http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-spt-hokies-roccaforte-mens-basketbal...
Steve Roccaforte, who has spent the last four seasons as an assistant men's basketball coach at Virginia Tech, is joining coach Joe Dooley's staff at East Carolina, according to hoistthecolours.net.
Roccaforte, 53, worked his first season as Tech's associate head coach last season under coach Buzz Williams, after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach for the Hokies. Roccaforte is the second assistant coach to leave Tech in the last six weeks.
So I know coaches and staff move around a lot in college sports and athletic departments but this year and the last three have seen ALOT of turnover in coaches from many sports, support staff and Hokie club. You look at the staff website and there are a lot of new faces.
Comments
ECU is a bad G5 program. This is a lateral move. This is NOT good. I don't see how a VT fan could spin this any other way?
whats even more is dude is 53. when im 53 im not moving unless its a REALLLYYYYYY good move for me. doesn't make a lot of sense honestly.
Well, it might not make sense to you.
Maybe he's got a sweet retirement spot out around New Bern or on the Sound, and this makes that transition smoother.
does this need to be spun? people move for all kinds of reasons. I'm certain we'll hire another coach.
ACC coaches don't really move to bad G5 teams for lateral jobs for the hell of it, that's what I was saying. This is very curious to me. Not a good look in my opinion.
(also reply to Alum below)
I don't know the coach very well so I am going to assume he is pretty good for this to be a "bad" or at best a "lateral" move for him. If he is good and he is jumping ship off the Buzz express then why is he not taking a job at a better program? Is it so bad in Buzz-ville that any program is better to jump to?
edit: if Buzz is leaving and he knows it, and this is such a bad program to jump to, then why wouldn't he wait coach the season and jump once he finds a good program? Or are you all suggesting a Buzz announcement is imminent.
The only thing I'm suggesting is that ECU is a bad G5 program- which it is, and that it's not a good look for an ACC coach to go to a bad G5 program- which is also true. I have no insight or opinion on Buzz's future plans or Roc's thinking.
yeah part of that was for Alum below. understand your point. the move is curious but I can imagine a lot of reasons people decide to move.
Its not just this move. Its the combined hits of Jeff Reynolds bolting to Texas A&M in June, Steve Roccaforte bolting to ECU in July, a roster this year that includes a Senior Chris Clarke, Justin Robinson and Ahmed Hill (as well as Nick Fullard and Justin Ammerman) with a 2019 recruiting class that has yet to secure a single commitment.
That's a lot of red flags going into next season. Perhaps its just all bad timing and this is much ado about nothing, but that would be one heck of a coincidence.
There also might be some other valid reason.
Why do you folks always assume the worst in every situation?
Because that's the offseason trend so far?
via GIPHY
Because we're Hokie fans, and getting cock teased ad nauseam has made some of us bitter and slightly Chicken Little-y. If this hasn't happened to you, kudos.
The mascot is a fighting gobbler, not a chicken little.
pffft details
I agree with you though, this fan base has a "clingy girlfriend" attitude at times.
Seems like we are going to have one of two scenarios play out:
1. VT makes third straight NCAA tourney for first time ever, probably best team ever, and Buzz leaves.
2. VT underperforms mightily, misses NCAAs, Buzz stays.
3. Despite what VT does next season, Major program offers Buzz 70% raise and VT does not have the cash to make competitive counter.
There will be plenty of time for naysayin' when something like that actually happens.
In the mean time, why assume all of that in advance? What special benefit does that bestow?
Come on, man. It's no worse speculation than anything else in this thread.
I can't let that be my standard, but it's more a general comment than about that one comment.
4. Buzz has been listening to the VT fanbase belly-aching about not being able to recruit big men, so he's cleaning house to secure coaches who ONLY recruit big men.
Why do we always assume any coach will leave for higher pay when they are already paid a ton of money? I don't know Buzz personally, but so far it has seemed like other factors weigh more heavily in his decision making than simply chasing the biggest check.
Not only that, but Buzz is already 19th nationally in reported salaries across NCAA basketball. Is there a school out there with basketball pedigree and willingness to hire a coach like Buzz and pay him 70% more than what he already makes? It's a damn short list.
I don't think he'll leave just for a bigger paycheck, but I do think he'll leave to go to place where it's easier to win a national championship. Maybe that's a place with a better basketball pedigree, or maybe it's just a place closer to an urban area. That said, I do not pretend to know what goes on in the mind of Buzz.
Bingo. Anyone who tries to understand Buzz's motivations is setting themselves up to be proven wrong. Especially if they simplify it down to the size of the paycheck.
Like the ridiculous job security and perks in his contract? Also the fact he can make money on the side without giving VT a dime?
Yes, no other program is going to give him those one-sided clauses. I think he's got those reasons to stay for sure.
FYI a 70% raise would make Buzz's salary higher than Tom Izzo's and make him the 5th highest paid coach in the NCAA. While I won't be surprised if he leaves and gets a raise while he's at it, I believe his current salary is pretty fair to all parties.
collectively in a vacuum of alternative reasoning I can see the worry. Though disparately: texas a&m is likely a step up. ECU could be for personal reasons. July roster of seniors is a ... good thing right? doesn't that help us win? leaving the 2019 class the most worrisome for me. Comparatively how many recruits do other ACC schools have at this point?
anyway, not arguing that you're wrong. BUT I doubt Buzz is the type of guy to not recruit for 2019 if he plans to leave. He seems like a stand up guy all around and I feel he would try to put together as good a class as possible for the next coach. Unless, as I said, an announcement is imminent.
Stopping recruiting and letting it slip that you plan on bailing isn't the best way to put together a stellar season to impress the AD at your desired destination.
First (or second) sign that Buzz is gonzo after this year. Monied programs can increase his salary easily.
What's our 2019 recruiting status?
No commitments in this class, two top Assistant coaches already gone with our top recruiter going to a job that isn't even a lateral move?
Things are definitely tending toward Buzz already having something lined up...
Yup. We knew Buzz wouldn't be a VT lifer. I'm just happy he's turned the program around. He's also proven you can build a winner here.
So why not just lose our minds and assume the worst, am I right?
Is it your goal to step in to every thread and comment on worst-case ponderings?
No, but maybe irrational negativity just isn't my jam.
I believe in the power of positive thinking and don't see the benefit of speculating worst case scenarios based on, well, nothing.
This is a curious lateral move. ECU is one of the few basketball programs who were a bigger clown show than we were during our worst years, and their finances aren't exactly the poster boy for banging the "Donate to the Hokie Club" drum....
This is weird
The VT Athletics off season from hell continues.
Ecu doesn't even seem like a lateral move. Seems more as a step down/downgrade kind of move.
So maybe he's going there to "fix" them. A challenge.
If you can't call this a sign, then I dont know what you can call it. /s
Excellent tweet.
Steve Roccafort anagrams to Covert Forecast, which is what tweet obviously is.
via GIPHY
Worth noting even if we don't have any commits for the next cycle that Buzz is still hitting the trail, or at least he's going an outstanding job of making us think he is.
That plane is in desperate need of a paint job... Replace that wierd tan accent with maroon asap!
Pretty sure we lease and don't own.
Then lease an orange and/or maroon one, goddammit!
This is something I don't get about emojis. Why use the 1 and 2 emoji rather than the numbers 1 and 2? Any reason other than making them stand out?
Coaches who are getting ready to bolt from a program ALWAYS use number emojis instead of numbers.
I thought everybody knew that.
/Looks at watch.
//Shit, I need to head to the airfield to take a photo in front of the plane so TKP thinks I'm recruiting.
///Tweet sent.
////Ahhhhhh, that's better.
KipTJam/Rev has been connected to Tech and the program (of the tenure of multiple coaches) for a while. However, I'll be honest and say I can't piece this together.
Maybe he just wanted a change of pace/scenery/is looking to retire to the Carolina's soon and wanted a head start, and was waiting until now so that he wouldn't be breaching contract?
Greenville is neither a place to retire nor good scenery. The whole place sucks.
If you like living on the river/sound, there's actually pretty cool spots nearby that can be had by dudes who don't have Bill Gates cash.
I disagree very much with this. If I wanted to live in the country, but be a 20-30 minute drive from a downtown area, I'd move to the Greenville area.
We talkin bout the same Greenville?
The NC town is an hour from Raleigh. The "downtown" of Greenville is nothing special.
Greenville SC=Beautiful
Greenville NC=Shit hole
No
No to which one?
BBQ is even overrated.
I guess he's saying it's not that weird that Roc left now, or he's saying maybe Roc wasn't renewed.
I'm definitely getting 'wasn't renewed' vibes off that tweet.... And if anyone would know, its Rev/Kip.
He should have never lost the beard.
I will say this, Coach Reynolds and Coach Roc were VERY important to the program. Coach Roc did a great job recruiting/relating with the kids.
That is the same thing I get, which explains why ECU. What it doesn't explain is why he (potentially) was not renewed. He seemed to be doing good things on the recruiting trail and seemed to interact well with players and if I remember correctly would often lead the player huddles at timeouts while Buzz would get in the officials ear.
I just saw a post by Rev over at TSL that leads me to believe this wasn't this case.
That's.... not good...
I feel like this story is whatever you make of it. You could have said Buzz's departure from Marquette was an indictment of their entire athletic department when in reality Buzz just likes a challenge and saw an opportunity he liked.
Rocc seems like the rebuilder type to me
I'm gonna give you big kudos if your worries are right, but to me it still seems like your making a big leap to suspect this being "writing on the wall".
The first line says it was his decision. The second paragraph says it's a step down and with less money. So IF this is writing on the wall my first and only question is this: If he is a good asst. coach and he knows Buzz is leaving presumably during or after the season, then why not take time and shop for a good job at a program that is a step up with more money?
It only makes sense (to me) if something that happened suddenly and Buzz is departing in the very new future. Anyway, I hope you're wrong but thanks for info.
edit: nevermind. i finally get it.
I've stopped caring about our 2019 basketball class, and I'm not 100% concerned about who our 2018 coaching staff is going to be. We are short 2 coaches during a prime (summer league) scouting and recruiting period.
edit: I guess I am still concerned about our 2019 class... ha
We are only short 1 coach, Jeff Reynolds was not a "coach" he was technically support staff and was not allowed to go off campus and recruit in his role.
You're right we're only down one coach at the moment, but we're still down 2 staff overall. Reynolds was director of scouting, that's a kind of important foundation for recruiting...
Speaking of college basketball, remember when #16 seed UMBC beat #1 UVA? Lulz
This should go at least green, stat.
This stuff drives me crazy. Football season can't start soon
enough.
Zach LeDay for Assistant Coach/director of scowl development
While the departure of two staff members in a short period is not desirable, Jeff Reynolds departure to Texas A&M cant be seen as surprising. He is being elevated to the coaching staff rather than as the Director of Operations which for someone that has coached for almost four decades, he likely wanted to be coaching again. You also have to recall that this is the second staff member we have lost to A&M recently. Isaac Chew likely had a lot to do with Reynolds being on the radar of A&M. When Chew left Tech, his base pay was increased by almost $80,000 a year so I imagine that Reynolds increase is likely similar.
In terms of immediate impact of Reynolds leaving, there likely is little immediate operational impact because the recruiting trail destinations and schedule likely was already complete prior to his departure as June and July have seen Buzz Williams and staff hand out over 30 offers. (I hope to post another post on Buzzketball offers sometime this week) This time period is also the time of year that you see heavy movement across the assistant/staff level in college basketball.
Now to Roccaforte, where I honestly am not that concerned. I think Reynolds was a bigger loss in all honesty. All of those on this list that cite being concerned about how the recruiting is going for the Class of 2019 but think that Roccaforte was a critical cog in recruiting, should look at the fact that we have no class of 2019 as of right now. If he was doing such a bang up job on the recruiting trail there would be quite a bit more energy around that class. I do believe that Buzz has struggled to recruit since losing Chew to A&M because Chew was without a doubt the top recruiter on the staff.
As for Roccaforte going to ECU, if you look at the staff that they are assembling, ECU is likely to see a strong turn around, even for such a mediocre program. Roccaforte and others on that staff have always thrived where the challenge has been turning around something from nothing and not necessarily taking something and moving it to the next big leap.
All that said, I will be interested to see who Buzz identifies in the coming month to replace these two staff members. That will go a long way to determining how the next couple years go for this program. Finding another respectable coach that can manage to recruit the AAU circuit successfully without getting caught up in crossing the line would be someone I hope Buzz can identify. Looking at the locations that a lot of the offers have been happening this summer, you can see that Buzz is falling back on his roots somewhat as there are multiple offers out to recruits from Texas and surrounding states. Georgia remains a top target area as well.
I was wondering if Roc had a better direct path of being a HC at ECU. May explain some of the move as well. He may realize that he doesn't have that path at VT, especially with your later post about Buzz and Roc not getting along as much.
Crazy theory: the new assistant coach will be Seth Allen. Our old friend Seth has not been playing for months and he was with Buzz and the team for the last few games last season. If he's not trying to get a job, what is he doing? And also, Buzz once said he'd want Seth on his coaching staff and that he had the best basketball mind he'd ever coached or something (it was in a postgame interview in Seth's senior year).
Willing to bet that Christian Webster is a budding coaching/ recruiting star and we'll be fine. Harvard grad, 27 or so years old... If he steps in for Roc than that's a good re-set for Buzz going forward in terms of age, relating to recruits, etc.
Is it possible that Buzz's relentless style just eventually wore Roc out and he needed a change and liked the challenge of ECU?
I recently got to catch up with a couple coaches I know and all of them said that Buzz and Roccaforte had gotten to the point that they could no longer work together. Roccaforte leaving later cost us Jeff Reynolds because it was expected that Buzz would have moved Reynolds to the open coaching position if Roccaforte had left earlier.
A couple of these coaches said that Buzz is close to announcing the backfill and its expected to be a solid hire. None of them had information regarding the Director of Ops job.
They were divided on their opinions of how long Buzz remains at Tech although they all indicated he loves Blacksburg and Tech. It seemed to be the opinion if a blue blood opportunity came along it would be difficult for Buzz to pass on it.
They were also quick to praise Buzz two recent hires at Strength and Conditioning and Director of Administration in terms of work ethic and ability. They were surprised either left their previous gigs to join Buzz.
Couldn't really blame him for taking the opportunity to coach a blue blood if it came up either. Thanks for the update on this!
That makes me feel a lot better. I think we were all operating under the assumption they were still good friends in and outside of work, but it sounds like that wasn't the case at all. If their working relationship became to toxic a change was absolutely needed, it makes sense that Roc bolted like that, taking the first available opening.
Makes me feel a lot better about the upcoming seasons (plural) of Buzz at VT.
This is also what I had heard in regards to Coach Roc last week. I had heard they had a huge fight and he had quit.
I was in Memphis for pre-Calipari Memphis State and post-Calipari University of Memphis. I just hope he has more class than Calipari
ugh Calipari ...
edit
also always have heard the stories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZw7NhVolHs
Obligatory, "and then the big dogs came calling..."
Y u do dis
Easiest route for Buzz to get a blue blood gig is to transform the Hokies into a blue blood basketball program and then just stay here.
You're welcome, Coach.