Virginia Tech boasts the longest continuous-serving assistant coaches
: http://coachingsearch.247sports.com/Article/The-longest-continuous-servi...
Bud Foster - Virginia Tech defensive coordinator (1987)
Foster and Frank Beamer have been together since 1981, when Foster was a graduate assistant at Murray State. The two moved to Blacksburg in 1987 and have remained together, with Foster leading what is typically one of the best defenses in the country since 1995.
Bryan Stinespring - Virginia Tech tight ends coach (1990)
Stinespring began as a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech in 1990 and has spent time with tight ends and offensive line and was the offensive coordinator from 2002-12.
Charley Wiles - Virginia Tech defensive line coach / run game coordinator (1996)
Wiles, who played under Beamer at Murray State, has worked with the Hokie defensive line since 1996, adding the duties of run game coordinator last season. Wiles has developed five All-Americans in Blacksburg.
Frank Beamer has been loyal to his assistant coaches, current, and former players. What else will it take for those coaches to bring a national championship to Blacksburg and send coach Beamer out on a high note?
Comments
I think sometimes people overstate how important the assistant coach stability really is. I didn't see an Alabama coach listed there anywhere, and they seem to be doing ok.....It's a factor, but I'm not sure it's any kids #1 priority
The mindset on staff continuity seems to have shifted over the years. Now, having the same staff in place for years on end is not necessarily seen as a benefit. Many people view that as having an unmotivated staff - i.e. - If these guys are hungry for success, why aren't they trying to move up in the coaching ranks? With the same staff, how do they evolve and stay current? - so it isn't always the great benefit Hokie fans tend to think. Of course, I have to add - don't use the straw man argument saying there should be a revolving door, that's silly. But there is much merit in understanding that having assistants move up and beyond the program shows that the program is invigorated. That becomes more crucial the older the head coach becomes, as well.
Having the same assistants for a long period of time can be a sign of stability. I know of lots of recruits that pick schools because the coaches that recruit them are going to be in the school when athletes arrive on campus. I also know of recruits who decommit or transfer once their primary recruiters (coaches) have been fired or left the program. The idea that recruits dont pick a school because the coaches have been there a while is absurd. VTs assistants are always learning and evolving. Every off season they go to others universities and professional teams to exchange ideas and learn new things. Id rather have coaching stability than having to hire a coaching staff every other year and risking losing student athletes. IMO.
This is a great point. Our recruits often cite legacy, tradition, and stability as being important. Others want to go to a school that maybe has more of a hot commodity on staff, and they're willing to roll the dice on that coach staying. Ultimately, it comes down to personality and outlook. Our staff is the right fit for some recruits and how they want to live out their college experience, and is not right for others, and reality that's all recruiting really comes down to.
"The idea that recruits dont pick a school because the coaches have been there a while is absurd"
I'm not sure what you read to give you the idea that that is what I meant
2015
Also see, 2016.
2015 would break the streak of top recruiting winning national championships
January 2016 NCG is possible but so far this class has missed all top tier talent for a top 5 recruiting class
Trends are only trends until they're not trendy anymore
It's not about the trendyness of the stats.
VT is lacking the talent to win the top games and would first need to play top teams more than once a year.
2011 - #5 VT 11-1 beat UVA 38-0 and fell to #11 and that was below multiple 2 loss teams
#5Oregon10-2
#6Arkansas10-2
#8Kansas State9-2
#9South Carolina10-2
#10Wisconsin10-2
Does that mean all of those teams were better than VT simply because of rankings?
We went from #6 to #5 after pulling the 38-0, bro. We dropped from #5 to #17 after getting hammered by Clemson in the ACC CG. I'm pulling this from the hokiesports.com 2011 football schedule.
And, lets be honest, being #5 after getting spanked at home against Clemson might have been a stretch as well.
We were #5 at the end of the regular season with our one loss being a pretty ugly one. For many other programs, that puts them hovering around #10.
An offense.
The second time I've seen this comment in the past two weeks means the topic has been posted too often. But gadfly you are correct.
Better yet, an Offense that averages 40+ points per game.
Better yet, an offense that isn't just plain fucking painful to watch.
Yup..and I'll contend we don't even need a plethora of 4 and 5 star recruits on offense to do it. I've been on the record about defining an offensive identity and recruiting specifically to it. One of the best offenses I've seen this past decade was the 2011 Wisconsin Badgers and ideally that's what I want VT's offense to look like one day:
Mack truck offense with a highly accurate dual-threat QB. Here's the rivals ratings for their starting 11:
LT: Ricky Wagner (Not rated/Walk-on) 5th Round Draft Pick
LG: Travis Frederick (3) 1st Round Draft Pick
C: Peter Konz (4) 2nd Round Draft Pick
RG: Kevin Zeitler (3) 1st Round Drft Pick
RT: Josh Oglesby (5) Was an All Big-10 selection in 2011...had six knee surgeries, no NFL team wanted to take a chance on him. Currently a GA for Wisconsin, future OL coach
QB: Russell Wilson (2) 3rd Round Draft Pick
RB: Montee Ball (3) 2nd Round Draft Pick
FB: Brady Ewing (2/Walk-on) 5th Round Draft Pick
WR: Nick Toon (4) 4th Round Draft Pick
WR: Jarred Abbrederis (Not rated/Walk-on) 5th Round Draft Pick
TE: Jacob Pedersen (2) UFA with Falcons
To be blunt, I don't see any reason why VT couldn't recruit like Wisky does on offense. Only 3 of the starting 11 were 4-5 stars, 5 of the 11 were either 2 starts or not rated. It's literally the perfect offense for VT and they could actually pull it off b/c not all of their recruits were highly sought after.
Identify exactly what type offense you want to run and identify the recruits that best fit that system, regardless of how many stars they have. We do it on defense, no reason we can't do it on offense.
They started that game well and finished well but in the middle they looked to struggle. Run game worked in the beginning but then they had to go to the pass. I would rather have a team that could convert on third down running more often than passing.
Not to get off-tangent, but:
1) Montee Ball was Heisman Finalist. 4 of the 5 guys on the starting offensive line now play in the NFL. There wasn't a better team in the country that year in running a power oriented rushing attack than Wisconsin (could make an argument for Stanford and the obvious SEC teams as well).
2) The MSU team in that game had a VT-level defense. Putting up 35+ points against them is incredibly impressive.
we are in the beginning stages of finding our "system". Our Oline coach used us as a stepping tool to go to a bigger program so that put us back a tiny bit. Other than that SL & AM are clearly trying to pick up the slack on the lack of recruiting that left our cupboard bare at all skill positions.
Give it 2-3 recruiting classes and we will be extremely strong and could challenge for the title. I'm saying 15' could be a special year for VT
A good QB. Better recruiting.
Realistically, I think we won't see one anytime soon (like 3-4 years) but I think we are finally taking the necessary steps to achieve every Hokie's dream, filling that damn empty championship box.
First and foremost, we must keep most top (10-15) talent in VA. Virginia is a great pipeline for talent and its a shame that year in and year out, so many top prospects jump ship to the likes of Penn State, Alabama, LOLUVA, etc. Building the new football facility is a great start in keeping top VA talent to VT. Maybe even increase the number of out of state talent too.
I could keep going on, but the more I think about it, it really just comes down to better and more consistent recruiting, plain and simple. Easier said than done, but that's what needs to happen. Go Hokies.
They took down the case (finally).
What can I say. it's my 300th turkey leg.
Here is your turkey leg. But kindly remember there are women on this site as well...
For fairness sake.
Shouldn't you have posted a gif that would appeal to women?
I don't even know who that is lol
Thanks! I wasn't just calling you out btw. The half naked women pics in general.
Im out of touch, who is this?
Rivals
ESPN
Hudl
i'm pretty sure he's this guy's son
New AD check
New President Check
Upgrade recruiting staff check
Win NC!!
I'd venture to say that 2015 VT has a good chance of being a team that could make the playoffs.
The schedule sets up great having Ohio State at home to start the season, OSU starts a QB different than Braxton Miller for the first time in 4 years. Win OSU and VT should be ranked at least in low teens. The schedule shapes out alright with no Clemson or FSU until possibly the ACCCG.
The 2015 team should be the best VT team of the last few years. VT will have a solid DBU crew with Fuller and Facyson as stars along with some talented combo of Fyre, Chuck Clark, CJ Reavis, or Holland Fisher at safety. Hopefully RVD proves his health this year at whip and at the LB spot theres Clarke returning and Motuapuaka has ton of potential. At DL everyone in the 2 deep returns besides Maddy. The offensive line could be one of the best at VT with JMac, Teller, and Conte as returning starters; I'd personally like to see Teller move to RT with Alston Smith at LG and youngsters competing at center. All offensive skill players return besides Byrn and Malleck; they will be missed but the younger talent at their positions are already looking really good.
Great points. Barring any injuries, 2015 could be the year VT go all the way.
Malleck slated to be a RS Senior in 2015 after taking his shirt this past season. I think he will be a stud these next two years! He is a matchup nightmare that I think will explode onto the scene in the ACC this year.
Great point, surprised I missed that! So then VT only loses one offensive skill player in 2015 in Willie Byrn and it's at a spot that there is a lot of young talent at.
This year's recruiting class hasn't been the best so far but at least there aren't many holes in the depth chart next year that immediately need freshman. Places that need depth from 2015 class is at DE and possibly at OT but rarely do freshman play on OL.
my 2015 Two Deep possibility not taking into account class of 2015 recruits:
SE: Josh Stanford, Carlis Parker, Cameron Phillips
TE: Ryan Malleck/Kalvin Cline/Bucky Hodges
LT: Jon McLaughlin, Parker Osterloh
LG: Alston Smith, Billy Ray Mitchell
C: Kyle Chung/Eric Gallo
RG: Augie Conte, Braxton Pfaff
RT: Wyatt Teller, Tyrell Smith
TB: Trey Edmunds, Marshawn Williams, JC Coleman
FB: Sam Rogers, Jerome Wright
QB: Brewer, Motley/Durkin
FL: Demetri Knowles, Deon Newsome, Isaiah Ford
DE: Dadi Nicolas, Dwayne Alford / Melvin Klein
DT: Corey Marshall, Vinny Mihota, Steve Sobczak
DT: Nigel Williams/Woody Baron/ Ricky Walker
DE: Ken Ekanem, Seth Dooley
LB: Andrew Motuapuaka, Raymon Minor / Jamieon Moss
LB: Deon Clarke, Dahman McKinnon
OLB: RVD, Josh Trimble
Rover: Desmond Frye / Holland Fisher
CB: Brandon Facyson, Donovan Riley
FS: Chuck Clark, CJ Reavis
CB: Kendall Fuller, Greg Stroman / Terrell Edmunds
I would take Shai McKenzie over JC coleman
I thought Coleman is a senior this year since he never redshirted?
2012 was his first season with the program.
When will JC Coleman put a whole season together ? Time is running out.
Coleman is built for use as an occasional back, not full time. A full season of less than 10 touches a game would be reasonable. Expecting much more is hoping for what is highly unlikely.
I always thought the blueprint for a Hokie team to win the national championship would look a lot like what the Ohio State NC team did in 2002.
*Kind of come out of nowhere after an uninspiring season the year before
*Win with a steady running game, great D, and game managing/non-turnover prone veteran QB
*Win a lot of games that are close late. (Ohio St won 7 games that season by a TD or less)
*Have a freshman play at an elite level throughout the course of the season. (Clarett)
*No significant injuries.
This also resembles the 99 VT team, except I think most would agree Vick was way more than a "game manager".
Until there is a change in coaching or at least a change in operations, Culture, there is very limited chance
The first few things that are going to have to change
SOS
One tough game a year won't impress anyone for a playoff spot
Recruiting
Not all whiskey is bourbon, but all bourbon is whiskey
The past 4 national champions have had a top 5 ranked recruiting class the year before they won a national championship. And a top 10 recruiting class the year before for the opposing team to play in the NCG except for auburn's 2013 team
Coastal Division Improvement
Follow up to the SOS. Until the Coastal resembles the SEC West VT will need to scrap all Non Power 5 conference games and schedule more games against top 10 potential teams. But with UNC and the U coming along better this is helping
2020 or 2022 will be a good year if nothing changes
Games against Michigan and West Virginia and Penn State
Winning the national championship requires a very good team, but also a lot of luck. The luck required is reduced due to the playoff, but you still need a practically undefeated season and no major injuries. We've been close a few times recently (2005, 2007 in particular), but just haven't sealed the deal.
It's going to take a smothering defense (which I think is quite attainable), and either a once-in-a-generation qb (Vick/Newton type guy who can just take over a game and make up for other shortcomings), or great talent across the board and a solid qb (more in the Bama model). I think the odds of the first option are better, just because it's easier to get one fluke recruit than consistently build depth.
How to bring a national championship to Blacksburg in football? Start beating top ranked teams. Our 1-27 (or whatever it is now) record shows where we need work. Since we have the ACC for conference games, we need to schedule more than one strong OOC opponent, and we need to beat them. We need to win BCS-equivalent bowl games. We need to secure a much better % of the top talent instate recruiting. One way to do that is to evolve and adopt a better offensive strategy. Yes, Alabama wins with a ground game, but theirs is more sophisticated and they have way more talent running it. We will get better skill players for offense when we utilize a contemporary offensive strategy. We don't do that now, even under Loeffler. The change needs to come from Frank. I'm sure I'll get castigated for this, but the truth is that we are far from competing for a national title. I don't see it happening in 2015, we have far too many changes to implement in one year to make it happen. We don't have the talent on the roster, nor the talent coming in this year to make it happen in 2015. For VT to win the title, we have a very long way to go. All that 'tough love' being stated, we are not far from having very good seasons again. Beating OhState and going to a good bowl, then beating a top ranked opponent would make this or next year a successful season by any measure.
So you're saying you think we can beat Ohio state and a top ranked team in a bowl this year and next, but it would be impossible to win the easier games in the middle and make it to the playoff?
Re-read my post. I said that beating OhState, then making a good bowl and beating a good opponent would make a successful season in either 2014 or 2015. I didn't say I thought that we'd do that, just that it would make the season a success. I'm not optimistic about beating OhState until we show a lot more than I've seen the past few seasons. That is just step one. Once we do that, then I'll see where my confidence level resides. EDIT - Also, 'we have a very long way to go' doesn't translate into impossible to beat ACC division opponents. Why the need for knee jerk extremism?
We have to be better on the line of scrimmage. We need a top QB. With those 2 things, our weak ACC schedule would give us a shot. Of course, the new format (having to win 2 games) hurts our chances.
[sarcastica on]Start paying players, recruits, and recruits parents/coaches, etc. Like they do in the SEC and the other perennial top teams.[sarcastica off]
But seriously, why do we need to win? VT's greatness is so mighty, it transcends winning and losing! ;-)
An offense and special teams that play to the level of the defense
meet Virginia Tech, Ya'll behave or else I'll have to split you two up.
there it is, how peerttyyyy
Wait for Nick Saben to retire? Hope that people give less credit to historical status' (i.e. hanging-on-Notre-Dames-nuts-syndrome)? Stop losing games to conference opponents that we should beat? Stop losing top tier OOC games THEN going on a long run on wins?
...go undefeated...win the ACCCG...win the 2 playoff games...
Knowns:
- Better recruiting in the defensive front seven
- Overall increase in recruiting, bringing in Top 15 or better classes
Unknowns:
- Whether the new offensive coaches will work out
- Whether the new offensive scheme will bear fruit
It's not going to happen. Recalibrate your expectations
Hard work and a little luck.
or another answer would be an offense with a purpose. I have watched a lot of the games from last year over and over and we really had no purpose/vision in many of them. I would say the Miami game was a pound the ball and then PA and we used it all game and it worked very well.
Yeah its tough with a new coaching staff but I really think this year we will see a huge stride in understanding SL's vision. August can't come soon enough, I am hurting inside to see what we will look like. I must see Brewer, Williams, and all the hokies on the field again now.
Such sad, many tears, need football