Take this all with a grain of salt. (brothers friends mothers cousins kind of intel) Friend of mine who has connections to the Beamer's extended family in Hilton Head. Strong speculation that Chad Morris will be next head coach, Bud Foster stays on as DC. Again this could be total BS, but figured I'd stoke the flames a little.
<<< update >>>>
Just as skeptical of everyone on here, but got some more details from source.
"The announcement will come after the UVA game. If we make a bowl, Coach Beamer coaches it with Morris in attendance and reporting for duty after the Bowl"
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read this on another site. i feel like the major rumors will be coming in constantly for the next month
Not buying the #sauce. I work with a ton of Clemson folks and they were hoping he would depart. I guess he wasn't as great as the hype. I hope we don't get him.
Lots of clemson folks wanted Dabo to depart. Sure you got the names correct? What is their rationale for him departing? They aren't worried about their offense now that he is gone?
I actually just spoke with another Clemson fan and he said that YES there were many Clemson fans that were excited to see Morris go to SMU.
Why...?
This is Clemson Fan we're talking about...
Clemson fans who want to get rid of Chad Morris.....VT fans who really really want Rich Rod...there are crazy fans in every fan base
From what I've read, there's definitely a contingent of Clemson fans who feel Chad Morris was a detriment to the offense. Their attitude is, the only reason his offense performed well was the talent level, and when the Taj Boyd group went away the offense suffered. And they say, now that he's gone, just look at how well things are churning.
6 years ago he was a high school coach. He had some great talent while at Clemson. I'm not saying he won't make a great HC, but he won't be here at Tech.
Chad Morris is following a very similar career path to Gus Malzahn, albeit with less success so far. I agree he could wind up being a great coach but I'm not as hot on Morris as a candidate as a lot of other fans seem to be.
Seeing as "Clemsoning" is a recognized verb nowadays, I'd imagine it's just a fan base trying to justify why they seemingly lose a game or two they shouldn't every year
Fans of every team hate their OC because fans always know what play to call.
True.
If a play works, the player made a great play. If it fails, it was the wrong play.
Actually, a play usually fails due to poor execution, it's the never the wrong play. Unless it's a punt that doesn't work because the punter who's actually a WR decides to call an audible and run a fake.
Sometimes, it's the wrong play. Part of the calculation is the ability to execute.
So what do you call the fake punt near the end of the Duke game in 2014?
poor execution...obviously\
this...sorry all, forgot to put the sarcastica font on
Yeah, but he caught that ball
So it's not ALL execution. Sometimes it's the ref's ability to recognize execution.
Sometimes it's the right play with perfect execution, but the refs just fail to see that Danny caught the ball...
Edit: It seems I may have been beaten to this one
It bears repeating for eternity.
you could almost say that it bears repeating so long as Danny Coale is still open
I think their criticism stems from having Tajh Boyd, Andre Ellington, Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, Martavis Bryant and Dwayne Allen on the same team in 2011 and only managing to score 17 vs GT, 13 vs NC State, 13 vs So. Carolina. He did have some offensive struggles vs South Carolina and I don't think they liked that. They also really struggled offensively in 2014 when their D was all time, but I think that was more because Cole Stoudt is one of the worst QBs I have seen.
They did have some serious talent there. Geez Stiney would have lit up the scoreboard with that crew. But who knows, their line might have sucked. A lot of other things go into it
Their fanbase got very delusional very quickly. Morris is more responsible for their success than Dabo. Their fans were upset with the offense last season and blamed Chad Morris because they are stupid.
Source: I went to Clemson, 2011-15, the same four seasons Chad Morris was there.
Just because Morris is the one calling/designing plays doesn't mean that he is more responsible than Dabo. Would Morris's offense been nearly as effective without the recruits that Dabo got?
Also, Clemson has faired decently without Morris this season.
With his recruits... and they have assistants from the staff with Morris who are essentially still running his offense, even some of the same gimmick plays Morris used.
There's still time to Clemson it.
I love this GIF more and more every time I see it.
Dabo jus seems so full of sh*t. I cant believe he has made it this far. Maybe he is a lot different in person or something.
He's the Donald Trump of college football
The Dabo bashing here has to stop. I'm not particularly fond of him, but we'd all love him if he were our coach and bringing in 10+ win season and BCS bowl wins. He kinda reminds me of a coked up Tony Dungy. Dude doesn't swear at all, might have a little too much energy and might talk about the whole church thing a little too much, but so do Mark Richt, Hugo Freeze and plenty of other coaches in the south. People talk about him like he's Bobby Petrino or something.
He catches flack for not being an X's and O's guy, but by delegating that work, he's able to focus on real head coaching things. His Clemson teams rarely make in game clock management errors, substitution errors, etc, I think in large part because he can focus purely on making head coaching decisions. This takes pressure off his assistant - their job is simplified, all they have to worry about is their job.
I agree. Dabo annoys me with his super preachy interviews and it bugs me that he coaches a team I dislike a lot but he's making a great case for himself to be one of the great coaches of CFB. He seems to be doing things the right way and his teams are focused and disciplined. I'd love to have that in Blacksburg. He's a good guy and a good coach and we really have no reason to bash him other than jealousy.
I'd take him (and his assistants) as our coach any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Dood can recruit and seems to have finally put it all together.
Clemson is the only shot the ACC has for a playoff team this year. I hope they keep winning this season.
I definitely respect the job he has done and I do think he is doing it the right way. I guess Im thinking of when he first got hired I just thought there was no way he would succeed. He's doing a good job as a head coach no question about it.
Living 45 minutes from clemson, nothing would make me happier than seeing clemson pull a 'clemson' again. They're overdue.
Also, I think their fans were upset that Morris left, and they just tried to convince themselves it was for the best. At least, that is the impression I got from my coworkers.
That's exactly what it is. They like to think they are on the same level as Bama and revolving coordinators isn't a big deal to them. It'll all come crashing down eventually, just wait.
I live in ATL, a good chunk of my friends are Clemson grads, and Clemson has now become my (distant) second favorite team. They're a fun team to watch on both side of the ball, and (most importantly) I've always had fun tailgating with their fans. I'm super jealous of them right now. Would love to see that kind of football in Blacksburg.
Sammy, Nuk (local product from Daniel hs a few mins down the road, they send everyone good they have to clemson other than Jerrod Williams who went to us before transferring back to clemson) and Martavis Bryant (who was also local and went to high school with me) were big time recruits dabo got along with Tahj Boyd, but most of the offensive talent they have now was attracted by Chad Morris offense and he was the reason they got Deshaun, and others.
dabo took over as interim in 2008 and his record was 4-3, then 9-5, then 6-7. chad morris came in 2011 and they went 10-4, 11-2, 11-2, 10-3
W/L record
And now they're #1 and undefeated without Morris. Morris was definitely huge to their success, but Dabo has that program running like a finely tuned automobile. Dabo manages that program so efficiently that Morris and Venables can focus on what they do. Morris may have more football acumen than Dabo, but by no means does that mean he's more valuable or important tot he team than Morris.
It takes a village...
Rarely is success just one thing.
I've lived in the upstate my whole life and I went to Clemson, I've watched all of this unfold like a nightmare. However, I promise it's going to fall apart. Dabo is a charismatic hype man who can rally his players. He benefitted from an Athletic Department that decided to shelve out huge dollars for Morris and Venables and is riding their success. He isn't good enough to carry it on his own, he's a really good guy, but the coaching success is kind of because he fell on a gold mine timing-wise.
But the good thing about Dabo is that he hires people who are smarter than him in certain aspects. He's the manager of the team and directs certain things in certain scenarios "lets run the clock out" "lets try to get another TD before half" "lets go for 2" etc. Those usually aren't too hard of calls to make in any situation. However his OC is smarter than him in running the offense and knows what to do to get to the endzone before half. His OC knows what play to call for the best chance at 2, etc. This is true for any competent person in any facet of life. The smart business owner hires the best CPA because he knows that he's going to save him more than he is going to cost, whereas the not smart guy says "i'll do my own taxes to save a few bucks".
I went there 2011-12. Where you undergrad? Where'd you live freshman year? I was Johnstone. I agree with how much of an impact Morris had on that team. Plus most of the guys who are on that offense now are there because Morris brought them in.
I was a freshman that year and I lived in Byrnes. Yeah, I think being at Clemson gives you a better view of how that program actually returned to relevance.
Digging the new PBR labels, they must have some of Frank's honesty rubbing off on them.
Oh my gosh!! This has to be true because last night Buddy the elf's cousin Ralph the Wrecker told a distant cousin on mine who is also a prince in Africa that is sending me my share of the family fortune that The love child of Saban and Pat Summit going to be the future head coach and already has the number one recruiting class locked up for the next 10 years. Plus all he wants is expired Hardee Coupons as his salary
i giggled...over the top? yeah, sure. I still giggled though. I wouldn't have given a leg in most circumstances, but I don't like seeing those minus signs...so here ya go
Damn did even notice I got a down vote! First time for me! People take this coaching stuff serious around here. Tuff crowd! Haha love it though
The Onion should hire you
damn no need to be dicks, we're going to be hearing a lot of this until a new coach is named
Yea I kinda got carried away but I was going for the humor angle. In all seriousness if that's pulled off then Whit needs a number retired now in all sports
its all good
If Whit pulls this off, he needs to stick around and reap the rewards.
Maybe Beamer could knight him or something.
My best friends sisters boyfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid that saw Ferris pass out at 31 flavor last night...
I guess it's pretty serious.
Save Ferris!
Who is OC, Pep? Lefty as QB coach?
OC doesn't matter. It'd be Morris' offense all the way.
Lefty aint taking a demotion.
The man has more pride than Bryan Stinespring, at least.
I know it can't be true, but oh please let it be true.....
Wait who is Chad Moris and why is he a good selection, quick google search says SMU coach with a 1-7 record. Tell me I searched the wrong guy...
Texas guy. Brewer's high school coach. Clemson OC that torched us. Took HC gig at terrible school.
he was also the OC in high school under a certain Art Briles, so you see where the coaching pedigree comes from. Cupboard was bare for him at SMU, I'd be surprised (but elated) if we hired him. I know a guy who played high school football under both and he thinks Morris is an a-hole (he played QB) but frankly, I don't care...sometimes you need a guy like that, a win at all costs mentality.
You searched the right guy but evaluated him in the wrong way! Check their offensive progress with the same players and you'll be much more satisfied with this candidate.
Yeah, I think he''d be an okay option, we could definitely do worse, but I seriously don't get the people drooling over him. He built a great offense at Clemson for a few years but that is the only notable coaching on his resume outside of high school.
He could very well be a good fit for us but he is certainly not somebody I would get really excited over the day his hiring was announced.
Something everyone else isn't discussing is that he has very good character. I think that is huge. If this comes to fruition it says a lot about Whit. Both Buzz Williams and Chad Morris are good coaches and stand-up guys.
Right guy..look at SMU's offensive production last year and look at it this year. Took over an awful team.
Morris with Bud: 8 out of 10
Morris without Bud: 7 out of 10
Morris with Bud and Loeffler: 4 out of 10
Morris is a solid choice, I would rank Richt, Herman and Fuente above him. I would put Morris equal to Rhule.
Morris with Bud: Buy
Morris without Bud: Sell
Morris with Bud and Lefty: Huh?
Fuente, Herman, Richt are all solid choices in my book. Morris is on the second level with RichRod to me, Rhule too.
No way Lefty would be retained. Completely different offensive philosophy from Morris.
Really? I'm a rube, but isn't this, in theory, what Loeffler is attempting to run?
Not that I want Loeffler anywhere near Blacksburg. Except as uva's OC maybe.
I still consider him an improvement. Not saying he's great, but he was a big step in the right direction. I don't understand the vehemence of people's dislike of loeffler, at least compared to the offensive system, or lack thereof, he replaced.
If UVA hired Loeffler as their OC next year, how would you feel?
Loeffler was an improvement no doubt. I think, too often, his play calling is holding back his impressive knowledge of QB coaching and offense in general. There may have been other factors at play. Bottom line the guy has worked his butt off to improve this offense and get players in here. This has been shown. Obviously not to the degree we wanted so far. But at the end of the day when he is gone I'm glad to see someone pick him up. He works hard and does his best to contribute.
Agreed, I think his ceiling is best suited for an NFL QB coach type gig. When play calling he can get wrapped up in his own head too much.
"Meh." Would be about right. I'm not saying he's the offensive equal of Bud Foster. But he's also not horrendous. He brought a system that actually applies logic to play calling and tries to take advantage of matchups. I think it's easy to see that the previous "system" did not do those basic things.
Is his play calling questionable at times? Yes. Is his system overly complicated? Possibly. But I'm happy its not just run left tackle, run right tackle, tyrod/Logan scrabble looking for a random open man.
Can we improve? Absolutely, but I don't think it is justified to blame loeffler without recognizing the constraints he is operating under and the progress that has been made. If he moves on I won't be heart broken, but I also think he's done ok, just not great.
Loeffler is an improvement only in the sense that the offense is mildly more interesting to watch. ALL of his offenses (by year) have been worse by any statistical measure* than any of Stinespring's or O'cainspring's. That's why people don't like him.
*red zone efficiency probably is the exception.
Do you have the numbers on that?
Edit: Just looked it up myself and your right, stats are lower in the past few years. Plenty of reasons why its not just loeffler, but the numbers are there. Doesn't change my opinion based on the football I see on the field.
Yanno, I honestly don't know what Loeffler is attempting to do. But I don't think I'd use the word 'spread'
I don't care what ppl say - I like Lefty; as a QB developer, as an OC, and as a person.
He's done leaps and bounds for us in just TWO years! It's not his fault the D is stinking it up this year! O is by far and large, NOT the issue this year, which is a huge change for us.
3 years to really but agreed
yep thanks!
Loeffler as a person is why I don't like him. I could get past mediocre performance. I hate how Loeffler always has an excuse. I hate how he always backhandedly blames players for his ineffective offense. Be a man and take the fucking blame, just once. His offenses gave us VT0-0WF and the worst performance of Beamer s nearly 30 year career this year at Pitt. Just own it. Don't try to give us 'execution' as an excuse every single fucking time. (Or my TE got hurt, or I only had 1 year to work with the QB or whatever his excuse is this week).
I don't know why people keep saying things like "he has done leaps and bounds for us". Offensive recruiting is marginally better, but he hasn't yet to produce an offense (in 3years) that is as good as his predecessor who got fired for inept performance.
We are going to have a competent offense next year and everyone on this site is giving to realize what a disjointed cluster Loeffler gave us for three years. Offensive competency is literally easier than ever before. You can't swing a dead cat and not hit a solid OC these days.
And like I said above, how would you feel if Loeffler was hired at UVA? I would be ecstatic. Maybe Loeffler will land a OC job next year, but he very likely may need to take a QB coach job.
He's not very good and his problems have more directly led to the dissatisfying end to Beamers career than anyone else's.
If this info is leaked for feeler purposes I would give it two thumbs up. Chad Morris with Bud Foster staying as DC would be a very solid change to me. Given that he does have some previous history with VT staff he may be the only candidate that Bud would stick around for. Chad Morris alone is in my top 5 candidates I like. If I were give the choice of any of the others (Fuente, Herman, Richt ect) and no Bud Foster staying versus Chad Morris with Bud Foster staying. Chad Morris would probably be my choice.
CFB has announced his retirement.. is there any reason to be leaking feelers? Whit could call anyone he wanted to talk to without ruffling any feathers couldn't he?
I think he means feelers to the fan base.
That said, #JustSayNoToRichRod
Correct and Correct
Whit already clearly stated he would NOT be doing feelers out there, and until proven otherwise, i'm going to take his word for it.
If it has been leaked, it wasn't done intentionally.
Richt can't win at UGA, what makes you think he's going to win here?
Uggghhh.....I don't feel like doing the Richt thing again.
I know he hasn't won an NC but 141-51 ain't a losing record
He is doing what we have anyway done, just in another conference. I'm looking for a guy that takes it to the next level.
As many have said, we weren't satisfied with 10+ win seasons. Richt to me would be repeating that. And no guarantee that he would do that well outside of the SEC.
^This.
The guy did the same as CFB but with greater resources at an SEC school located in a hotbed of football talent. If he couldn't win the SEC, or at least challenge for the SEC, on an annual basis, then what would be his performance at VT? Virginia is not at the same level as Georgia, in terms of producing 4-5 star football talent. This has me concerned if he we're to be our next HC.
He's 141 - 51 (.734) at Georgia, which is pretty damn good, particularly in the SEC. The knock against him is that he can't "win the big games." It would be interesting to see what he could do in the Coastal division. Not saying I want him, but not saying I wouldn't either.
He was damn close to beating Bama in the SEC Champ Game a couple of seasons ago. Weren't they stopped at the goal line? I know it is a big IF, but they probably would have beaten ND in the champ game since Bama absolutely crushed them.
I think Richt would be a solid hire. He has done well in the SEC. Maybe he hasn't won the big one there, but it is the most difficult conference to win. Perhaps a change of scenery, playing in a weaker conference, and the weakest division in that conference would work out?
I'm not saying that Richt should be the guy, but I think he should be in the top 5 list of candidates. Fuente, Herman, Morris, Richt
That's not a big if. That ND was honestly probably about the fifteenth or twentieth best team in the country. They happened to have some of their opponents blow it along the way to preserve the undefeated record. Georgia was very very good that year.
Can we get a good recruiter as a head coach, and if Morris is that guy, is it enough to close the deal with recruits that Bud & staff just couldn't reach?
It's worth a try, right?
I seriously doubt Beamer has a clue what is happening, let alone a friend with connections to Beamer's extend family in SC that Beamer probably hasn't spoken to in months.
File under: Rumor and Speculation
It literally is filed under Rumor Mill
File everything under rumor and speculation until you see a tweet from an insider from the big networks or someone on the beat. Teel would be the likely one.
There is so much speculation over this coaching search we are speculating on who will break the news. LOL. Agreed.... He would be a good one to break it though.
This is what happens when you don't get thrown into the coaching carousel for thirty years. We have no idea how to act. Someone ask Pitt how to handle this shit.
I've been leaning on the PSU faithful up here. They are a few years ahead of us in this type of scenario.
I bet Beaner is completely clued in but the rest stands.
Hey, Morris could get Brewer to stick around as GA, and start his coaching career here.
Yeah...about that $6 million buy-out though...
supposedly closer it is actually ~$3mm (per TSL, hope I don't get down voted for that #rumor /s), although that is still pretty high.
Here's something else to think about. Why did Bud Foster stay at tech? Texas AM had him close last year. Sure we bumped his salary, but what else was offered to him to get him to stay? I'm sure he was looking for some assurances aside from money. It was clear Beamer was getting close...turn down an offer from Texas AM for more money but in an uncertain job - I don't buy it. My guess is that he was told he wouldn't be a head coach here, but we'll committ to keeping you in a coaching turnover. Which probably wouldn't be too difficult with an offensive minded head coach. If I'm whit this is one way to hedge my bets. On the back of a typical Bud foster defense we're a competitive team, even if ofensive head coach takes time to implement scheme. A full regime change opens the risk to the team falling apart while rebuild happens. From Bud's vantage he's left with leaving the school he loves to be a D-coordinator for a potentially more prestigous program, which means starting over and all the stress that comes with that. OR waiting for an offensive minded HC like Morris (insert plethora of names) to land at tech to see what they could do together. If I'm Bud I feel a little burned but also pretty excited about the future at VT. Doesn't change the fact that this is a rumor but I'm guessing we keep Bud and bring in an offensive minded coach based on this.
I was having those same thoughts the other day. It would be irresponsible to make Foster a coach in waiting, and if anybody knew Beamer was getting close to retirement (certainly before 2019) it would've been Foster and the rest of the staff. To sign him to such a long extension suggests Foster was at least open to running the D under a different head coach.
This one. I like this one the best.
posted this as well on another thread.
I'd bet loyalty to Frank. It was well known Frank was going to retire soon, so he probably wanted to finish the journey he started with his mentor.
This is an interesting way to look at this.
You also just gave me visions of a Morris-led Hokie team winning a NC in 5 years and having Bud say "This one's for Frank. The next one's for Chad."
Coaching searches are fun.
Totally off topic here, but nice avatar. I commissioned and own the original piece of art that it's from. Very cool/weird to see it pop up randomly on the internet, especially since I see it every day in my living room!
I had no idea SMU was 1-7 until someone posted above. The one game of theirs that I watched at the beginning of the season against Baylor in the first half their QB was giving me flashbacks of Tyrod. How that team is 1-7 idk.
Their offense has improved a ton but that defense is really bad. They can't win games because they can't stop anyone.
and Morris cannot change that in one season. I think anyone looking at his record at SMU (a disaster of a program), in his first season, is extremely short sighted. It isn't like he is at Ohio State and coaching top talent.
He's just as likely a candidate as any, and personally he's very high on my meaningless list. However, I will continue to caution all to take any and all information with an unhealthy amount of salt. In Whit's words, "all 'leaks' have a motive behind them." He doesn't leak anything and he will play it all very tightly to the vest. He's warned fans repeatedly not to read too much into anything being said or written, or who he visits with or even who visits Blacksburg.
Throwing all that out the window, I'd be all kinds of on board if Chad Morris wanted to head on up here.
Posted above but for those who are tracking comments...more intel.
"The announcement will come after the UVA game. If we make a bowl, Coach Beamer coaches it with Morris in attendance and reporting for duty after the Bowl Game."
You. You were a swimmer, no? Do I know you and how have you heard this? YOU MUST TELL ME.
Honestly I'd be stoked at the hiring of Morris...less so if Bud leaves. I really don't see why he would leave though, unless he just felt totally slighted that he didn't get the job.
My top five choices in no particular order after more thinking and hashing out (still subject to change for
the millionth time...)1. Richt
2. Morris
3. Fuente
4. Herman
5. Bud
No RichRod, no Fleck please.
This should be Whit's coaching list in no order - except without Richt, or Richt as a clear 5th.
Richt would be my fifth, and bump every one else up one spot....maybe switch Herman with Fuente.
Blegh, overlooked that. I agree, and edited as such.
Close to my 5, but I think I have Rhule in there ahead of Bud. I need someone with HC experience. And as said below, I move Richt down
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but given the incredible gesture CFB made this past Sunday, yet again, by putting VT first before any other concern; I'm troubled by the prospect of a newly minted HC leaving the school that gave him his first chance at being a HC to come to VT as the new VT HC....
This nagging feeling is applied to both Herman and Morris. Why would they stay loyal to us (VT), if they aren't going to be loyal to them ( Houton, SMU)?
Don't get me wrong, they are both high on my list, along with Fuentes, but with Fuentes, he's been at Memphis for three years, so I know he will stick around for a little while.
They took those jobs as stepping stones to jobs like Virginia Tech. When they were hired they knew it and the schools knew it. They want to coach at a school like VT, but they needed HC experience first. Why would they stay loyal. We're on the second tier of jobs, the only jobs that are absolutely above us are the traditional elite: Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC, Alabama, Texas. That's it. You can argue for a tier between us and that top tier, but I'd say any move that's not to one of those 6 schools is basically a lateral move. VT is a big time job. Houston and SMU are not. They are jobs that are a stop on the way to the big time.
I think we need to temper our general expectations for the future - NO ONE is loyal to anyone, just take a look at the head coach tenure data. Frank is the last specimen of the old school coach, the new ones take better opportunities if successful or get fired fast if not.
Only 5 others have 15 or more years at their current school.
In today's game, you don't necessarily need a coach to spend the remainder of his career at your school - you want a coach who will leave the school in a better spot than when he started. That's the goal of this hire.
It's not like CFB came directly to VT HC. He worked his way up, starting at a small school to get HC experience. Luckily, VT decided to give him a chance.
But here's the deal - any GREAT coach we may get may be subject to poaching. It's just how the industry works. No one coach is going to stick around for 29 years a la Beamer. Unless you're Texas, Bama, OSU, or some other big name school (of which this is the anomaly, not the norm) then you can't afford the price war of constantly escalating coaches of whom are going to be incredibly talented and hard to keep.
No matter who the next coach, unless it's someone from the current staff, they are going to be approached by another school at some point. No point in worrying about the inevitable.
on a serious side my top pick is Fuente. Has a couple of years as a HC and has improved each year and at Memphis of all places. Morris isn't a bad pick and would be nice to have but I like Fuente first if we can get him. Plus I doubt they are settled this early on the coach. I mean Beamer just announced it on Sunday.
No I'd be willing to bet that Whit and Frank talked over the retirement plan before this season started, and they decided to make it a play-it-by-ear type of deal. Or they just straight up said this is it regardless. IMO, Whit either has his choice picked out and notified, or he has it down to a very narrow list. Whit's been thinking about this for quite some time and most assuredly has a very good idea who the next guy is at VT.
I'm sure he has been thinking about it as Frank obviously has. However, I bet if we were a one loss team right now Beamer would not be retiring. Next year perhaps, but after a fourth year in mediocrity he decided to pull the trigger.
That being said, I'm sure Whit has people he knows he wants to talk to from the begining. However, who knew Fuente would be doing so well at Memphis. They say they want someone with HC experience and Morris has all of less than a season of that.
So I'm not doubting that they had talked about it before the season and that Whit didn't have a preliminary list (honestly he would be stupid not to have) but I doubt that he's interviewed and picked the guy already.
Mark my words: Rich Rod will be the next HC. Bud will stay and have complete control of his D and retain his coaches. Shane will be retained and Rich Rod will bring in a new OC, RB, QB coaches. It is all but done.
marked. don't be upset if you're ridiculed for being completely wrong.
Sounds good. Just keep watching.
Why do we have to wait to ridicule this?
Go ahead and jump on the bandwagon . It will be interesting to see how it turns out though. As mentioned before, I'm not wishing for RR...I just think it will happen.
So Shane is being retained, but we'll have a new RB coach?
Or, in essence, the net sum of this claim is "Loeffler is fired."
Not enough room on the coaching staff for this to be true.
Lefty is for sure gone. But as mentioned before...Rich Rod is the guy. And Bud will have complete autonomy of the D.
Shane will most likely stay on and coach special teams.
There aren't enough slots for a full time ST coach.
1. HC
2. LB
3. DB
4. DL
5. Whip/End
6. QB
7. OL
8. RB
9. WR
10. TE
Get rid of either the TE coach and put in a ST coordinator. Depending on the offense, the OL coach or WR coach (or both) will be responsible for TE's. Might also be an opportunity for a GA to help out.
We need a dedicated ST coach. I think this was one of Frank's greatest mistakes over the past 5 seasons. He proved that ST was the third phase of the game, just as important as offense or defense. He should have allocated his time elsewhere.
Who else gets fired in your scenario? If Bud retains his D, there aren't enough spots left unless someone is literally a RB/QB/OC coach.
I don't know for sure how it will shake out position coach wise. Maybe the next OC will also take on QBs like Lefty. But as mentioned before...unless something catastrophic this is the scenario.
This will utterly piss me off.....not because of RichRod ties to WVU, but because he is only an above average coach. This vacancy is an opportunity to build on top of Frank's accomplishments, not just win the division again. I would be utterly surprised to see a long term improvement in recruiting success compared to what we've done the last 10 years or so.
What we need is better recruits in every phase of the game. If the new coach doesn't bring that with him....FAIL. Not epic fail, but fail.
As much as I'm not crazy about RR...it actually makes sense. He wants to be back on the East Coast. Ties with Whit. Had good success at WVU. Offensive minded. Is young enough to lead our team for 10+ years until Shane is ready for take over. Has Lakehouse in GA near Beamer. Has HC experience and is probably open to keeping Bud.
The reasons you list above make sense for why we might hire him. But they don't scream that he's the guy to restore and build on what has been accomplished already.
I agree and I will say again that I'm not crazy about RR. I'm just giving some insight from someone that has been and is close to the VT athletics situation. Anyway, that's all I have since this will be taken with a grain of salt.
Whit's goal is to take us to the next level. This includes the eliminating the chronic in house and family hires that plagued our entire athletic department during the Weaver era.
Whit needs to start by hiring one person - a head coach. Then the head coach puts together his staff. Whit is there to crunch the numbers and 'background check' assistant/coordinator candidates. If Whit can't make the numbers or he sees another issue, then he nixes the Head Coach's choice. Whit cannot hire someone with the requirement that they keep Bud if they don't want to. If said coach wants Bud, then by all means keep Bud.
All that being said, you really think Whit is going to bring in a former friend, who has a lesser resume than Beamer just because a) he's friends with this person, and b) because it would keep previous employees happy? This is the exact opposite of what he was brought in to do. Tommy Tuberville might have been a previous connection, but that was a clear upgrade (at the time). RichRod is not an upgrade.
Finally, why do people think Shane is taking over one day, much less staying on the team? He's probably the least valuable of any coach on our roster (except for Cornell, but that's the result of his somewhat-obsolete position). We are going through our first coaching search in nearly 30 years, and you think we're going to plan for our next coaching before this one is even complete? 10 years people though Charlie Weis was a good coach.
I'm just so confused...
Shane is a really good recruiter, and has been successful on a number of different coaching staffs. Maybe RB coach isn't his forte but he is by no means a valueless coach, just look at all the high profile recruits he has pulled in
I'd say he's proven to be an above average recruiter at VT. Maybe he's better at recruiting SC than VA? Regardless, your points are legitimate, but it's a HUGE leap to go from 'not valueless' to head coach at a top 25 program.
Fisher,Caleb, McKenzie Minor, NIjman, Clarke, Reid, Reavis, Pride. Not all of those players have worked out (Fisher, Caleb, Reid, Reavis) but 9 4* in 4 years isn't bad certainly better than a lot of our coaching staff
Va Suzie don't pick up our bootie calls anymore. Not only are we ok with that, but we didn't think we needed to do anything else but find another Suzie. We should have been losing weight, getting in shape, getting some new clothes. Something. Hanging up at halftime at BC was just another indicator that we ain't had a freaking clue that we have a problem.
Offensive ineptitude and no NFL translation have really f-d us over instate.
Once those weights are lifted, I'd like to see what he can do. Oh, yeah, maybe it would look like his time at USC-E.
Agree 100% with this:
Whit can suggest that the new coach consider keeping Bud, but he's wrong to make it a condition of employment. What happens the first time there's a serious disagreement between them? Does the HC have the ability to tell Bud to pound sand? Do they have to meet with the AD to resolve it?
No thank you. I'm a lifelong Cowboys fan living in the middle of Redskins country; I know all about meddling owners and want no part of it at VT. The new coach MUST have full authority to make hiring decisions, or he's not a real head coach -- he's a glorified assistant coach who leads practice, handles the weekly press conference, and decides who gets to call the plays.
disagree. I see no reason why Whit can't retain Foster as DC. He is managing a program in transition and just as with business you don't throw out all your talent , especially the parts you know work, for the risk of something new.
there are maybe a handful of guys that could be brought in that are Foster's contemporaries or slightly better. And they all get paid more than he does. So why would you let go of what you have? that's bad business.
And why would a new HC, unless he himself is a defensive wizard, not keep that talent on staff?
and yes, if there are disagreements then I am sure the AD is brought in to help resolve. I seriously doubt Frank would fire Bud without first having discussed that with either Weaver or Whit. In the end, your HC can make that call but I'm sure there is an expectation of having that conversation.
in my business, i don't manage every new hire as I have department directors that do that, but I am involved in every department director's hiring/firing, as well as every associate under them. why? because I want to make sure my business doesn't get upset internally. And if I fire a dept director , i would not let the new hire fire all associates to bring in only their team without my consent.
So I see no reason why Foster cannot be a condition to employment. he will still need to perform himself anyway.
So here's a question. It's certainly possible that someone wouldn't want Foster as their DC. So, would you rather have the best HC option and no Bud or the 2nd/3rd/4th/etc. option that is not near as promising as the top pick but will keep Bud? Which matters more? The guy at the top or his right hand man? I've said before that Whit is a smart guy and wouldn't hamstring a new coach by forcing him to retain anyone he doesn't want to keep. Didn't Buzz his own staff when he came on board? Sure, nobody on our hoops staff was anywhere near Bud, but still, the point remains the same.
I'd be pretty confident that Morris would retain Bud he doesn't have the entrenched defensive staff like Fuente.
In another comment:
All in all, whoever is the new head coach would do well to keep Bud Foster on as DC. Whoever it is, they'll have a hard time finding a better one. If Bud wants and/or is willing to stay, there is little reason to try to find a new DC
Having said that, any new coach should be given full authority to make and/or remake the staff to his liking.
I agree but I think that should be the new head coach's decision to make. I trust Whit to hire a good HC, and by extension I trust that HC to make wise personnel decisions. And I'd be thrilled if the new HC came in and said "My #1 priority is to convince Bud Foster to stay in Blacksburg and run my defense." However, if the new HC feels that a new DC will deliver even better results or is someone with whom he will work more effectively, then I want him to have the freedom to make that call.
FWIW my ideal result would be Herman+Foster, Fuente+Foster, or Morris+Foster, probably in that order. But I don't want to see that forced on them by Whit. As hot a commodity as each of them is, I worry that making demands like that will result in them taking a job elsewhere and we end up with a second-tier guy solely because he's willing to accept the constraint.
Herman + Foster seems unlikely, but dammit that sounds like a dream team. That has consistent playoff contender written all over it.
Everyone's been saying, "x is a done deal" since before Beamer retired. Just sayin, that's not how Whit operates. No one outside of Whit and a handful of people knows anything at all about what's going on. Unless your source is Whit himself, you're likely not getting reliable information.
Like you said there are a handful of people other than Whit who knows. Anyway, just watch it play out! It will be interesting.
If your source knew about Buzz before he was announced, you're onto something.
I'll ask. I know this person is definitely geared towards football.
There's been a ton of information thrown around by very well-connected people, but Whit has proven that that's not how he works. On top of that, RichRod just isn't a good enough fit for what Whit wants and what we want to make that such an easy decision.
Frank said he didn't want Hokies to be split. He said as much when he announced his retirement. In fact, I remember it being one of the reasons he cited. He wanted his decision to retire to unite Hokies, not split them. If that's true, and Whit really respects Beamer and his wishes to keep Hokie Nation together, I have a hard time believing that he would hire Rich Rod. RR, for better or for worse, is most definitely a polarizing candidate who would undoubtedly split this fan base in two. That completely goes against Frank's effort to unite the fanbase and I just don't buy that Whit is so dense that he would make that move.
Frank was talking about himself personally. There were people that wanted him to go. By him stepping down and not going for a 30th year the fan base can therefore be united.
That is definitely not the impression given by the question and answer as seen on the video. But hey, nobody listened to Washington's points in his farewell address either.
By the way, the backups are Mark Richt and Dan Mullen. Both would end up cleaning house tho. Hence why Rich Rod is number one choice. None of the others have been considered ie Fuente, Herman, Rhule, Morris etc.
Mullen has already told Whit no a couple times. Given the sheer number of people banging down the door to apply for the job, Whit would be pretty dumb not to look around a bit.
how do you know this?
Staff at TSL, didn't seem like it was a big secret or anything, but I've yet to see anything even remotely indicating Mullen has any intention of leaving Mississippi.
I think he's a bit out of our budget anyway at $4 million. We'd have to offer at least $4.5 million to lure him out of Mississippi I would think.
I didn't know his salary was that high. Of all schools, I don't know how Miss State affords it.
SEC money
Richt tried to hire Bud Foster at Georgia. Why would he want to clean house when he could come right into Bud's comfort zone and get the best out of him?
Your posts don't make any sense to me. I genuinely hope you're wrong because if what you're saying is correct I'm going to seriously question Whit's decision making...
Lol, come on, this guy doesn't know anything.
accurate
Just watch. Keep an open mind.
lol
Heard Metallica is playing at Deets tomorrow night.
Cool what time? Lol
I know what you mean about Richt and Foster. There is a chance that Richt would keep him. I'm just letting you all know what I was told.
Also, don't you think that Whit has some other people leaning on him like Beamer and donors? It's not just about Whit. Beamer will have a say especially when it comes to retaining Bud and Shane.
If Beamer has that much of a say, then I'd be pretty surprised if we don't hire his fishing buddy Mark Richt.
Beams hasn't made a good hire since Foster. Wrote a good book, though.
Why anyone thinks Whit will do anything other than listen out of respect is freaking stupid.
Just because RR hurts your v-j doesn't mean much, but lots of WV fans can commiserate. Perhaps instead of calling our series the Iron Bowl, we can rename it the "RR hurt my VJ Bowl". Finally our fanbases will stop fighting one another and can focus on their hurt VJs and the guy who did it to them. If RR is the man for the job, he will get the job.
Our fanbase doesn't get a vote. Lucifer could be our coach and we'll have to deal with it.
In Whit I trust.
Totally disregarding the utter lack of tact, and that you seem to have missed my point, am I supposed to believe that there are actually people out there who refer to female genitalia as "v-j"s?
Does he pay attention to the Moorehead hiring? The TG hiring? I mean just the utter stupidity of his post.
Alas, Saban is not coming to Blacksburg.
or Les Miles.
He was clearly referring to Lane Kiffin.
hahah RR hurt my VJ bowl. that made me laugh, enjoy your 1 turkey leg
This is honestly one thing I can buy from you. Throughout all the years of having poor defenses at Georgia, Richt would kill to coach at a program with a top notch DC.
Heaven forbid... the two guys I would absolutely hate to see come to VT are "rumored" at 1 & 2. (RR & MR) These two couldn't be any more polar opposite of CFB if they tried. I just cannot fathom hiring RR would be a good thing for VT. The guy has questionable behaviors / violations at WVU and M... VT has always been run clean but let's bring someone in like RR? All I can say is, thank heavens for now they're just that... "rumors".
#JustSayNoToRichRod
Richt is the polar opposite of Beamer? The conventional knock on Richt is that he's TOO MUCH like Beamer for most people's taste.
Yeah I don't think Richt is a polar opposite of Frank. In fact, I think they're very similar. I don't want Richt but I wouldn't be upset if he was hired. At least I'd know that we'd win 8 or 9 games every year. I don't think he's our best option but he's a hell of a lot better option than Rich Rod. They're in completely different classes IMO
Richt is a very religious , down-to-earth guy, definitely not the opposite of Beamer.
If RR is a definite and one deal...why would there be backups?
they were backups before the deal was done. Clearly...I don't know how you could miss that /s
Anything can go awry or fall through.
But I definitely sense hostility so I'll just keep my mouth closed and keep watching. People are funny that they don't even think RR is a possibility.
I doubt anyone discounts him as a possibility. I think it's fatigue from many threads, comments, etc. claiming #sources and insight, and the reality is that probably no one knows squat at this point. Honestly. The donors, the inner circle, whatever, have their thoughts and opinions, and as soon as one of them says it (or professes any confidence) it becomes "a done deal" or something similar.
coupled with his complete lack of credibility...
Thanks and appreciate the lack of credibility comment. Didn't say that to the OP about Morris and his sources...Anyway, I'm not welcome to comment which is fine. Have a good day Sir.
everyone here, myself included, lacks credibility. Don't be offended by that comment. If Joe reports it then I'll begin to listen. Until something comes from a credible source, however, I'm not going to buy it. Your tone is confident and bordering on condescending. That's going to rub people the wrong way and result in the vocal sarcastic resistance your comments are receiving. know your audience. be aware of how your comments sound to skeptics and be prepared to catch a lot of crap for posting "insider info" during a time of transition such as this.
Noted. My comment was not meant to come off as condescending...more as I am confident in what I presented and I'm taking a stab at a prediction. If I'm wrong I'm wrong...simple as that.
aren't we all?
Noted and well said. Whatever shakes out it will be interesting. I'm really looking forward to being there on 11/21.
Part of me secretly hopes that he's named head coach.
Not because of what he would do for the program, even though I think he would get us playing to a high level fast, I think there are better options out there, and he strikes me as a 'safe' hire... No, part of me wants to see him hired because there is a very vocal segment of the fanbase that would lose their minds, and a sadistic part of me really wants the schadenfreude to happen.
why? I'm not convinced that he would. He's had 4 noteworthy seasons in 27 years. Most of those came in the watered down Big East when he didn't really play anybody of significance...the best team they played in 2005 was VT. And they lost. WVU was a beneficiary of playing in a bad conference. RR skipped town for Michigan and floundered. He had a good season last year but couldn't build on it at all. Arizona looks less than stellar this year at 5-4 and they haven't exactly played a gauntlet of a schedule.
RR is not a terrible coach. He's also not an excellent coach. He is an okay coach who backed into some success at WVU a decade ago and has been largely ineffective as a coach since. So what is it about him that has you convinced he would have VT playing at a high level in a short period of time?
I'm not going to rehash this same conversation for the 20th time.
good! I'm tired of hearing that the RR haters just don't want him because of his baggage. I'm looking forward to finally hearing some concrete evidence that he's a good enough coach to get VT winning quickly. I'll hang up and listen.
Edit to add: If there are any legs to the rumors that he is going to be hired, I'm going to need that consolation eventually...if RR is going to be the coach somebody will need to make me feel better about him. I'm legitimately worried that he just isn't good enough to get us to Charlotte. I'll hope I'm wrong if he is hired but I need a little more than hope. French is arguably the most football smart person on these boards and he's very much anti-Rich Rod. That certainly doesn't give me warm fuzzies
I'll start....
Arizona-- Passing Yards 247.2 (46th) Rushing Yards 265 (11th) Points for 37 (21st) Points Against 34.2 (102nd)
VT-- Passing Yards 211 (79th) Rushing Yards 161.7 (80th) Points for 30 (59th) Points Against 24.3 (50th)
Just based of the stats above say RR is the Hire and he keeps Bud and defensive staff. VT's Passing and Rushing has a chance to improve by a good margin. I'll take 7 more points a game considering we lost 3 of 5 by an Avg of 4.3 points. So instead of 4-5 we could be sitting real pretty at 7-2 with those +7 points a game. Yes RR defense gives up a ton of points but the best part is he wouldn't be bringing his defense we would have a stacked Bud Foster D.
the 757 recruiting area is a pretty good place to be, so you could expect RR to maybe close on a couple more 5* 4* offensive kids. I laid out recruiting class ranks below and added top recruits per class so we can compare.
I agree that the 3-3-5 stack is a terrible defense and if that were to come with RR that would be an awful hire, but one has to at least feel somewhat intrigued with a RR offense and a Bud Foster defense.
Added defensive stats as well.. Yes Pac 12 isn't really a defense 1st conference so that's tough to compare. I think Duke, BC and NC State will fall somewhere in the 30's by the end of the year. Pitt is at 26 and I think they're the best ACC defense we have seen.
this is refreshing. Thanks for putting this together. I'm not trying to be an @$$ but how do the defenses AZ has played against compare to those that VT has gone against? I doubt if AZ has played defenses that compare to OSU, Pitt, BC but I know virtually nothing about the PAC 12 so I could be way off base. This is definitely a step in the right direction though...
The big caveat seems to be that RR's offense paired with Foster's D is the way to go. I might be able to get behind that, but how likely is it that Bud stays? And, with all of the chatter about how Bud can't close on recruits, how well does RR recruit on the defensive side of the ball? We're all well aware that Buds defense struggles when he doesn't have any linebackers. We sorely need someone who can close on top notch talent at that position.
Edit: After seeing the defensive numbers it looks more like a wash to me than anything...when you adjust the defenses it looks more like VT and AZ have comparable offenses IMO. I never said RR was a bad coach. I just don't think he's good enough to justify bringing him to Bburg.
Appreciate the quantitative breakdown. A couple of things that I wonder about:
1. Aggregate stats mean very little. Can we get opponent-adjusted stats? What about his time elsewhere, like WVU and Michigan? A quick scan of cfbstats.com suggests PAC-12 defenses are not very good this year, so offensive numbers are inflated. And how much of this is to do with the OC?
2. Recruiting. You're assuming that RichRod will just happen to get more 4* and 5* because they're there. Maybe. His recruiting classes at Michigan were ranked 11, 10, and 17 from 2008-2010. He finished those years 3-9, 5-7, and 7-6. Arguments about how he was poisoned from the get-go aside, does that not sound a whole lot like Mike London? Got the recruits, didn't do much with 'em.
Counterpoint: how strong are the defenses he plays against?
This year, he's played against two top 50 defenses:
If we're going to focus on offense, I also think we should be comparing RichRod's offense to Fuente's, Herman's, Rhule's, Morris's, Richt's and whatever other 'Offensive Minded' coach we're discussing. I haven't checked, but I'd wager that this year, out of these six offense, RichRod and Richt have two of the bottom three offenses (may have to reference adjusted ranking - either S&P+ or FEI).
this may be true, but Georgia and Arizona have also probably gone up against better defenses...
ask and you shall receive.
So our list of coaches should be:
Justin Fuente
Tom Herman
Rich Rodriguez
Mark Richt
Chad Morris
Frank Beamer
Matt Rhule
got it
I think we look at what Bud would do. corny but still..
1. If future HC is willing to keep Bud and Bud is willing to stay I think you go that route 100 times out of 100. Not many DC's out there better than Bud and his staff.
2. If Bud is 100% hands down not staying unless he's HC you look at that and then see who he would bring in as OC and what would that take to get done. Gray or Wiles would then become DC if needed and we hire 1-2 more people for the D side.
3. Last resort is Clean Slate top to bottom.
I think there's a better chance for option 1 than 2 or 3. combined.
My wife is from WV and her family are all big WVU fans (she's a Hokie). She said that she didn't actually want RR to be our coach, but she'd like him to be announced as the candidate for about 24 hours so she could watch her family go crazy, and then have someone else actually become our HC.
I'm not being hostile. Just a smart a$$. Can't believe no one can sense tone on the Internet :)
Sorry man but there's about 20 other people that would know before you or your source. None of them are on this board. Half of them aren't even on any Hokies board.
edit: hard to track through all those quotes but this was direct *in jest* at the post that said RichRod is a done deal.
I'm calling BS on this info for one reason listed in one of the responses, that guys like Fuente, Herman, etc weren't even considered and that RichRod is a done deal with Richt and Mullen as back ups. I think that's BS because what we've seen from Whit is he appears to be a very smart man that approaches things from all angles. He does his due diligence. A smart AD wouldn't sell himself short by leaving guys like Fuente out, especially this early. He's a smart guy, he knows the stature of the program and will call around. We're a top 2 or 3 job (depending on if UGA is open) on the market right now. Whit is gonna use that leverage to shop around because that's what smart ADs do. I have a very hard time believing a guy like Whit would key in on a guy like RichRod just because he likes him from past history and lock it down with no exploration. IF it is true, then Whit is far more reckless and close minded than he's shown.
I think Morris would be a great potential fit. He's a great recruiter and already has a footprint on the east coast that overlaps ours. He is also an offensive guru, he wants to be here, he's already somewhat familiar with our staff, and he doesn't have much of a defensive staff he would need to bring with him. He also sent us Brewer which was a nice gesture. Contrast that with Fuente who has never recruited the east coast, and doesn't seem to be doing a great job recruiting at Memphis. Fuente is also best buddies with his DC (who isn't doing great) so you can kiss your defensive staff goodbye.
I haven't looked at the recruits, so correct me if I'm wrong. But Tennessee is pretty close to the east coast...
Memphis is across the river from Arkansas, its about a 15 hour drive to the coast. . Look at his recruits for 2015 and 2016, 2-4 guys from Florida/SC/GA the rest are predominately TX/AL/MS the handful of TN recruits are primarily from Memphis I wouldn't consider these hot recruiting areas for tech.
I seriously doubt if we land Morris. I wouldn't be upset if we did, though
Remember last year when there were rumors Sumlin was after Bud Foster (probably true) and he ended up hiring away Moorehead (which nobody saw coming)...
yeah I have a feeling Babcock is playing some shenanigans to get the fan all leaning one way and then he's gonna blindside us by announcing a hire nobody sees coming. And a good one at that. (hopes and dreams)
Bill Belichick.
i wouldn't even be mad. We'd need to get ball pumps for the sidelines though
Or maybe he realizes how huge this decision is, so he floated the Rich Rod rumors, so when he does hire his actual guy, much of the fan base will be thankful that at least it isn't Rich Rod.
This would be terrific. Let's hope I'm wrong and this scenario is right haha.
I for one really, REALLY hope you're wrong, no offense. I cannot get behind RR. There are no parts of me, (mind or heart) that think hiring RR would be a good thing for the Hokies. Personally, I think they/we deserve better.
On another note, I see you're from Sperryville. I live in Madison. We moved to Madison about 2 years ago from Atlanta. We're almost neighbors. :-)
I tend to agree with you in everything you said. How about that...small world. I cover Madison County for my work. Where are you in Madison?
Just off 231 north of Main Street in Madison headed in your direction. I don't see too many Hokies our way. ;-)
woohoo madison. Before we moved back to the burg, we lived just inside Madison co. If you head south on 29, right before you cross the rapidan into greene, look right and you'll see a big plantation house on a cattle farm. Lived in the slave quarters next door for a year or so...
Very cool. Although we've been in Madison for a couple years, we're really considering moving out of the county because of the school district. Hind sight is always 20/20. :-)
I live in Culpeper, very small world.
Whit is just trying to figure out where the leaks are on his staff. He tells different people different intel and sees what ends up getting leaked.
Whit is Tyrion Lannister?
well crap...guess I won't start watching GOT after all.
Looks like the guy who heard Nick Saban to VT is all but a done deal has been pretty good at keeping secrets.
Nick Saban is coming to VT??????
/s
I didn't want to start a new thread but I just saw this on USA today. They are reporting issues at Georgia:
Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity favored a coaching change after last season but was overruled by president Jere Morehead. Richt was then given a contract extension.
Regardless of the ultimate decision on Richt this time, defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt almost certainly will not be back, as his relationship with Richt and Georgia administrators has grown toxic.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2015/11/05/georgia-footba...
Bud Foster to Georgia. My sources are saying done deal, will be announced after the SEC championship game. DC and HCIW if Richt is retained.
/s
But if Richt is a serious candidate for VT, we apparently do not need to worry about him bringing a DC, or even an OC the way I read the article.
Not sure if its worth fanning the flames but I did an interwebz search and saw this USCe forum thread dated back to 11/2014
USCe forum on Richt interested with VT
I'd say its #marinades but there could be something there worth keeping the rumor mill going...
There looks like its a lot of smoke about Richt's job coming out this week. Could definitely benefit us if he's interested in jumping ship before the whole thing goes down in flames. He's a top notch coach and anyone that complains about how he hasn't won in the SEC needs to chill out. Last time I looked the SEC currently has an all time great coach leading a historically great program down in Tuscaloosa. His coaching ability combined in the ACC would put us in contention for Charlotte every year. That's his FLOOR, not his ceiling. You take that all day if you've got a chance. I'd personally take a chance on Fuente because of his age, but Richt should be in everyone's top 3 wishlist for sure.
I will politely disagree. Yes, the SEC has the best 3 or 4 teams in the country. No, the entire conference is not head and shoulders better than everyone else. Richt has underperformed in the much much weaker East division. The SEC East is comparable to the ACC Atlantic in recent years. FSU and Clemson are equal to, if not greater than, Florida and Georgia. The rest of that side of the league is full of "ACC" teams. South Carolina had some good years under Spurrier, but while they were up, Florida was down. There have really only been 1 or 2 good (not great) teams on that side of the league for quite a while now. Ole Miss, Alabama, LSU, aTm, and Auburn are ALL in the West. The West is far and away the best division in college football. The SEC East doesn't have a single team that would dominate any other P5 conference.
If Bud Foster stays as DC, Whit better pair him with an elite recruiter. As the ACC has improved, we've seen Foster's defensive numbers get worse. I believe this is because Tech's recruiting level stayed the same while the ACC opponents and improved out of conference opponents were bringing better athletes to the battles (or, in some cases, just better coached athletes).
We aren't going to see Foster coach better then he already is, dude is at the top of his game and his revival of the Bear defense was a stroke of genius that I've seen more and more defensive coaches break out this year. He's a trailblazer... and like most tactical geniuses he is at his best standing in front of a chalkboard, not on the recruiting trail.
If the next head coach can keep Foster AND improve the quality of athlete that Foster coaches, then I expect we'll see a quick turnaround in these defensive rankings. I don't think Rich Rod is capable of doing that. Morris might be.
I just don't see Foster staying if he isn't HC. So, let me flip that statement on its head and ask this:
Which outside HC could Whit hire that Coach Foster would stay as DC with and be willing to really kick butt with?
I know there will be the "It depends" statements in replies. So, let's assume here that he becomes at least the #1 or #2 paid DC in the nation in that scenario.
This is plausible. Now its interesting.
I felt the same way for a long time, and I think there is a good chance he leaves regardless of who is hired if he's not the pick... But think about it this way. If the new head coach came in and offered Foster the DC position, it might still be in Foster's best interest to stay even if he is upset about not being offered the head coaching job.
What job offers could entice Foster away from Tech?
I think a head coaching job at a Power 5 school could pull Foster away from Tech after this year. However, I'm not sure how high Foster would be on everyone's list. His stock has dropped the past few years because of his defensive rankings dropping. Foster is undeniably a great tactician, but being a head coach is more about having and implementing an organizational vision and less about X's and O's. Great head coaches don't need to be able to teach a walk on linebacker which run hole to fill against a Counter Trey, they need to be able to get everyone (from the AD to the boosters to the staff to high school coaches to recruits) in their program's footprint on the same page and working in the same direction. Foster has proven himself a great defensive coordinator. That doesn't mean he's proven he is capable of being even an average head coach though. Two very different skill sets. Add in the large number of promising coaches available for hire this year, and IMO there is a good chance Foster can't secure a head coaching gig that would drag him away from Blacksburg. Someone somewhere would offer him one, but if a P5 head coaching gig is his ultimate dream, building his resume at Tech might be a better long term option.
What about a defensive coordinator job position at another school?
What schools will have defensive coordinator positions available that would allow Foster to field elite defenses quicker than Tech? For one, not many head coaches are going to give Foster the free reign that Beamer did. There will be some programs that do, but not all of them. Even if Foster does find a defensive coordinator job that gives him autonomy, it will take a while for him to 1) institute his unique defense and 2) find the right athletes for his scheme. If Foster can't bring his entire staff with him, he'll also have to teach new coaches a very unique scheme and coach them on how he does things on gameday. Don't underestimate how important the defensive staff's continuity is to Foster's ability to make changes on the fly on game day. He relies on his coaches to make micro adjustements in position groups as well as relying on his spotters in the box to give him the information he needs to change his overall tactics. Lastly, Foster already has a long history of recruiting in this area. He knows what type of athlete he is looking and so do the high school programs around here. Even if he were to move into SEC country, it's not just going to take time for him to find the right athletes for his defense... it's going to take time to figure out where to look for those athletes.
Unless a head coaching gig becomes immediately available for him at a P5 school (which I have my doubts will be coming), Foster's best bet is probably to stay in Blacksburg and use an improved recruiting structure around him to gain the athletes to field the elite defenses he is capable of fielding. From there, he can use the momentum created by fielding a great unit to find himself a P5 job somewhere else.... or to take over the HC job here in Blacksburg if the new head coach springboards outta town.
Given all the head coaching gigs open, this could be his year to land a HC gig at a mid major P5 program.
If I could give you a turkey leg I would. Those who think Bud is doing a poor job this year aren't Xs and Os guys. He is calling the games extremely well, the freshmen are making freshman mistakes, and it makes his scheme appear to be much worse than it is.
I suppose you could say that of Loeffler, too.
If only those players would execute the play the way it is on paper...
I hear what you're saying but the problem isn't just with Bud's recruiting - it's how opposing coaches have branded Bud's defense when it comes to putting front 7 players in the NFL. That's not gonna change, so the new HC will have to figure out how to overcome that issue.
Our recruiting hasn't stayed the same in the front 7 area. Our linebacker depth issues are due to lack of LB talent, which is caused by recruiting misses. Same with lack of depth at DE.
There's a lot of done deals floating around the sites. I'm hearing that Chip Kelly to VT is another done deal.
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/11/chip-kelly-tennessee-titans-not-going-re...
"Virginia Tech is a pretty good deal too — pull an FSU and ride a weak schedule to a national title."
This gave me a laugh.
Give me Chad Morris or give me death!
I keep going back and forth on Morris. I'd be ok with Richt.
The #marinades have always been tried and true to me is that Morris has already made contact with VT and Whit. Morris is the one that reached to VT to show interest. I know nothing more.
He's one of probably literally hundreds figuratively knocking down Whit's door to apply for the job.
the fact you were able to work "literally" and "figuratively" into the same sentence properly deserves a leg.
Morris made it known back in 2013 that he wanted to be VT's coach when Beamer retired. Personally I like him best of the G5 coaches minus maybe Herman
Right there with you. Wouldn't be surprised to see Brewer stay on as a GA if he is the HC.
I think he makes the most sense what he did at Tulsa&Clemson and what he is doing now with SMU's offense is extraordinary, and I don't think it can be stated enough that he wants to be here and has wanted to be here for 2 years
i can accept Chad Morris as our HC with Coach Foster as DC; i like it much better than Rich Rod coming over