Virginia Tech has hired former West Virginia Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach Matt Moore as team's next Offensive Line Coach.
Moore, whose six seasons in Morgantown, West Virginia included various accolades from a Broyles Award nomination to development of All-American lineman, found himself in a precarious position with the Mountaineers firing of Head Coach Neal Brown. The school proceeded to name Rich Rodriguez their next Head Coach. and subsequently cleared the house with nearly every assistant coach, making Moore available for Virginia Tech to make an external hire.
EDIT: 4 WVU OL-men are currently in the portal, would expect a couple to follow Moore
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LFG. Good hire.
Welcome home!
Thank you for this. I was hoping someone knowledgeable about him could tell me if this was good or bad. Sounds good.
Let's go. One more good hire to go then let's get this portal train in gear.
For those wondering there are currently 3 WV OL in the portal. I'll take whichever ones Matt thinks are worth taking
(that's a nice edit, i was curious what a mortal train was lol)
Immortal train
I'm in my 50s and Electric Callboy is incredible. Hard to believe such a thing exists and rocks as hard as they do.
Too quick for me to keep up. 🍺
Hopefully a few WV starting Offensive linemen decide to take the Country Roads home to SWVA and Blacksburg.
This is a big dick swinging hire. Hopefully the DC will be too
That's..... Actually a surprisingly good hire. He had the WVU OL playing very well and we will benefit from the RichRodification of Neerland
Also, if he does an intro presser, I want him to confirm that Country Roads is actually about SW Virginia
Unfortunately, that song has nothing to do with SW Virginia.
It's inspiration is a combo of WV/VA/MD... northern end of the Shenandoah Valley, rural Maryland in the I-270 corridor region, and northern WV coal country with some western Massachusetts country vibes mixed in.
Yep..except "Almost Heaven, Front Royal"
Just didn't have the same ring to it.
Yeah, there's a reason they call it Helltown
That John Denver is full of shit.
Thought the Rocky Mountains would be a little rockier than this
Shout-out to whoever called this 2 weeks ago
He doesn't want to work for a scumbag, don't blame him. Welcome home. WVU is going to regret bringing the most overrated coach in D1 back.
Bring the beef home to Blacksburg!!!
Currently four WVU OL in the portal:
Class of '25 that just signed LOI (which we know are meaningless)
I will gladly take all of them
And I bet DronePop would as well
Rimac is the prize out of the 4
Send the moving vans to Morgantown and bring the coach and OL back to the 'burg.
Send the Bull and Bones truck too
I'll be driving through Morgantown tomorrow
Try not to get hit by ziplock bags of piss and D-batteries
Drove through this afternoon
If we get even half those guys in orange and maroon I'll wet myself.
From pee, right? From pee?
Nah, from spilling beer
Striker?! Is that you?
Love it! Bring your boys over here Matt!
Someone tell me how excited to be.
French?
#1 P5 rushing yards seems impressive no matter the context.
Very excited.
Removing his first year and then the COVID year, their worst year was 2021 which is comparable to our 2021, the best year we've had in that same timeframe
Seems like a great hire.
I am now eagerly awaiting French approval.
Damn, pry put together a he'll of a plan. Good coach and hopefully a bunch of portal linemen to follow. That is a big time plan
Well....we pulled a OL Moore out of the transfer portal.
This guy doesn't have a Wikipedia page, someone make one for him
Fantastic hire! He was my top choice. Knows how to identify and develop talent, has done a tremendous job at WVU with guys like Milum and Nester, among others. Previous Broyles award nominee, and knows how to recruit our region for OL talent having been at WVU. His OLs at WVU have always been very strong.
Perfect fit IMO!
Former Assistant Head Coach - can he help Pry with timeouts and double numbers en sech?
Looks like an great hire. Rumors from WVU are saying that RichRod said he wasn't good enough and didn't fit his Hard Edge philosophy. This was Moore's response:
Their loss..our gain.
RichRod the sequel at WVU should be fascinating...I smell an implosion coming.
WVU isn't gonna be beating up on the remnants of the Big East anymore and mobile QBs running up-tempo systems are the norm. Richie ain't bringing anything new.
I can't wait for it to blow up in Morgantown. All my high school classmates have forgotten how it ended last time.
well with the chance to boast that my family is smarter than your class mates, they all hate the hire and remember how he left last time.
Correct- is the real Rich Rod the bullshit everything fell in place run at WVU where he could get potted plants into school? Or Michigan? total disater or Arizona- fired in disgrace and recruited one good offensive player? hmmmm
He'll be appreciated on this side of the river if he does here what he's done there!
LOL at the amount of 'Neers blaming their 6-6 record on the OL coach and saying that the draft picks would've been draft picks with or without him and he had no bearing on it.
I dont care if a coach can develop if they can recruit high round NFL linemen.
A guy with a slab on his shoulder and sharing the recruiting footprint with the source of the grudge? YES PLEASE!
I'll give Rich Rod credit, hard edge sounds a lot better than hard things together, but now I cannot shake the mental image of Edge Lord RichRod.
"May I present to you the Edge Lord, First of His Name, Rich of House Rod, King of the Morgantown Gooners"
That can't be a bad thing, can it
His mom is a Hokie as well. I don't think that was enough, but a serious OL coaching hire keeps us in the conversation. He's class of '26, so a quick turnaround on OL next year could be massive for recruiting. Not just for this kid, but a lot of others as well. If I'm a 90+ rated OL recruit, I might be leery about going to VT right now. We have an opportunity to change this narrative. Others have said it better than I, but getting dudes into the program and coaching them up is vital in offensive line development. We need the coaching, but we also need the dudes.
If we can get a good OL it completely changes so much about our prospects. This seriously could be a sneakily major hire at least in the ACC
Scruggs had an in-home visit from at least Moore and Bowen today or yesterday. Of course, Michigan was there too, but at least we're in the conversation.
Edit: I think Quinn was there too.
Very satisfying to read the collective opinion on this hire. All positive so far (best I can see). And unlike Rudolph I will trust that Coach Moore is planning on starting and finishing a job.
Well... everyone told me how great home-state C.news was. Likewise BIG time UGA1 was. Ditto Vice-Squad (who at least went at peeps kinda hard at times). n.Dame1 (who looks pretty shiny with all that Talent(s), again-- right); and then po' Crooked.
That's every1-- in case you are keeping score @home... no analysis, no film-study; nary a critical thinking.
So, what Eye can see early on?
Seems a bit better at pass-pro'... how does that fit us/VeeTee and Pry's desire to run first?
Additionally, none of my w.V.u. sources are left crying. Same as what I wrote of the ex-Baylor-Qb3.
And... he has nearly nothing left to work with off of the objectively: 115th best run-blockers and the 92nd best V-cup guys {sic: pass-pro'}. Plus the Learning Curve is on its 3rd time (o, o, o, o) reset in 5 years. Nearly all of the Experience Curve is gone to boot. Now we have guys who could not beat out the '24 Baltic Ave (sans even a single house) 1's, and they have what(s)???
i.e., everyone is *THE* one b.street!!! (On, day no.1; granted)... nonetheless; where are they on day-(n)one?
This Moore is the new mo' guy has basically 1-year; unless Whitlock extends Pry... see?
"Hype Train all a (message) aboard!!!"
Well, where Eye breaking-tape come from the hype train just went an Amtrak derailing o fer 5, see?
So, tell me... with all of that science-fact obviously in place... why is this oLine Coach1, *the*, one❔
DISCUSS >>> cuss
🤔
b.street
Because...
Eye tried to have it... most surely... as Eye am the one media member who downpoured and downvoted the #FireBugs with arctic cold glacial h2o... we said he needed 4-5 years to dig his way outta this fu'nk hole, n'est-ce pas?
...tho...
...then the players vote {sic: to leave}.
...this, after they less one single solitary N.Dame Wr1, all voted to stay after a sucky season one.
...this, after they still voted to 'stay' after an uneven tho' better closing vs. soft opposition 2nd season.
Eye say again... the (the ballers) have voted.
Like babies and headed out... like a tree and leaves...
Whatever that is... that is up to the Culture Coach1 (named: S&C to most of you)... to try to somehow: bubblegum, Bondo, patch-kit, and duct-tape this Little Engine -who thus far: kan't- in the now year no.4 gone near back to the future for a no.1 redux. Start over. Reboot.
How (realistically all the time: R.A.T.T.) say Pandora's box on dat???
💯
bstreet
a.k.a. did Pry have those fabled: 'hard conversation(s)... with... pry?
Basically:
Players stuck around after 2022 and 2023 but are leaving in 2024. Voting to leave, giving you their opinion on the coach. S&C has to try and keep culture together and how much is Pry looking in the mirror on everything
How many really left? 4 or 5 real contributors and they all went to the SEC for significant paychecks. Is that really a culture issue or just the reality of NIL for now?
If gunner givens- a non contributor for 3 years- fact- done nothing- is getting a "significant check" this sport is more fucked than I ever dreamed.
Woke up from a migraine induced nap and this is the first thing I read. Realized my brain required ChatGPT. So here's its interpretation:
This passage appears to be a combination of sports commentary, frustration, and skepticism about the performance and potential of a college football team, specifically focusing on the offensive line (oLine). Here's a breakdown of the key points and ideas:
1. **Praise and Criticism of Teams**: The writer references a variety of teams and players:
- "home-state C.news," "BIG time UGA1," and "Vice-Squad" are likely references to college football programs, each receiving mixed reviews.
- "n.Dame1" (Notre Dame) is mentioned as having talent, but the implication seems to be that just having talent isn't enough.
- "po' Crooked" might refer to a team or player with issues, possibly underperforming.
2. **Lack of Analysis**: The writer expresses disappointment that most people aren't critically analyzing the situation, relying on surface-level praise without any deeper critique or film study. This suggests frustration with how teams or players are being evaluated.
3. **Pass Protection**: The writer notes that pass protection (the ability to protect the quarterback) seems somewhat better than expected but questions how this will align with a coach's desire to focus on a run-heavy offense (which is often a hallmark of certain teams like Virginia Tech and coach Brent Pry). This could be a concern about whether the team is structured in a way that best suits its offensive strategy.
4. **Offensive Line Struggles**: The writer points out the offensive line's weaknesses, referring to their low rankings (115th in run-blocking and 92nd in pass protection) and a "learning curve" that has been reset multiple times in recent years. This suggests that the offensive line is underperforming, with little improvement due to turnover or lack of development.
5. **Coaching and Personnel Concerns**: There's skepticism about the head coach or offensive line coach's ability to fix these issues. The line "why is this oLine Coach1, *the*, one?" suggests questioning whether the offensive line coach is truly the right person for the job given the team's struggles and ongoing issues.
6. **Talent and Hype**: The writer is critical of the "hype train" surrounding certain players or programs, pointing out that despite the praise, there has been little tangible success (described as an "Amtrak derailing"). This seems to imply that the hype doesn't match the reality, particularly in terms of performance and improvement.
7. **Final Point on Coaching and Results**: The writer ends by noting that the offensive line coach may only have a year to prove himself ("1-year" unless an extension is granted), questioning whether the team can turn things around with the current leadership.
In summary, this passage seems to be a blend of skepticism and frustration regarding a football team's offensive line performance, coaching decisions, and the gap between hype and reality. The writer seems to be critical of the lack of critical thinking or deeper analysis, questioning whether the right coaching staff is in place to address the team's issues.
My attempt:
Starts off w a brief run through of past OL coaches and says that they're always talked up big at the beginning, just like Moore is now. Isn't sure about Moore and nobody can say why he should be THE guy. Won't have personnel like he had at WVU -- all the talent is gone and who is left couldn't beat them out. Folks at WVU aren't sad to see him go just like folks at Baylor weren't sad to lose Drones. And it basically amounts to a 1 year deal if Pry doesn't win this year
"Won't have personnel like he had at WVU -- "
wow; K... now that is the Original POTD to be sure.
I cannot G-check you into the plexiglass boards as being in the dead 'rong here either... (wish I could).
+1 @you.
yikes!
b.street
I think the biggest issue is related to points 5 and 7. This staff likely has one year to take a significant step forward and the biggest issue with the OL room is recruiting and retention. The upside to this hire is his recruiting ability, but we might never see that make a difference. Getting some of his guys to transfer could be a nice way to bondo, patch-kit, and duct-tape the OL until we improve our recruiting.
Maybe it's the rum and hot apple cider I'm having while wrapping presents, but I have no idea what you are saying right now
He's unhappy with the Moore hire basically
He wanted this guy instead...
are we sure that isn't bstreet himself?
Now that you mention it, I've personally never seen the two of them in the same room at the same time.
There are some uncanny similarities
+1 for a good bitey: cider --this time of year...
I give you that round 1o-8.
🎄☕️🎄,
b.street
Basically: upvoted for cider and alcohol
gobble, are you now the bourbon translator?
pls no that's not a burden any mortal man should have to bear
And while your interpretation is plausible, who is to know if it's even right? There's no Rosetta stone for bourbon street out there. At least not one that's been discovered.
he is the crowd-sourcing B.I. beta... give/take...
; )
b.street
I appreciate that b.street makes me slow down and really think about what I read on the Internet. Not many people can make that same claim.
Definitely a mixed bag of WVU fan feelings. Half think his success has been propped up by known HS studs choosing to stay in state at WVU and he has no developmental upside. The other half see to think he's god recreated as a OL coach.
You can't listen to WVU football fans.. 90% of them never went to college and still live in a dark, dead state that was built on coal. They are the definition of irrational. The other 10% are actually alums or Shepherd/Bluefield alums that have a bit more rational thoughts. These people think Rich Rodriguez is a good coach.
Maybe true about the college attendance, but im gonna push back hard about WV being a dark dead state. Its absolutely BEAUTIFUL, I went to college in WV (not Morganhole) , and I have zero regrets about that. Dont know that i could oversell WV as an outdoor playground. Fucking hate the 'eers though. Thats for free
I respect your opinion and I understand what you are saying. WV has many beautiful parts of the state, for sure. Having said that my opinion is sharply shaped by owning a home in Parkersburg... checks notes- dark and dead!
Well Parkersburg is Ohio so I understand your sentiment
why do you always write like this? you make close to no sense, like ever...
do better ffs
I left 247 and one of the main reasons was so I didn't have to read this nonsense, I was so bummed when he migrated to TKP
You still dont have to read it. I don't!
You left 'cause of 145 posts in ~25, years???
I confess, I'm impressed...
b.street
So you can write normal!
Just learn to ignore. If he really wanted to contribute opinions, information, or analysis, he would.
Schtick
at first i thought aphasia
Bob Schtick?
Bob Schick is the only one schticking around...
{/zing}.
b.street
I always read it like an old school detective's inner monologue while going crazy on a type writer. think dick Tracy.
it always sounds to me more like the guy from the Waterboy referenced above
I might need a decoder ring to read your posts, but I do respect your football acumen. And the fact you are not enthused about this hire is...concerning.
...it is... hard to 'splain... hard to put my finger on *it* exactly... though here goes (as this is best kept as an off-season and spring-game breaking of tape project-- where Eye can I.D. how well we fit him... now all I can do is vet his history...)
The coaching sewing circle grades him higher on pass-pro' rep' than anything else. So I was told. He also kinda carries something of a: cutsie tag... (Eye prefer this to 'finesse', FWIW, here).
Nevertheless, how well does that jock with Pry wanting to be 'physical' vs. the All-Charmin Conference? How well does it fit the shorter than he is listed B.Green Rb1 with okay+++ career numbers? How well can his nearly all gone blocking inheritance fund that? (This; however, could be a slight blessing in Experience Curve disguise... tho' the Learning Curve is due to reset to: (o, o, o; o) for the 3rd time in 5 campaigns and you do the slow-start maths there...)
I need to get there in the spring and seeeeeee it... first... (Coach God willing of course)...
HTH's
b.street
p.s. 'paused' is what Eye would say I am... (this in lieu of any +/- enthusiasm itself; paused).
Hypothetically, if Moore brings some guys with him in the portal, does it change your mind?
...kan't hurt.
At least/worst it WOULD get his Learning and Experience Curves' double-promoted to the 3rd grade. (And it would not injure depth; not 1 iota... of which we have not much... so... yah; it prolly helps at least a scosche or two... maybe more if he could just lasso a starter or two...)
💯
b.street
Between your handle, and your writing style - in my brain i read your posts in the voice of Dr. John 😅
You had Dr. John ('big' Broderick) in Physics at Tech?
His Elvis impressions -and that 60's cereal box sticker clad office door; with WWII warbirds inside- were classic beyond classic. Great Astrophysics prof'. Better guy.
b.street
Different Dr. John 🤣 I'm talking about The Night Tripper
He was one of my favorites, having taken an astrophysics class or four back in the day.
I took Physics as a Liberal Art (really) back in '74 or '75. Does that count?
For the record, it was one of the two coolest classes I ever took at VT, but unlike Robertson's Intro to the Civil War class, I cannot remember the Physics prof's name. He showed up in the first class shooting his way across the room on a car mechanic's crawler with a fire extinguisher for propellant. Another way more spectacular trick he pulled was having an electric cannon that fired a small metal ball that cut the magnetic circuit connected with an apparatus holding a clown's head with an open mouth on at track all the way across the large lecture room. Of course, the ball arced aross the room and went into the mouth of the falling clown in an opening not much bigger than the ball. We talked him into doing it for us a couple more times it was so cool. Of course, didn't take much to entertain a Sociology major like me, but that class stands out in my memories.
That's what the best science teachers do- engage the students with a cool demo to get them interested in science then teach the science behind it. That's how my dad was when he taught high school science. You can see a great example of similar stuff by looking at some of Robert Burk's( from the University of Ottawa) videos on you tube .
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A2AC2CD8014CB2E
I had Ijaz for Physics in '74-'75. He and his wife taught a summer class for teachers...using nothing but a straw, paperclip, and rubber band (iirc).
I believe he was my professor for astrophysics for a summer session - maybe '87? Great teacher, but did not get to know him personally.
Great Get!
I hope we're paying him a lot bigger in years two and three. I'd like him to stick around.
I'm hoping good coaching hires save Pry for at least two years, as he'll likely need two in order to right the ship to some reasonable level.
I posted earlier that I thought that pry had made a strategic move. O line coach with good coaching history,and 4 guys in the portal for potential transfers. I guess I was over reacting. Would like to hear who else pry had a chance with for o line coaches that may have better filled the void.
So how many of the OL portaling out change their minds?
Moore and Chaplin have already committed and I know none of this is binding, but I think we can count them gone. The only one left that I think would be worth getting back would be Lance Williams.
Williams fell behind Nitta on the depth chart during the season and based on Ricard starting in the bowl game, likely both of them.
Oof that room was even bleaker than I thought.
I had convinced myself based on the odd committal of the Bowling Green running back that Greg Nosal was the hire. He is the OL and Co-OC at Bowling Green and his OLs had really good games against Penn State and Texas A&M. Moore is probably the bigger name and has P5 experience. I need to watch more tape, but his groups seem to be more inside zone oriented and mix in some gap scheme. He emphasizes good feet and they are light on their feet, but I have seen some highlight reel plays where his OL isn't finishing blocks but the back makes a super play. I have mixed feelings. I was really coming around to the idea of Nosal.
Moore is well respected. I hope first and foremost he can instill a "finished attitude.
He definitely wasn't going to be a part of any edging.
No dice we need an OL coach who still has all his fingers.
Pry was in a little bit of a pickle: he needs a coach who can develop talent on the roster quickly, but he also needs a coach who can land talent quickly.
Hopefully Moore brings some dudes with him.
^^^this^^^
"Is wise in the way of the Force..."
Not real sure I'd tell him to deep Blackburg buy... maybe rent-to-own?
💯
b.street
Moore is the short-term quick fix - he'll bring some of the WVU lineman and immediately raise the floor the room. Nosal can't do that.
But I think Nosal could be the guy after the guy.
I hope there is a guy after this guy
What, you think it'll be the dog after the guy?
Could be
No clue if this dude has #sauces or not
Please please please.
That dude appears to be a wvu beat writer or something, so maybe there's hope?
Does anyone have any background info on why Rich Rod decided to let Moore go, but keep their OC? I haven't followed B12 football closely this year, but this seems like an odd choice, especially given how that room might fall apart on them and from what I have read has been one of the more functional units they had.
I heard some rumors Moore was pissed that Rich Rod said he wasn't "hard edge" enough for his new staff lol. Think Moore may have taken a jab in his farewell tweet recently. Rich Rod is going to be an absolute failure at WVU this go around. Everyone does some form of the read option now, and it's not 2004 where you can sneakily take under the radar talent from Florida and elsewhere.
I have seen the tweet in question. This hard edge thing is going to be memed into oblivion if RichRod falls flat.
Disagree. I get that a lot of people here still hate him from back in the day, but I wasn't a fan back then so I feel like I have less bias. RichRod probably won't be as good, because as you said, it's not 2004 and it's not the Big East. But it won't be because he can't coach, it'll be because of things off the field. West Virginia is a tough place to win at, but in the Big 12 they'll always have a chance. He just won a second conference championship in 3 years and only their second year in FBS, he only had one losing season at Arizona, and he has experience at WVU. This won't be consistent top 10 rankings, but they're a threat now.
I get what you're saying. I have a lot of WV fan friends who feel like this is a coup. "He's intense," "his personality and fit." I get it. But realistically, WV is in a tough spot (even tougher than VT) as far as conference affiliation. And just running the RR read option scheme isn't enough to give them a leg up these days. I honestly for nostalgias sake wish we were playing them again regularly because it needs to happen anyway, and Rich Rod at the helm makes it more interesting. But in a way this seems almost as much a Hail Mary as VT suddenly naming Bud HC. Would've been an awesome idea 15-20 years ago, but times have most certainly changed. I hope it works out and VT and WVU can one day have a great rivalry again. But seems like it's a grasp at nostalgia for them.
Yea, I agree.
Best (realistic) case scenario for WVU is that Rich Rod can install his scheme, get 3-stars playing at a 3.5/4-star level, and WVU wins 8ish games most years, with the floor around 6, peaking at 9/10 every so often.
But that's best case. Worst case - he repeats his last 3 years at Arizona.
Source
Okay, that makes a little more sense now. Thanks
No problem – it's pretty common these days to keep at least one guy around (JC Price) for continuity purposes. Especially in the transfer portal era.
I get that. Like I said, I haven't followed them closely, I just thought RichRod would want his own offensive guys since that's his thing, but if Scott interviewed well and passed his interim test it makes sense. Just like our problem this year, neither coordinator was perfect, but if you want some continuity it makes sense to drop the worse of the 2 evils.
Yea I was surprised as well. Wouldn't be surprised if this guy was staying on but rich rod calling plays.
This cycle of coaches are going to be interesting to watch. RichRod and Scott Frost 2.0, Chapel Bill, Vegas Mullen, all the Charles Huff mess, Vick and DeSean Jackson, and Mendenhall's NM to Utah State decision. Lots of great storylines to follow for the next 2-3 seasons.
These days? Billy Hite might want to have a word.
It's always been that way. But I believe rich rod is keeping a few guys around (granted, one guy is someone whose dad Rich Rod used to coach with).
Well another WVU lineman just went in the portal.
4 🌟 Freshman Kyle Altuner
https://247sports.com/player/kyle-altuner-46114947/college-316474/
kyle pls
Don't we still have a moving truck in Morgantown for picking up OL dudes?
Watch his HS tape, it's filthy.
Somehow he's making 50k/y less than we were paying Crook and already outperforming Crook on paper. So there's that.
https://x.com/damiensordelett/status/1877126199387791622?s=46