Recent Comments
I'm not sure that was the shake up. David Teel tweeted about an interview Pry did on Tuesday outlining some changes in responsibilities on the offensive staff, including Bowen's role. But I can't find any links to that interview or a summary of it, and Teel doesn't mention what he said.
If you are an OC that failed as a HC the first time out (how many were on that list?), I can see that being a definite possibility. I can see them saying, listen my first time I was a HC I failed at this and this. I have learned, advanced, and want a second shot.
Great recruiter and WR coach gets promoted to OC. Wouldn't that be analogous to us promoting Mines to OC? (which I would not object to, the guy has been killing it)
I get it. Sometimes in real life, it doesn't work out the way you'd like to imagine. I just think there might have been a more creative way to end up better off in the long term. Might have been painful in the short term. I don't know. Maybe that first Nike deal painted him into a corner he really couldn't get out of, but it's not like a Nike has a monopoly on sports apparel. I get that it's less money, but taking less now for a chance at more later could have been a move.
However hindsight being 20/20, taking the Nike money might have been the best we could do, because it's not like our brand improved after the Fuente honeymoon period ended.
Well they do have to pay that $38MM back at some point. Living way in the red for a natty and rolling it back for a year or two makes sense.
Only if Billy Hite comes back too.
I wonder what our playbooks will look like on NCAA 26?
But OSU went with an internal hire for OC, signed an unproven OL coach, and was never going to match PSU's offer to Knowles. It seems they are being cheap (relative to typical OSU standards).
Dustin Clemente pic.twitter.com/1x6rjyT6yR— OBXHokie 🇵🇸 (@OBX_Hokie) February 6, 2025
I do think it is a good move for Bowen to build out his resume more and become a better offensive mind. Vast experience in different systems greatly benefit coaches with high aspirations. And I think Bowen has a good amount more to learn to get to being a high end coordinator. I think he probably made an honest review of himself, saw he's not getting great mentorship in his current position, and decided to find a job to get that mentorship. Moving on and coaching under Ryan Day will provide him greater opportunities in the future than returning to VT and trying to become a better offensive coach on his own.
And while I get the conspiracy theory that Pry is a lame duck and no one wants to come here, I just don't think that's true. I also don't know why people think the DC search went poorly. Did they miss on anyone that ultimately didn't get a better pay or position? Does anyone have affirmation that it went poorly?
And the hot-seat issue does not affect any "big-name" coordinator that would come here. They all have their own track record that stands on their own. VT actually has a decent roster (not P2 elite), just hired a Broyles-finalist O-line coach, and plays in conference with mostly mediocre defenses (especially compared to P2). Any coordinator would see this situation as a pretty good situation to jump into for a year or two. And Pry will not do anything to get in the coordinator's way. If Moorhead, Rahne, or Clawson wanted to do the OC thing again, it would be a good spot for a year or 2. (I'll note the only negative is a lack of quality O-line players.)
The only OCs that would see this as a bad opportunity are G5-level OCs or P4 position coaches that are fast-risers but unproven. Besides Davis, VT doesn't have the offensive leadership support to help that individual get better.
Last time Clawson was OC was 2008, one season with Tennessee. That year Tennessee suffered its worst statistical offensive season in over 30 years.
Did he run the offenses at BG and WF? I honestly don't know
Bowen has been the first OC in decades that looked like he watched tape. He was inconsistent, but some games he called I dont think anyone else VT has had could prepared for and called the way he did.
The issue I have is that I've got doubts we will get done one better.
Makes sense. Feels high risk/high reward, but I get where you're going with that.
I could definitely see someone connecting those dots given how often Whit tends to promote from within rather than swing for the fences
I think VT fans complain about coaches more than most fanbases, so I'm sure we would have hated it.
I think 20+ years of Beamer regime stability insulated us from the norm which is coordinators coming and going every few years
on the last TSL podcast i listened to...think it was recorded late last week (don't know their schedule) chris coleman mentioned a shake-up on the offensive staff that was coming...i assume this is that shake-up. if he knew, then pry surely must've known as well
He also went to one of the teams with the biggest athletic budget and biggest fanbases in the COUNTRY who is in the B1G.
OSU also ran the program $38MM in the red this year knowing its a snap to cover the deficit. They're playing a whole different game.
Not to mention, no one from VT would have outright said "well OSU wanted to hire him to so we had to give him more money"
I was thinking the same. People would have been livid if we gave a seemingly random extension/raise to Bowen this week.
No way to know if we had a realistic shot at retaining Bowen, but maybe Pry didn't think it was worth keeping Bowen at a higher cost. And I can't say I disagree with that line of thinking.
I would have personally had very mixed feelings.
I *like* Brent Pry, or at least what I know of him. I would *like* him to be successful here. Continuity at the coordinator position is very important and it would have helped everyone if Bowen were to stick around...but ponying up that money for a guy who has been fine at best would be frustrating if it didn't end up working out. Not to mention, no one from VT would have outright said "well OSU wanted to hire him to so we had to give him more money" so it would have just been rumors and conjecture and more arguing.
While I think Whit has proven to be over his head in terms of being an AD of the revenue sports, I think he was in a bit of a pickle with this situation.
I would've been cool with this. It works, and we're happy, or it doesn't, and the whole staff gets canned at the end of the year.
They might look at it as an opportunity, do well and move up if Pry gets canned.
That's an interesting argument. Are you thinking that someone would see an opportunity to take the OC job and then get promoted to HC if Pry gets canned?
Prior to Bowen leaving I was told by my source inside the department that Pry has a 7 win minimum to keep his job. How having to replace both coordinators affects that I don't know.
Pry's hot seat is either going to make it easier or harder to get an OC with former HC experience to come. They might look at it as an opportunity, do well and move up if Pry gets canned.
The problem being nobody else was there. They did explore options, nobody else was willing to give us what Nike was paying.
Even by this years standards, our new coach is making middle of the ACC pay and top 40 pay and that is what they should be making. More experience would have warranted more money.
You don't pay top 20 money for potential you pay that for a track record.
Yes, he is making more money at anOSU. He also went to one of the teams with the biggest athletic budget and biggest fanbases in the COUNTRY who is in the B1G.
Loeffler watched tape. Probably too much of it. Problem is he was playing Axis and Allies, when our players were a checkers level.