Put your list here, explain any supporting logic, and prepare to defend yourself if you don't have Bud at No. 1. (Note, there could be an argument to not have Bud first.)
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1) Bud Foster (I'm not sure you can argue anyone else at #1, but you can try)
2) Torrian Gray
3) Scott Loeffler (I think we will find out in a few years, but so far QB recruiting has sky rocketed)
4) Wood Chopper (He chops wood, 'nuff said)
5) Little Beamer (He's been good for recruiting, hopefully better with running backs now that he has some more talent)
I would have had Grimes at 5, and I don't know much about Searels yet.
Not sure you can really put Bud on the list anyway. If I had Bud No 1 where he should be then the closest person after him would be No 6, because of the sheer awesome that is Bud.
So there's Bud. Then there's the list:
Gray: Proverbial Abyss for a reason folks
Lefty: New Blood, captain of the ship on offense, bringing in the heat at QB, better than expected offense last year
lil' Beams: recruiting, recruiting, recruiting
Wiles: Consistency on the line
Stiney: New Recruiting Coordinator position seems to be going well. Kline was improvement at TE.
Moorehead: Moving up quickly. Makes receivers actually work. *cough Marcus Davis cough* Recruiting badass already
Brown: More low key than I had imagined when hired, though is fun to watch coach. Needs to find a bigger role.
Searels: just because he's new
I probably would have had Grimes after Wiles had he stayed.
To me, Moorehead, at least based on last season, may be tied with Gray for number 1. Nobody did more with less with the players he had. After the Alabama game, if I had told you that the Hokies would have three receivers go over 40 catches and one wouldn't be DJ Coles, you would have said I was nuts (and I probably would have sought out-patient psychiatric services.)
And, the group was very effective blocking, and that was a huge upgrade from the year before. They still need a vertical threat, but Moorehead did one heck of a job. When you factor in the impact he has had in the DC/MD/VA area recruiting-wise, he has to be in the top two.
I think Gray wins that simply because (while he may have had more talented players, or at least better ranked players), his true freshman corners played like All-American seniors from the get-go.
It took the WRs (understandably so) a little longer to find their grove. But both coaches did an incredible job last year.
is this only for last year or overall? I agree with Moorehead killing it last season but if you took into account the overall years of each assistant would you still have him at No 1 or 2?
1) Bud Foster: He's the heart and soul of this defense.
2) Torrian Gray: D-Block, need I say more? His secondaries have been elite more times than not
3) Aaron Moorehead: Has anyone had more of an immediate and profound impact on recruiting then him?
4) Charley Wiles: those D lineman, they'll get after ya
5) Scott Loeffler: I think we all saw the improvement in the offensive schemes this year
6) Bryan Stinespring: The TEs definitely turned out better than expected after losing Malleck, but the recruiting coordinator is what got him to this spot
7) Shane Beamer: Sure, the running back rotation frustrated us all, but zero fumbles? That's big.
8) Cornell Brown: **EDIT** Okay, so Brown has been fairly quiet, but again, no complaints, really.
9) Stacy Searels: Can't say much until we see the product on the field, but gets some points for reaching out to the OL commits to keep them around.
The biggest thing I've noticed with this exercise? I had a darn hard time ordering them. I think they're all pretty darn good at their jobs, and I don't really have a major complaint with any of them.
It's nice to hear those last two sentences. I agree with you that I'm very happy/excited about our assistant coaches right now. Thinking back to 2 years ago - no one would've said that about the entire staff.
Pretty close to what I would say, though I think I'd flip Shane and C Brown. Also I'd like to say that I feel bad ranking any coach low because I really like our current staff.
Cody Grimm graduated before Cornell was on the staff and Bud coaches the Mikes and Backers, Cornell coaches Whips and assists with the D-Line.
Ah - good point. I'll edit to reflect that
"Tweedy - IT'S WHIP!"
- Cornell Brown
I'd agree to this list for the most part, but I would also put Frank in at #10 (I am treating him as a Special Teams Assistant Coach here). Special Teams have been lacking lately and need an overhaul.
1. Bud - I tried my best to come up with an argument against him (playing a little Devil's advocate) and couldn't do it. From PJ to Saban, Bud gives offensive coordinators and QBs nightmares.
2. Moorehead - Exactly what French said above: no one on staff has done more with less this year.
3. Gray - You don't put guys in the league every. single. year (except last year cause no one declared) unless you know what you're doing. Plus, 2 freshman All-Americans (and an All-ACC freshman to boot). Hard to argue against him.
4. Lefty - This one was tough, but I'll give the edge to our new OC for a couple of reasons. First, it's abundantly clear he knows what he's doing. Is every OC in the country gonna have calls he wants back? Of course. But even so, he puts together solid-to-great gameplans that play to the strengths of his players (and let's face it, those strengths were limited especially early on). Add in the fact that there is some legit QB talent coming to Blacksburg solely because of him, and he edges out Wiles by a nose.
5. Charley Wiles - So help you if you're an offensive lineman playing his guys. They're tough, persistent and they are very, very well-coached. The man knows what he's doing and has a knack for passing on his knowledge. Not every DLine coach can take a 2-star guy from Florida, recognize the talent and make him a very good DT. Also, MANBEARPIG.
6. Stiney - Say what you want about him as an OC (and honestly, before Newsome got there, he wasn't half bad), but he's a quality TE coach and a very good recruiter. His efforts revamping recruiting, in addition to some of the new blood in the program, has been instrumental in what was a noticeable uptick in recruiting, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
7. Shane Beamer - There's only so much you can teach a running back (the elite ones usually just have a knack for finding and hitting holes at the right time. See Williams, Ryan MF), but the fact that we had no fumbles this year is a testament to his teaching skills. Add on that he's a top-35 kind of recruiter nationally, according to 247, and there's no question he's a solid part of this staff.
8. Searels - yes, he hasn't even set foot on the practice field, but he was a big reason our OLine recruiting class stayed together. Plus, after Newsome, anyone not named Newsome is automatically one of my favorite coaches. He comes very highly-regarded and recommended from Mack Brown, who, despite his recent struggles at Texas, still knows a thing or two about football.
9. Brown - I have to put someone down here, and it turns out that someone is Brown. He only coaches one position (which by the start of the season had a grand total of 0 players who had a scholarship in the spring), and even that position wasn't on the field most of the season! That said, he did a very good job, all things considered, of getting Trimble and Dinardo prepared and ready to play (Trimble had a more-than-respectable performance against Bama). On the recruiting trail, he's been fairly quiet, but has still landed one or two solid guys. I'm hoping to see more from him as a coach this recruiting cycle and with RVD back on the field.
I'm too lazy to rank all of them, but I do believe this forum is a good spot for a shout out to Coach Grimes for what he accomplished this year. I know he's gone, but just looking back at last year's body of work, no coach had a bigger dumpster fire to put out than Grimes did. He pieced together a serviceable offensive line with players he didn't know anything about, much less recruit. I also consider the fact that this offensive line group had no real standout stud who was a no brainer to start. I think Grimes was brilliant at evaluating his talent, and teaching the position in such a short time.
I also agree with the stuff I've read here about Moorehead, along these same lines. Moorehead, I think, did well getting the players to buy into what he was selling, and he fixed what was broken with his group, which was the blocking.
Agreed. The loss still pains me.
Yep, Searles is exponentially better than Newsome, but Grimes will be a star. Grimes is on my short list for next HC at VT.
1. Cake
2. Bud Foster
3. Torrian Gray
4. Aaron Morehead
5. Shane Beamer
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99. Pie
"You better put pie at the top, where it belongs"
TEAM PIE
DON'T YOU DARE TALK BAD ABOUT PIE!
100. Noon games
SHOTS FIRED!!!
Eep. Idk if pie needs to be down at 99 but definitely below cake. Think about it, people throw pie at other people's faces. Not exactly a good sign if desserts are being thrown instead of eaten. Who ever heard of someone throwing cake (my parents wedding excluded)?
Woo hoo for the 1,000th turkey leg ^^^^^^^^
Just when I was starting to think cake had no voice here at TKP. . .This means war.
Is Gentry considered an Assistant Coach?
1. Bud
2. Gray
3. Moorehead
4. Wiles
5. Shane Beamer
6. Loeffler
7. Cornell Brown
Not ranking Searels, but I'm sure he'll be higher by the start of the season.
1. Bud
4. Gray
5. Moorehead
6. Loeffler
7. Wiles
8. Beamer
9. Stiney
10. Brown
(Searels not listed yet)
i see what you did there...
#BigBossBud
1. Bud
2. Gray
3. Moorehead
4. Wiles
5. Loeffler
6. Stiney
7. Shane
8. Brown
I am going to wait until after the season or mid season to rank Searels.
I'm gonna agree with fern and say there's BUD and then there's the list. So here's the rest:
1. Future Tech DC Gray because of B.O.O.B.
2. Moorehead (giggity) because of what he had to work with and choppin dat wood
3. Lefty because of QBs and improved and less guessable predictable playcalling
4. Lil Beams because of recruiting, improved Edmunds and youth
5. Brown because "Tweedy-IT'S WHIP" and a SB ring from a pro team with badass D.
6. Wiles because of Tyler and Edwards
7. Stiney for recruiting and Kline
Honorable mention: Grimes for recruiting and improved line.
Jury out on Searles.
Wiles coaches the dline, and he has been criminally underrated by everyone in this thread.
Yeah but, who are you going to drop down?
1. Foster
2. Gray
3. Wiles
4. Loeffler/Moorehead/any offensive coach
One season of good recruiting and moderate offensive improvement does not warrant a jump over one of the best defensive line coaches in the country.
Ok, I see that.
Loeffler is way overrated by everyone.
It's power ranking.
He's ascendant.
Agreed, what he does with less is magical. Just imagine what he would do with 4/5 star players, in fact he turns 2 and 3 star players into 4 and 5 star players.
Only knock here, several of the recruiting articles I read stated that top d-lineman were better served to go elsewhere because the lack of d-line coaching hindered progress towards playing in NFL.
i think you may have misread what was being said
Definitely. Charley Wiles is one of the best in the business. No one ever comments on technique or discipline being reasons DLinemen don't typically go to the NFL. It's about the scheme in which they play, not who's teaching them.
Nope, got this reading thing down pretty good. A few of the articles I've read stated that lack of d-line coaching was a valid reason for the guys looking to go to the next level to avoid VT. Not saying I agree, but that is what I read.
I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm sure there are articles that state that. But from the articles I've read on recruiting sites is that Foster's scheme doesn't transition well for D lineman at the next level. Wiles does more with less on the defense and still makes one of the top d lines in the country. He is a hell of a coach.
I completely disagree with anything implying that Wiles isn't a great coach, but I gotta give a turkey leg for that first sentence. Hilarious.
Thanks....again, I said I didn't agree with the articles, was just throwing it out there for debate.
I guess I might could move Wiles up to number 4.
I absolutely can't rank anyone here because this past year I really can't find anything to knock much to have anyone lesser than another.
We saw excellent progress from everyone over the year. We saw good recruiting.
I can't rate that.
This is an incredibly hard question to answer. Gut reaction:
1. Saint Bud
2. All others
In reality, I think it has to break down something along the lines of:
1. Bud
2. Gray
3. Wiles
4. Loeffler
5. Moorehead
6. Stiney
7. Shane
8. Cornell
Bud is the clear #1. Without that man, I don't known what VT's identity would be. If Bud is the general on defense, Gray and Wiles are the trusted lieutenants. They are essential pieces to the puzzle and are damn good at what they do, so they're up next.
I put Loeffler at #4 because he has impressed me so far in showing vision and coherent play-calling. A few head-scratchers, for sure, but overall the offense will be running smoothly under Loeffler in no time. It's a toss-up among the next three, because they're all solid position coaches and have a huge hand in the quality of VT recruiting. I give the slight edge to Moorehead because he has transformed our WR crew from dropaholics in game 1 to a reasonably consistent unit with good fundamentals. He is a vocal and energetic recruiter. Stiney gets the nod next for playing the role of recruiting coordinator well, and his loyalty to VT and sense of family is something that our players rally around and love about him. Shane has a similar impact on the team, so he's next, but not far behind by much. Decent RB coach and excellent recruiter. Cornell is last, but when we're arguing over positions among these guys, all of whom are doing a good or great job, it's not really a bad thing. He has good energy and is a good position coach and recruiter.
I think Searles has the chance to be an excellent assistant coach, so we'll see in a year or two where he falls in. If our O-line continues developing toughness and starts to assert its will with more regularity, he could easily take a spot near the top. I am optimistic that he will do very good things here with the Hokies.
Based on performance: 1Bud, 2Gray, 3Wiles, 6Moorehead (SSS), 5Searles(traditionally), 6Stiney (as OL/ TE coach), 7Loeffler, 8Shane, N/A: Brown (he coaches one position and they are rarely on the field)
Based on Recruiting: 1Shane, 2Gray, 3Moorehead, 4Stiney, 5Wiles, 6Searles, 7Bud, 8loeffler, 9Brown (but there are no bad recruiters on staff anymore)
Overall: 1Bud (lots of bonus points for performance), 2Gray, 3Moorehead, 4Wiles, 5Stiney, 6Searles, 7Shane, 8Loeffler, 9Brown
1. Gray - And I'll say why he's better than Bud. Without an elite secondary, Bud's defense would be beat in this modern pass-happy spread football. I seriously doubt Bud would still be successful post 2007ish without Gray. He can recruit to boot, which Foster clearly struggles at.
2. Foster - Mastermind of the defense. However, his DBs are asked to play on an island. I still question how good he would be without Gray...
3. Wiles - D-line is always beast, regardless of the lack of NFL size and talent.
4. Everybody else - They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but nobody else is currently putting a top-10 product on the field.
I get what you're saying about the DBs but realize part of the reason they are successful is that Bud's scheme brings pressure and forces the QB to make plays. DBs can't be completely burned but often the opposing QB is unable to complete the throw even when WRs are open, due to the pressure in the backfield.
This is true. The pressure scheme does make the QB rush into bad throws, leading to incompletions and interceptions. I still believe, however, Bud would not be successful without Gray with modern offenses. Gray, in another scheme however, would still be successful. Gray is successful because he can scout and recruit the best DB talent and then coach them into all-americans who can play the most complex backfield scheme. He takes 2-star, 3-star, 4-star, and 5-star talent and turns them into NFL stars. Because Gray's DB's are so good, Bud doesn't have to scheme a way to prevent WRs from being open all the time. If you look at VT's recent history, the only time VT is decimated in the passing game is due to elite TEs. Don't know if that problem falls on Gray or Bud, but the CBs and safeties can lock down any WR.
Bud does not recruit well. If he did, we wouldn't have so many walk-on LBs. Bud's scheme, however, can turn any cerebral, hard-working LB into collegiate star. Besides James Anderson, no uber talented LB has turned into an NFL star. Bud is a mastermind, but I truly think Bud would not be successful without Gray. Gray, as a DB coach, would be successful in anywhere.