Pry-ssr New Coaches and Spring Ball 2023

We did it! We made it to Spring Ball! I'm going to post the embeds here and I'll update my takeaways from the coordinates this evening when I get a chance to look over their portions of the press conference. For now here's what the head whistle had to say about the staff changes, new faces, and beginning of spring.

• Bowen was almost named QB coach last season after Glenn interviewed for OC elsewhere. Said that the players have seen this change coming for a while.
• Pry noted a lot of familiarity with Crook through Pry's father's ties to coaching throughout WorstVA. Met with Crook recently at conferences and he was the first choice for the job. Said that SEC and B12 coaches also interviewed.
• Pry's Pry-orities: Run the Damn Ball, rush the QB, snap the damn ball.
• Brought in hand to hand combat expert to improve QB rush.
• 17 new scollys with 7 upperclassmen. Pry says it's been good attrition and addition this off-season and he is happy with the elevated level of competition.

• Starts with saying the offense needs to establish an identity. He thinks we got closer to having one at the end of the season.
• Bowen's focuses for the O this season are tempo, vertical attack in the pass and run game, and physicality. Stressed throughout the presser that it takes all 11 being physical and knowing their role to be successful.
• He brought up analytics repeatedly, but this one was interesting to me. There is a 93% win ratio for teams that beat their opponent in protecting the football and creating explosive plays.
• Felt like he was missing day-to-day things not being in the QB room, but noted he did touch base with the QBs daily and split his meetings to be available during QBs meetings. Feels like being in the QB room everyday will help improve the offense schematically and the confidence of his QBs.
• Bowen mentions something that Pry also brought up after the conclusion of last season. They both feel like we installed too much too early and did not focus on football 101 or tempo enough early on.
• Bowen wants a triple threat QB. Says we need a better run game to open up RPO and play action, but also a QB that can run and take advantage of an 8+ box when the run game is clicking. (this tidbit among a few others makes me feel Bowen is hyper-aware of some our issues last year)

• Defense needs to establish mayhem: hair on fire, tackles for loss, sacks, ball disruption.
• Hate to have such a short breakdown for Marve, but it was a short Q&A and he is a concise man. He makes it clear throughout the presser the most important thing for the defense is that everyone is relentless.

• Excited that his position change will allow Bowen to work with the "guys that pull the trigger"
• Likes TE because there is action every play. Feels that he has a good idea of what the OC wants since Bowen coached the position last year.
• Wants to improve Wright's blocking and route running to make him an every down guy.
• Snap consistency. Snap consistency. Snap consistency.
• Sounds like punt return is set as Tucker Holloway? Spring is an open competition for kick return mentions Jaylin and Ali.