SOURCE: Michael Hazel, Penn State's Sr. Dir. of Football Ops, is leaving to be chief of staff for Brent Pry at Va. Tech. Hazel came to PSU fm Vandy w/ James Franklin & played a key role behind the scenes particularly in how PSU was able to keep putting together excellent staffs.— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 3, 2022
This is huge news on the support staff front!
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Then the big dawgs came callin....
LET'S GO!
HOKIES!
HOKIES!!!
Wow, James Franklin has a massive reboot to take on next season. Absolute coup!
These types of hires almost excite me more than some of the coaching staff decisions. Pry's experience in a big-time P5 program, knowing how to staff one, and how these personnel decisions can keep the machine moving are crucial to VT's long-term success in college football.
We're already starting to see how that pool of money for support staff is going to be a gamechanger to how VT football has operated in the past.
I came here to more or less say the same thing. It's that whole idea that successful people surround themselves with great people. It seems like we're building a modern infrastructure that approaches the job in a broader and deeper way. Will it translate to wins? Im certainly more hopeful than if we just rehashed the ways we've done it in the past.
Anyway, welcome to Blacksburg, Mr. Hazel. Go get a gyro from souvlaki and a pint in The Cellar. You're moving to the greatest place on earth.
This is another sleeper hire that has me excited. That, and it just feel like there are so many coaches out there that want to work with Pry. That's a pretty big endorsement, and this to me is helping further validate that Whit made a solid hire.
Man, I sure do miss pints at the Cellar. And I really miss the $3 pitchers of Natty Light I used to get there, wayyy back in the day.
Hammer Time was my favorite, but it was DANGEROUS
:)
Agreed. This kind of hire makes me giddy.
Over the last few years I've started to come around to the idea that the support staff is the O-Line of the program.
Which kind of suggests that our program has been a lot like our team, waiting on a Tyrod-like coach to perform despite those flaws...
Questions, but first LOVE IT.
Are we paying these guys from PSU a lot more, or giving them a promotion, or both?
Do they like Pry that much, or is there something with James that they would prefer not to have to work with?
Or is Blacksburg and the ACC a better place than State College and the B10?
(edited because of the good folks commenting below).
The correct answer is "Yes" to every question
I'd hazard a guess there's a few factors at play... I think there's very likely a pay bump with some of the hires where they're moving from PSU to VT.
There's also the very real possibility that some of these guys see VT as a new challenge and they might be excited at the chance to essentially "start from scratch." Pry may also be giving these guys a little more autonomy in their roles.
I do think that it's pretty clear that the VT job is one that necessitates a rebuild mentality, more so than was thought when Fuente took over for Beamer. At the very least, I think people better understand where VT is in this moment than maybe they did when the last transition occurred. It's been reported a number of times that Fuente was surprised at the outdated facilities and lack of support for a P5 school. Whit has done a lot of hard work to address those things in the last half decade, and I think Pry will reap the benefits. I also think Pry is much better equipped to utilize those tools with more P5 experience under his belt than Fuente had.
Good point. Great point. VT is now a blank slate but not that far removed from national relevance smack dab in the middle of a fertile recruiting ground in a very winnable power conference. To great assistants looking to strike it big, we have to be viewed upon as a major opportunity to make a name for yourself. The fans are still engaged, the fundraising was starting to gain momentum in a down era. There's a lot to like about a job here than what you might find elsewhere.
Maybe the most believable excuse he used.
Yes, but College Station is home to aTm. Believe you meant Happy Valley.
I'll also add, I've been to a big time game at Happy Valley and it didn't compare to the Blacksburg experience when Notre Dame or other big name teams are in town.
I think he meant State College.
Or State Collage.
Or State Penn
Hopefully we can agree going to school in Blacksburg is better than being in the state penitentiary, though it would not surprise me if someone took an opposing opinion. And for the record - I corrected it to what I meant. Leg.
I don't know. Does State Penn have a drill field, 40 mph winds, and 5°F temps?
/s
Don't forget 80°F with 0 wind and sunny skies for the afternoon
So if I read this all correctly, this guy has essentially been Franklin's advisor and consultant since his days at Vandy. Kind of surprised he'd leave with Pry, but should be a big win for us.
We might not have hired the biggest and flashiest name on the head coaching hunt, but Pry seems to be absolutely killing it with his assistants. In the end, that's where the biggest strides can be made, which is exciting.
A couple of quick reads on Mr. Hazel, but seems like he does it all:
(Native of the Easley, SC...right by Clemson, and played LB for Elon, so he has ties to the area...)
Penn State site Bio
Pittsburgh paper article
This comes around to the question I (among others) have been asking: "if we have this bigger budget for assistants now, why didn't we go after bigger names at the two coordinator positions". The answer perhaps is we're spreading that money around for more of these support type positions.
Exactly. I think Pry's time at PSU has shown him it's more than just the ten guys coaching players. To build a well-oiled machine, you need to hire people in roles that many of us have never heard of or thought about.
Welcome to the big leagues fellas. This is what we have wanted/needed and we are getting it. Its the lite version vs the big boys but these things are what will be the foundation for a revival in the ACC at minimum.
I know it's been said a bunch already, but the previous staff seemed like amateur hour compared to what we are bringing in now.
We should at least feel good about being able to give Fu & Co much needed P5 experience and something to put on their resumes, right? /s
Ut Prosim
I also think its important to note that Pry is bringing this guy over, because everything I'm reading about him says he's been invaluable to grooming Franklin into the head coach that he became. For those who are worried that Pry doesn't have any head coaching experience, bringing THIS advisor and consultant in, whom he already has a working relationship stretching back years, could go a very, very long way into easing any and all worries regarding this issue.
I dunno, just something about this all seems like we might have made a very sneaky good hire with Pry and that he could be the exact kind of coach we need at this venture.
Benefits of bringing in a guy that has worked at a big P5 school. He has first hand experience with all the behind the scenes type stuff that is required to have success at a high level.
Awesome, I'm guessing he's in charge of the non-Coaching staff which will be great in terms of having direction. When I heard the Iezzi podcast Interview you could tell we had some folks and it was nice but no direction. It also means this guy is going to directly have connection to the HC. Also is this Hazel in any way related to our old kicker who was a transfer from PSU?
Wow. It's going to suck but if these guys we are bringing on live up to standard then I'm fine seeing some losses *even some embarrassing ones* because it sounds like Coach Pry means business. Recruiting should've interesting the next 2-3 seasons as well as the VT experience. I can't wait to take that beautiful drive thru the mountains in the fall w/ the multi colored trees to start jumping again
serious BDE on these hires I hope they back it up
I like this approach of neutering Penn State, while amping up VT.
I don't think this is a new thing for VT. Wasn't John Ballein serving in this roll during the Beamer years? He's VTs Tom Hagen, right?
That's what I assumed when I read this.
I need a war time consigliere!
Michael Hazel doesn't have enough vowels in his name to be a true war time consigliere
....is...is this allowed?
Official
https://twitter.com/HokiesFB/status/1478411020523778052?t=rKHy2Xl0Mmx1Wo...
Oh dang, Assistant AD. Was that expected in addition to being Pry's Chief of Staff?