
      You're right. Sands wouldn't have the balls to do it.
      1. Hokie67 September 12, 2023 at 7:40 AM
        
        Sands only had the intellectual foresight to create the Innovation Campus in NoVa. BTW - folks who make decisions with their balls - usually can't make them with their brains or hearts.
  2. TboneParkerVT September 12, 2023 at 12:36 AM
    
    No energy on sideline from Pry like the new Purdue coach.
delmarva hokie September 11, 2023 at 5:31 PM

I have concerns and my biggest is the offensive line. The observation I have is that we don't have the personnel to implement the team identity that Coach Pry wants to establish. Therefore I think the team is stuck in a dilemma of what to do now; play the way to give us the best chance to win this season or build to the vision of what you want that identity to be and take your lumps. Neither situation is ideal. The biggest thing I wanted to see going into the season is a team playing better in November than they did in September. We're two games into the season with a team that doesn't have a lot of talent and a large portion of that talent is potential and isn't ready to play yet. I'm not writing this season off but I think this is hole that will take more than two seasons to crawl out of.
1. tspoon5 September 11, 2023 at 8:00 PM
  
  I have begun to cringe whenever I hear the term "identity" applied to VT's offense. It's beginning to sound synonymous with "stubborn" and "predictable". When you think of the great offensive minds, it's hard to pin down their identity because they keep you guessing with multiple options and motions in every play. I'd rather see an OC who takes pride in people unable to pin down their identity because they can beat you multiple ways than "establishing their identity" through stubborn, predictable brute force (usually up the middle in this case). All football is smash mouth football, it's just easier when the defense is leaning the wrong way. That said, I wanted to raise a question about Bowen. It seems like instead of running outside or doing jet sweeps, he does screens and the tap pass (one to Jaylin Lane early in the game that led to a one on one with the defender and Lane almost broke it). These don't show up on the stat sheet as running plays but have the same effect as an outside run of getting the ball to the perimeter. One of those screens to Tuten was the early overthrow in the ODU game. Seems like some of the better schemed plays just haven't been executed or were one broken tackle from being bigger plays. Throw that in with the other growing pains and injuries, does that improve TSL's view of him? I'm trying to stay water over here...
  1. WestCoast September 11, 2023 at 8:48 PM
    
    Oh, we have an identity all right.
okiedokeyhokie September 11, 2023 at 5:11 PM

At least bring in a “consultant”. Seriously, how much is Cutcliff making? Arians would sure help. Anybody who was willing to pony up $1m might come back for this season.
1. HokieFanDC September 11, 2023 at 6:18 PM
  
  This seems like the most prudent path and the one most likely to either start turning the Titanic away fro the iceberg, or figure out that the first mate doesn't have what it takes to save the offense.
2. Mapmaker September 12, 2023 at 9:10 AM
  
  Ohmigosh, can you imagine Arians on the sideline???
3. ACChamps2004 September 12, 2023 at 9:12 AM
  
  This is a really good take. I wonder if we could have an opportunity for another Jerry Kill situation.
  1. DelMarHokie September 12, 2023 at 10:32 AM
    
    That's what I was thinking. Really the only option to coarse correct this early in the season.
No_Limit_Hokie September 11, 2023 at 5:08 PM

I wonder what FU is up to today... probably laughing at us... counting his money... thinking, "I wonder what the poor *teams* are up to this time of year?"
GreenvilleVT September 11, 2023 at 4:37 PM

I think the real question, unfortunately, is when does basketball start?
phoenixhokie September 11, 2023 at 4:36 PM

Wasn't our 'OC' right there under our noses last year in Brad Glenn??????
phoenixhokie September 11, 2023 at 4:30 PM

First of all, can everyone just pump the brakes on Coach Prime. He's won *2* ... *2* games at Colorado. Nick Saban, he is not. Puhlease. Colorado will finish with 4 losses at least. Take it to Vegas.
1. ColoradoHokie September 11, 2023 at 5:15 PM
  
  The “experts” predicted CU to win 3 games all year considering a top 25 strength of schedule. If the Buffs go 1-11 last year to 8-4 and a bowl appearance this year, considering they have 7 ranked teams on their schedule, that’ll be the biggest turnaround in my lifetime. Possibly ever. There of course will continue to be many haters.
  1. nkhooch September 11, 2023 at 6:47 PM
    
    Can we stop using the word "hater" to describe a lack of support or belief in someone? Who hates Sanders? While things have gone really well for Colorado, the more they play the more teams will learn how to prepare for them. And the emotional euphoria within the team can quickly become equally as toxic if they start to lose games. That's the downside of emotion. But, I agree, 8-4 would be a remarkable accomplishment.
  2. VTAtlantaHokie September 11, 2023 at 11:49 PM
    
    It's okay ColoradoHokie. Generally I align with Phoenix on most comments, but this one I do not. I DO believe. Coach Prime took that Jackson State job simply because of his conviction that D-1 programs should have believed his son was a legitimate QB at the D-1 level. Then D-1 Programs added insult to injury by refusing to offer Prime legitimate head coaching interviews at the D-1 level. So he took that FCS job and dared people to watch and pay attention to HBCU football and so I did. Deion has that magnetic It-factor to create a butterfly effect around everything he does and touches just like Mike Vick did for the Hokies, Atlanta, the entire state of Georgia, and the entire NFL for 6years. I think Deion knows and I mean knows football, he knows how to recruit and he knows how to teach and develop talent and that's the cycle every recruit, family, and program (both high school and college) want in the end. Deion is built and destined for greatness just like Shane Beamer was destined to be a great coach like his father. What's crazy is the butterfly effect is probably not done. Deion will continue to land on top and would have done the same for the Hokies had we given him the chance. Deion is likely to keep adding to his story just like Coach Shane is likely to keep adding to his story (at the very least he will likely coach a team to a National Championship just like his father). Let's simply save our receipts and revisit this conversation end of season.
fosterD1 September 11, 2023 at 4:28 PM

Another 3 win season may jeopardize the progress Pry has made on the recruiting side. Pry can’t let that happen. Bowen has to right the ship now or Pry has to bounce him for the good of the program as a whole. This is a rotten situation.
earmuffs September 11, 2023 at 4:24 PM

I've seen enough of Tyler Bowen. Fire him right now. Rip off the band-aid.
TreySmith14 September 11, 2023 at 4:22 PM

TSL article of the year!! Facts, blunt and concise! Thank you
1. MACE HOKIE September 11, 2023 at 6:05 PM
  
  A very good article indeed.
dougellen1 September 11, 2023 at 4:10 PM

We don't have a HC, OC, DC who can coach. This is a disaster. Most of the time it is about X and Os. We have better talent than last season. This team is ground hog day!!
1. phoenixhokie September 11, 2023 at 4:35 PM
  
  Wasn't our 'OC' right there under our noses last year in Brad Glenn??????
GOML September 11, 2023 at 3:49 PM

"...I suspect that when Whit Babcock went out into the marketplace looking for his next head coach, he didn’t get much interest from good options. ... Virginia Tech was forced to gamble on a head coach with no experience in the role. Once they had that inexperienced head coach, attracting proven coordinators was even more difficult. Not many up-and-comers are going to hitch their wagon to a first-time head coach at a school that had fallen behind in so many areas." • 100% agree. • I'll add that 14 P5 programs hired new Head Coaches (HC) for the 2022 season - and 10 hired an experienced OC. • Of the 10 P5 teams that hired an experienced OC - 7 (70%) had winning records in 2022. • In 2023, only 4 (40%) of the 10 teams - that hired experienced OC - are undefeated (UW, ND, Duke, Oregon). Those 4 teams have QBs that are respectively ranked #4, 5, 10. 21. • 2 of the 10 teams are 1/ 1 (TCU, LSU) - and their QBs are respectively ranked #26, 34. • And 1 of the 10 teams is 0/2 (TX Tech) - QB ranked #51. • Tech is 1/1 - and Wells is ranked #77. • Strikes me that the importance of a good QB still matters - regardless of OC experience. • Lastly, time will tell if the Personnel part of the equation was right - but I do not fault Pry for the Process part of the equation. ***** Strikes me that there are two parts to the OC hire equation criticism: Personnel (Bowen), and Process (former OC) Short Version: Just because a company/ rookie boss wants to hire the best talent in the marketplace, that does not mean that the best talent in the marketplace wants to be hired by that company/ rookie boss. Long Version: A) 14 P5 programs hired new Head Coaches (HC) for the 2022 season. B) 6 of those programs had won at least 3 National Championships (NC) in recent memory. ^^ • 2 had won 1 NC in the past - and had been to at least 3 bowl games in the last 5 years (Wash, TCU). • 6 of the 8 hired a HC that had been a HC at their last NCAAF program - OU & ND did not. • 7 of the 8 hired an OC that had been an OC at their last NCAAF program - USC did not. • 4 of the 8 OCs had previous ties to the new HC (Wash, TCU, FL, ND) ^^ ^^ = Talent considering those programs was probably not considering Tech (and "probably" is me being polite). C) All 6 of the remaining 6 programs hired first time HCs. • 3 of the 6 hired an OC that had been an OC at their last NCAAF program (Duke, Oregon, TX Tech). • The father of the new TX Tech OC was a former TX Tech HC. ^^ • Oregon had a 10-4 record in 2021, and been to a bowl game every year for the last 5 years. ^^ • The new Wash State OC was the former HC of the new Wash State QB transfer. ^^ ^^ = Talent considering those programs was probably not considering Tech (and "probably" is me being polite). • The 3 remaining programs were all ACC programs with poor recent records. • Elko and Elliot probably had higher profiles than Pry - but not their respective programs (Duke, UVA). • Only Duke had a successful season. D) Of the 6 teams that had a better record in 2022, 5 hired experienced OCs (83%). • Of the 5 teams that had a worse record in 2022, 3 hired experienced OCs (60%). • Of the 3 teams that had the same record in 2022, 2 hired experienced OCs (67%). • Of the 6 teams that had a better record, 4 of the OCs had an OL/TE background before they became an OC (67%) - other 2 had QB backgrounds. • Of the 5 teams that had a worse record, 4 of the OCs did NOT have an OL/ TE background before they became an OC (80%) - 2 had QB, 1 had RB, 1 had DB. Tech & Pry probably could not compete for the same talent as 11 (79%) of the programs. Pry probably needed to hire on the potential to be an effective OC - versus a proven track record. And Pry probably understood which of his network contacts/ possible candidates - that Tech & Pry could attract - aligned best with potential key OC candidate parameters.
1. middletennhokie September 11, 2023 at 4:38 PM
  
  Bravo GOML on a fact based response. VT is back in it's hate the OC phase. What i saw first half was a very efficient passing game for VT and Purdue SHREDDING the VT defense. Want to change the DC too?????
2. No_Limit_Hokie September 11, 2023 at 5:13 PM
  
  Great research and good info!
3. khakiblue September 11, 2023 at 5:17 PM
  
  Long winded. Just say, Babcock got the only guy that wanted the job, and give him a chance.
4. BanditThreeOne September 11, 2023 at 5:59 PM
  
  Well researched; however, as in the Clemson situation, there is a pot of money for the entire football coaching staff. Pry has and had the option to divvy that money up as he sees fit. You put enough money on the table, you can purchase pretty much any OC you need!
5. HokieOtis September 11, 2023 at 6:54 PM
  
  Exactly! Bowen catching hell because he inherited a woeful OL. OL Coach left maybe because of this? Pry upgrading skill Offensive talent, he is getting better recruits, but these youngsters are still competing with COVID class men. We must take these lumps, stay allin with Pry (and Bowen) and hope for the best, seeing improvements and discipline and planning on a better future. We are paying the price for lack of recruiting and lack of NIL$. Once we commit to both, we will improve. Its a different time than when Beamer's Special Teams acumen, a once in a lifetime QB and Gentry's top #1 or #2 strength programs took us to unfathomable heights. But we will be better than this mess in the future. Just have to take our lumps.
VaPoly07 September 11, 2023 at 3:48 PM

Will, why do you think Whit couldn’t find a better HC option? Money? If this is the case, what the heck is Pry going to have to spend to attract an experienced OC!?
1. pharlap_99 September 12, 2023 at 2:29 AM
  
  Prospective coaches knew the situation at VT was, at best, crappy. Fu is a solid coach who wasn't given the $$ support needed, as the facilities were still subpar at best. That shit gets around in a fairly small community. Whit had at least 2 "better" HC options that told him no, definitely not. Pry had ties to VT (his time as GA and his good friendship with our godfather of football), so that took some sting out of the $$ situation. Pry was allowed to hire 2 unproven coordinators (esp at those salaries), 1 very late, which could have ruined an entire recruiting class. Who the F allows that, especially these days? 99% of regulars on TSL were unhappy at that development and turned out to be right (Marvre will probably be ok imo). It's inexcusable that was allowed to happen. For me, despite him being an absolutely fantastic AD non-football, Whit (a nice person) deserves to be fired now.
MDHokie79 September 11, 2023 at 3:47 PM

A definite conundrum wrapped in a hopeless dilemma, and I would LOVE it if we all turn out to be wrong. GO HOKIES!
DW Hokie September 11, 2023 at 3:47 PM

TBow needs to go now, in my opinion. I know it's a big ask to find an OC once the season has begun, so if TBow goes, that no doubt means someone already on the staff would take over OC duties. Is anyone qualified? I don't know. But I'm pretty darn sure TBow isn't!
Al Czervik September 11, 2023 at 3:38 PM

Best column on the docket. Always has been, always will be. Thanks Will.
spudman September 11, 2023 at 3:35 PM

The season hasn't been a complete waste, we set some sort of record for the longest rain delay in college football history, so we've got that going for us!
moneal September 11, 2023 at 3:26 PM

JERRY: Hey, T-bone! GEORGE: No. No T-bone. JERRY: No T-bone? KRAMER (from bathroom): Hey, is that T-bone?! JERRY: No! There's no T-bone! KRAMER: Well, why no T-bone?! JERRY: Why no T-bone? GEORGE: 'Cause Neil Watkins from accounting is T-bone!
Austin Gobbler September 11, 2023 at 3:25 PM

Not T-Bow and do it sooner than later. I've seen enough.
tom hyman September 11, 2023 at 3:20 PM

One thing for sure , Grant Wells is a turnover machine , and it is obvious the O Line is mediocre @ best , Wells cannot scramble Drones is an option but I say let’s go with Pop Watson , build for the future , Continue to start Wells is 2022 all over again Lucky to get 3 Wins
ANDYISGOLD September 11, 2023 at 3:16 PM

Before 2022 when I was not a TSL subscriber I said I did not love Bowen (only coach I felt that way). Here are my comments to a Chris Colemen article in July 2023. "ANDYISGOLD says: July 14, 2023 at 11:13 pm I would hit the brakes a little bit until the offense is closer to a proven commodity. Pry has proven his defensive prowess and I believe he can bring that forward. Tyler Bowen is a BIG ???."
FF Hokie September 11, 2023 at 3:16 PM

Great article Will, and if the apathy continues to set in with this program it will affect a lot more than just football or even the school. I would have never thought of playing golf this past Saturday on a hokie football day, but I gave up my season tix about 10 years ago and didn't regret it, still attended any game I wanted to for a fraction of the cost I had spent over the previous 15+ years. Now I'm playing golf when the hokies are on, but b/c of the rain delay I was able to watch most all the game except the first 2 drives. But once I stop watching, I stop caring, once I stop caring I stop spending on other things like Hokie merch, TSL, etc. Its about a lot more than just football and who it affects.
1. steves13 September 11, 2023 at 4:49 PM
  
  Boo!
  1. FF Hokie September 12, 2023 at 9:05 AM
    
    you a ghost?
ANDYISGOLD September 11, 2023 at 3:16 PM

Before 2022 when I was not a TSL subscriber I said I did not love Bowen (only coach I felt that way). Here are my comments to a Chris Colemen article in July 2023. "ANDYISGOLD says: July 14, 2023 at 11:13 pm I would hit the brakes a little bit until the offense is closer to a proven commodity. Pry has proven his defensive prowess and I believe he can bring that forward. Tyler Bowen is a BIG ???."
Walkin` Willie September 11, 2023 at 3:16 PM

This PATT is in agreement that either something changes for the positive on offense this year or we need a better OC. Pry is an understated type of guy so when he says the offense needs to be more creative, he really means that we need a LOT of changes on O. If Wells is still hurt, then Drones needs to start against Rutgers. It must be hard to turn around a Division 1 football program when there was so much rot for so long. I am a fan of Coach Pry the person and so I want him to succeed but he must make decisions when decisions are called for - and if one (or more) is called for at the end of the season, then he must make it happen.
1. HokiePail September 12, 2023 at 3:37 AM
  
  A lot of people have said that VT needs to improve recruiting and its one of, if not the most important thing about a program . Pry has turned recruiting around in one year. I'm behind Pry, he needs the support to keep bringing in better classes and in a couple years we ll see the difference in the players abilities. Without the injuries VT is 2-0 in Prys second season. The games are going to get tougher, but I believe Pry knows what it takes. Something I never thought JF understood. Pry will deal with the OC if he thinks that's the real problem. Let's face it, you hire a guy with no experience at the job. Then you are expecting growing pains. I'm ok with Bowen right now too. VT wasn't going to become Bama after Prys first year. The program was at the very bottom of P5 talent.
mcannaday September 11, 2023 at 3:14 PM

Cracks me up how fatalistic everyone gets and how fast it happens. I’m OK with the talk about the office of staff and lighting a fire under their ass to figure this stuff out. And I also realize we are at a deficit regarding our offense of talent. But even mentioning getting rid of prior that’s so silly you should not even be putting that in this article for those that aren’t smart enough to realize how stupid that is Virginia Tech gay Frank Beamer seven years, if they had not done that we would never know what winning was. Brent is the right guy for the job. Give him some time he will make the decisions that need to be made. He is already working his tail off in recruiting and it’s going to pay off. Babcock is a godsend, and we are lucky to have him. All of our sports programs are doing well and we’re getting recognized because of his work.
1. mcannaday September 11, 2023 at 3:16 PM
  
  Sorry, i need to not use talk to text. “They gave frank Beamer 7 years” was what it was supposed to say
  1. VaPoly07 September 11, 2023 at 3:52 PM
    
    NOBODY gets 7 years to “figure it out” anymore. Too much at stake. And Whit is a godsend? Are you high? Look what Cincy is doing in football post WB. SMH
    1. nkhooch September 11, 2023 at 6:56 PM
      
      No, but they get a recruiting class. We attracted some good players in the portal and had a decent recruiting year.
  2. pharlap_99 September 12, 2023 at 2:11 AM
    
    I think the readers can determine themselves if changes need to be made ... today, at the end of the season, or in a few years. Doesn't matter if Will mentions the concept in his article .. most folks who frequent this site (as paying members esp) don't need guidance. From you, Will, me, etc .. they will acquire the needed info, then decide. if that means VT makes a big change mid season or end of Pry's 2nd year, so be it. It's not 1992 anymore ... we are hemorraging $$ and what's left of our football reputation now. Changes must be made soon.
2. GOML September 11, 2023 at 3:54 PM
  
  • 100% - both Pry & Babcock.
3. GreenvilleVT September 11, 2023 at 4:34 PM
  
  They made Frank start firing in 1992.
4. VarinaHokie September 11, 2023 at 4:45 PM
  
  I totally agree and it’s time to send TB down the road. Our program is much bigger than worrying about his salary. In post game Pry kinda sounded like the game plan of more outside runs wasn’t followed. That falls on the oc so he needs to go
5. khakiblue September 11, 2023 at 5:21 PM
  
  Not anymore silly than your response.
6. nkhooch September 11, 2023 at 6:53 PM
  
  Agree. We played a team that we were deemed to be equal with on a neutral site. And we lost by one score. It's discouraging but the sky is not falling. Our team is not deep, talent-wise, yet. Key injuries will hurt. Especially mid-game.
7. Steeltown Hokie September 12, 2023 at 11:07 AM
  
  You are stuck in 1992. Wake up its 2023 and times have changed. No coach gets 7 years when they make what HCs make now.
hokieheartdoc September 11, 2023 at 3:11 PM

Spot on Will!!! Cannot understand admin thought process over the last 15 years. Look at what the National Championship game brought to the University. Right after that game, applicants sky rocketed, buildings were being built across campus, apparel jumping off shelves, ticket prices soared, etc, etc.... Yet they still do not comprehend you have to spend a little to make a little. Prime example is the recent Tennessee turnaround, jump on StubHub and look at their ticket prices... walk around campus and look at all the buildings going up.... look at the number of applicants UT has this year as opposed to last... Success breeds success, but it takes full commitment of EVERYONE!!! I still cannot believe we cannot hire an up and coming OC for this program!!! Hell, I cannot believe we cannot hire a splash head coach!!! In the immortal words of VT QB Ryan Willis "...Scared money don't make money!!!"
I-W-K-Y-I-T-N September 11, 2023 at 3:05 PM

Put me in the NOT column.
GO_HOKIES_GO September 11, 2023 at 3:04 PM

Rutgers looks better than Purdue, so not much joy to be found there. Marshall will be motivated and has started strong against a meh schedule. After that VT has Pitt, FSU, and Wake - if the Hokies are 1-6 someone is getting fired so they might as well start making contingency plans now. Unfortunately for Pry the era of “run to pass” is gone and it’s not coming back. The players, the fans, and TV want dynamic offense that gets people excited which results in ratings. This is not to say the Hokies need to go full air-raid, but developmental programs like VT need to create advantages in unique ways to allow the talent they have recruited/developed to be successful.
Hokie.KennyG September 11, 2023 at 2:54 PM

Many of us will never know the details of the coaching search that ultimately ended with the hiring of Pry, but I find it hard to swallow that an experienced FCS-level head coach would not have eagerly come aboard the Hokie train. And as to the OC and DC, surely there are eager, experienced OCs and DCs at the FCS-level who would give their right arm to coach at an ACC school. But in the end, we wound up hiring an HC, OC, and DC with no experience. It's still hard to fathom.
Proud 2 B Hokie September 11, 2023 at 2:53 PM

Spot on with all these thoughts, Will. I was guardedly optimistic heading into the season, but now things are looking sketchy as heck. We need to support the players as they work hard each and every day to get better. We need to hope the coaching staff feels the urgency all of us have as well. I go to high school games and watch teams play a much more aggressive than we do. (I won't mention the lack of tackling by our D either.) Hears to hoping things improve, or it has to be No-Mow T-Bow.
1. pharlap_99 September 12, 2023 at 1:51 AM
  
  It's not just TB, it's Pry, too. He is, after all, the HC, ostensibly making the decisions for this program (his buddy down the hall is making them, too). From Whit to TB, we don't appear to have the right folks for revamping our entire football program with a goal of being relevant nationally in several years, IF we want a relevant program, Sands needs to clean house by the end of the season at the latest. Plenty of programs have made massive in-season changes that worked out in the long run. VT does not want to behave like a winner/big boy, just wants the spoils. It took an extremely special coach at the right time, combined with access to a rich, deep talent pool, to create our rise to relevancy. IF we want tthat again, this time it will require doing whatever it takes ... even (oh my!) firing an AD or the HFC at the end of his 2nd season/ The other option is we all shut the heck up, donate when possible, attend games when possible, and some seasons have a decent product. I hope we have enough people backing option 1 to keep option 2 from becoming reality but I do not see that being the case.
  1. dominoman987 September 12, 2023 at 10:07 AM
    
    Poop rolls down hill. Its Bowens offense, it starts with him. It's Prys fault if he doesn't address Bowen.
HokieNLot11 September 11, 2023 at 2:52 PM

Its just so hard to comprehend that the powers (term usely used) that be did not realize that hiring a HC and OC's with no experience would not translate into winning seasons. Was this factor not even addressed during the evaluation. No other conference would consider us for exspansion with the current athletic administration.
collinsege September 11, 2023 at 2:52 PM

Great Monday thoughts and it’s not lost on me that TSL is very thoughtful when commenting on coaches and hiring/firing (unlike a lot of us on the board). Keep up the good and objective work.
1. Beach Hokie September 11, 2023 at 3:19 PM
  
  They’re the best!! ??
WestyHokie September 11, 2023 at 2:47 PM

People are jumping way ahead on Colorado. They played an overrated TCU who is in a conference where no one plays defense and almost every game is 45-41. Then they beat a bad Nebraska team that was bad last year. Next they will crush CSU. None of this means much except that Prime Time out together a better roster than CU last year. Let’s talk after Oregon and USC.
1. NokieHokie September 11, 2023 at 2:56 PM
  
  We're not beating TCU or Nebraska... He beat them, in his first year.
  1. SkykingHokie September 11, 2023 at 4:41 PM
    
    Dion played the transfer portal like a maestro playing a Stradivarius. To a poor FB school with so-so facilities. We didn’t get the OLs we desperately needed, the QB we desperately needed, or the DL and LB that we needed. Dion filled all of CU’s holes and has them playing together. VT… VT OL and RBs didn’t even help Wells up after allowing him to get plastered. Team spirit is lacking. That falls on the coaching staff.
MAHist87 September 11, 2023 at 2:41 PM

Great article, Will! It's hard to believe that we, Virginia Tech, have no running game. I remember the Dooley years when that's all we had (God knows, we weren't going to throw on 3rd down and 5). As hard as it is, we need to be patient and let Coach Pry manage this. The worst thing I think we could do is start playing the perpetual revolving door bit that has doomed so many other programs to inconsistency and lack of loyalty. In the meantime, if we need guys who can run endlessly and like hurting linebackers, take a walk over to the rugby pitch and sign up a few Centers and Flankers; they'll Riggins and Csonka the crap out defenses (and they're great tacklers too!).
1. TomTurkey September 11, 2023 at 9:24 PM
  
  Maybe take a deep breath and support the Babcock/Pry timetable - 3-5 years?
NativeBurger September 11, 2023 at 2:40 PM

Excellent article Will and very much on point. If the decision is to go in another direction in regard to our OC, it must happen no later than the last game of the season. No "new" potential OC will be interested in joining a staff where the head coach is on the hot seat and only has one or two years left on his contract.

Monday Thoughts: T-Bow or Not T-Bow, That is the Question

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