Hokies Mailbag: Changed Expectations, Staff Questions And Hiring Crap Shoots

Andy Bitter

Senior Staff Writer

September 28, 2023 35

Brent Pry's 4-11 in his first 15 games. Can he turn the Hokies around? (Ivan Morozov)

After last week, I expected plenty of angst in the questions for this week’s Hokies mailbag. And I was right!

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Virginia Tech Mailbag 2023 VT-Pitt Football

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35 Comments

hokie_eikoh September 29, 2023 at 9:05 AM

Andy, where do we post questions for the Hokies Mailbag?
1. Andy Bitter September 29, 2023 at 10:15 AM
  
  I'll typically post a thread on the subscribers message board a day or two ahead of writing it. And you can always email me at [email protected]
  1. hokie_eikoh September 29, 2023 at 2:49 PM
    
    Thanks!
VTVOICE September 29, 2023 at 6:40 AM

Andy, What keeps you in Blacksburg covering a team with a ceiling and no significance in a while? It seems with your talents you should be covering, as you once did, a blueblood program in a bigger market area. What is your attraction here? Family? Love of area? TSL? I am just curious and so glad you are a Hokie for now. :-)
1. MoreBaconPlease September 29, 2023 at 9:17 AM
  
  Andy, whatever the reasons are, we're so glad that you're here covering the Hokies for us. Keep up the good work! :)
2. Andy Bitter September 29, 2023 at 10:17 AM
  
  You move around a lot when you're a younger sportswriter, so it's nice to find a spot and settle in. Wife has a good job here, I'm gainfully employed with a great company now, my daughter's in school with all sorts of friends and we've got a mortgage. We're plenty happy in our situation, even though it'd be nice to see the program you cover play in some higher-profile games again.
  1. gaholder81 September 29, 2023 at 10:57 AM
    
    I'm pulling for more Orange Bowls too Andy! ?
  2. vt78hokiehi September 29, 2023 at 5:38 PM
    
    I am so glad you joined techsideline. I always enjoy the inside view and appreciate all that you and Chris and others bring to the website.
  3. A79Hokie September 30, 2023 at 6:40 AM
    
    Andy, and I mean no disrespect to any of the other writers, but you are the only reason I subscribe. I’ve followed you since the first days at the Roanoke Times. I have followed VT sports since 1974 and you are a cut above. Thanks for some great reads!
134502Hokie September 29, 2023 at 6:17 AM

You know, one thing we could do is stop setting off fireworks until there’s actually something to celebrate (like oh say, a win). Food for thought: enter sandman didn’t exist for our best football team in history. Neither did the luxury boxes or Jumbotron. Don’t we miss the time to go to work attitude (from everyone including the fan base)? Where’s the laser focus of the whole culture (coaches, players, fans, game day atmosphere) on nothing but the win? That attitude of we will fight, fight, fight until that happens. It’s just changed folks, I mean those days the fans and the teams were celebrating knocking others out of the game. It was what it was. I think that tough attitude and idea that no one was going to out work us closed the gap and aligned with VT engineering school culture. That was the way, not celebrating ourselves before the game was played or even while it was played. Fireworks only went off after folks, not before because the job was. Or done. This celebration crap is poison for a winning culture and we need to stop before it gets better. It’s coaching for sure but it’s also everyone on gameday and how the “show” is run. Takes everyone focusing the culture in the present until the job is done. Everyone! Maybe we should start focusing on fixing the little things of how gameday is run. Those can start to change the mindset and hopefully that’s contagious.
1. Hokie67 September 29, 2023 at 8:07 AM
  
  "enter sandman didn’t exist..." Hmmm. I was going to let this ride - but at some point - you gotta wonder why 'winners' like this are hangin' with losers like us. Maybe it's to tell us we're losers. Yet - it's unfortunate that these 'winners' live their lives in the Schadenfreude Bardo. Enter Sandman is even more important now than it would have been in 1999. It tells the world - we're Hokies - and we support our team from start to finish. Enter Sandman tells the world who we are. And - of course - we're there for our teams - win or lose - we greet them ... Oops - I didn't check with the 'winners' to see if that part of Tech Triumph shouldn't be played until VT wins a National Championship! In any case - I'll be there with my Grand Daughter (her first VT football game) Saturday night - and telling the team that we're with you from the beginning - along with another sellout crowd. . . .
2. Hokiealways September 29, 2023 at 2:34 PM
  
  Things change daily, the only constant in life is change. With that said, it's great to compare, but in the end, a well running program needs to sustain itself with consistency of quality leadership. I'm not sure there is quality leadership from top to bottom on the VT football coaching staff as of the present.
namibiahoke September 29, 2023 at 3:26 AM

A good read relevant to the Hokie Faithful: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/orioles/2023/09/28/baltimore-orioles-win-american-league-east-epic-turnaround/70996873007/
4Hokies4U September 28, 2023 at 8:59 PM

We’re just not a good team right now…..still a ways to go, but things seem …..”Out of Whack”….
Austin Hokie September 28, 2023 at 8:40 PM

If Clemson can do very well in a small state under the shadow of USC’s tradition, VT, a larger and more highly rated state university certainly can do as well or better in a larger recruiting and media market and state. It’s all in the leadership. AH
thoma15 September 28, 2023 at 8:03 PM

thanks Andy, very sobering....
Hokie Witch September 28, 2023 at 6:56 PM

So your saying theres a chance. hmm
hokiepro September 28, 2023 at 5:10 PM

What I got from all this was “it’s not Andy’s fault” because he’s been a beat writer for a natty. So…he’s got the experience ?
WestEndHokie39 September 28, 2023 at 4:18 PM

Thanks, Andy, for the cogent answers and clear signs I need to stay off the message boards for a while longer…
Hokie67 September 28, 2023 at 3:55 PM

Wait until the players unionize and become 'employees'. College football and basketball are in the embryonic stages of NIL.The NCAA is a painful mess - as they let the transfer portal get out of so out of whack that they're having a hard time defending their decsisions. The SEC wants to make $$$'s like the NFL. Wait until some Looney Tune like Tommy Tuberville decides to straighten out things. He's from the school: "If you ain't cheatin', you ain't winnin'" . ..
schubee September 28, 2023 at 3:14 PM

"I can’t believe I’m giving this advice out for free." It's not free, but does Coach Pry have a subscription?
Spartacusjones September 28, 2023 at 2:49 PM

Wait, Justin Fuente laughed? I don't recall ever seeing a video 9fvthat, nor can I imagine it.
vtgriff09 September 28, 2023 at 2:48 PM

I think it was easy to calm down when Beamer's teams started 2-2, because we had a coach with a track record, same to be said with Fuente, he had won games (where I still think 10, 9 and 8 wins in 3 of 6 seasons, where all 6 seasons we qualify for a bowl would be the greatest thing to ever happen to this program). We have seen the track record here already, because it's the same sad song written by every person who has written anything about the Hokies this yr: Coaching, mistakes, regression, scheming. There is no reason to think this goes above 3 or 4 wins max. We have no chance games left on the schedule with FSU, Lville and Cuse. We have little chance games with Wake and NCSU, and we have 50/50 left with Pitt, BC, UVa. We have gone 1-1 in should win and 0-2 in 50/50 (call it 1-0 in should win and 0-3 in 50/50 if you really feel like Marshall should ever beat us). The odds say 1 or 2 more wins left. 5 wins or less with this schedule is unacceptable, now that we are where we are...if Pry can't win 6, coordinators must go. If he can't win 4, both coordinators go, if he can't win 3...we have to get rid of him. Results matter...he has to show he is contributing.something. If this were a business, and I did a 1-5 annual review, he would be a 1 right now. You give it time to see how it goes, but if he finishes the yr a 1, you move on from that employee. A 2 means he grew since you gave him a 1...that means put him on a plan for next yr with a definitive win goal. If he gets to a 3 (makes a bowl game) then he has seriously turned a corner and gained some faith.
1. DADEC52 September 28, 2023 at 3:15 PM
  
  Agreed!
2. Walkin` Willie September 28, 2023 at 5:16 PM
  
  One does the annual review at the end of the season, not four games into it.
  1. DADEC52 September 28, 2023 at 9:29 PM
    
    You're right and if you read it, that's what was proposed though an in-progress review is not out of line either and over approaching a year and a half, it's not looking good in any identifiable way. We're not about to act in mid-season short of a scandal but if the season continues to look as it is some heads should roll. If that's the case then it typically would be coordinators, AD (when he's failed 3 times at selecting a FB coach, then the HC. That being said, I really do hope the light comes on for all and NONE of that is needed. I just am not welling with confidence right now and don't see how one could be.
  2. truhoky September 28, 2023 at 11:25 PM
    
    Uh it is the end of the season. We are done even though we have scheduled games to play.
3. 134465Hokie September 28, 2023 at 10:27 PM
  
  Who is ready to pony up and buy out Pry's contract? Remember we just gave CJF a lot money to get rid of him. Do we have the money to do the same with Pry and then hire a new coach (who everyone wants to be heads above who we have now) with a BIG FAT contract. Not so fast my friend. If I win the lottery Saturday night I will put my money in to get some new coordinators but everyone else is going to have to help me. I'm not doing it alone. Now see how many want to go the route of getting rid of PRY !!!
agray123 September 28, 2023 at 2:42 PM

"Recruit" Cam Newton - dude got an NLI deal before it was legal!
1. 133895Hokie September 28, 2023 at 5:46 PM
  
  Perfect fit for UNC. Give him Phi Beta Kappa and a PHD upon his arrival.
cdogvt September 28, 2023 at 2:20 PM

Great perspective. We need to all calm down and see how this plays out.
kt22hokie September 28, 2023 at 1:50 PM

Andy- forgot to add a Nick Fairley in addition to a Cam Newton-guy was a beast on that NC team!!
1. Andy Bitter September 28, 2023 at 1:52 PM
  
  Fairley was great, but you take Cam off that team and 6-6 is very possible.
  1. kt22hokie September 28, 2023 at 2:53 PM
    
    oh no doubt and The "Cam-back" never happens
TomTurkey September 28, 2023 at 1:49 PM

Thanks for your vibes and thoughts. I feel we get a cool biased (not prejudiced, but based on knowledge) viewpoint.

Hokies Mailbag: Changed Expectations, Staff Questions And Hiring Crap Shoots

This article is for TSL Pass subscribers

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