2011 National Signing Day: Virginia Tech Football's Thin Line Between Consistency and Complacency
by furrer4heisman on Feb 1, 2011 8:01 AM EST
in Virginia Tech Football
Email
PrintGoing into Wednesday's National Signing Day, Virginia Tech sits at No. 31 in the national recruiting rankings with a class made predominantly of three-star prospects. It's looking like their prized target, Stephone Anthony, is heading to Clemson, leaving the Hokies without a five-star commitment for the fourth consecutive year.
We've come to accept the Hokies aren't going to land the highly touted recruits that make their college choice on ESPNU with media and peers hanging on their every word. Instead, Tech is going to turn sharpen unheralded prospects with the forged steel of Mike Gentry.
The Hokies primary recruiting tool, other than the ubiquitous 10 win seasons, is a coaching staff that has remained most in tact for the better part of a decade. In fact, the Hokies haven't added a new member to the coaching staff in five years. Virginia Tech's coaching staff has been perhaps the most consistent in country. But at what point does that consistency lead to complacency?
Virginia Tech's coaching staff hasn't changed, but the question is whether or not its approach to recruiting has. My guess is it hasn't. The way you can tell elite teams is because their coaching staffs are always changing, not because someone's getting fired, but because they're getting better jobs.
When one member of the staff leaves, they're replaced with new ones that bring in new ideas when it comes to recruiting and keep up with the ever-changing world of college football.
What's happened to Virginia Tech's staff is likely what's happened to a lot of you in today's recession. How many of you are in offices that have downsized or not been allowed to hire for positions when someone leaves? What happens is there is no influx of new ideas and things start to get boring real quick.
People's habits start to wear on you, you get tired of hearing the same lame stories about people's kids over and over again and pretty soon you can't tolerate your work place.
What the Hokies need is someone, anyone, who can come in and bring a different take on recruiting that can reinvigorate the coaching staff. There doesn't need to be wholesale change, but I think some new blood would do the Hokies good. Of course, there's no guarantee those new ideas would be accepted.
There isn't a lot of evidence that there's a good deal of open-mindedness at Virginia Tech, be it in its media policies, recruiting practices or on-field approach (with the exception of Bud Foster's willingness to adjust his defense).
Tech's consistency on the recruiting trail has led to consistency in terms of double digits in the win column and consistency in its failures against elite teams. The question is, will the Hokies will be willing to try something different in any of its approaches to make the leap Oregon nearly made this year or will they allow their consistency to turn into complacency?
16 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I'm torn, truly
The coaching staff consistently justifies the diamond in the rough approach with the 10-win stat, and the media does love that too. Evidenced by ESPN citing 2007’s class as the #4 best recruiting class in the country as graded in hindsight. When you read these type of things you start to feel like a spoiled whiny kid wanting more and more.
But the idea that we’re not truly elite, but a stepping stone for the elite, is getting traction. We’re not going to beat the top 5 teams because we’re really just top 10-15, and need our A game, which is also very hard to do at the beginning of the season. So, one can only hope that the insider reports that say that Coach Beamer is a fierce competitor are accurate. If that’s the case, on the surface it might look status quo while changes are being planned underneath.
It's Difficult to Perceive
What do the top recruits want? What do they think about when they make their choice? Why do they want to go to Clemson, UNC, and UVA?
It’s obvious Beamer and co. don’t know. If they don’t learn, VT will simply continue to be the best at upper-echelon mediocrity, 10 wins and blown out by a top 5 team…
by Chazz Micheal Michealzz on Feb 1, 2011 2:11 PM EST reply actions
Let's not exaggerate...
OK, the second half against Stanford was a blow out…now, name another one. The fact is, while the Hokies record against top 5 teams is, indeed, terrible, the games usually are very competitive, especially in the last decade.
Still, I think your overall point is reasonable. It may be that a few more 4 and 5 star recruits are needed to change that record against top 5 teams. The counterargument is that ESPN just reranked the recruiting class of 2007 as #4.
that's mind-bottling
You know, when things are so crazy it gets your thoughts all trapped, like in a bottle?
I never understood why a winner of a recruit would want to go play for perennial underachieving losers. What snake oil are these programs selling?? You would think Frank & Co. would be able to appeal to their pride, and remind them that all those other 4-5 stars thought they would be the one to change things too. Geez….
A bullhorn, a bottle of whiskey and a dream. Gobbler Country | Twitter | Facebook
by furrer4heisman on Feb 1, 2011 3:44 PM EST up reply actions
hahahahaha
Well we can guess what our Teal neighbors are selling that’s for sure.
Teal?
A bullhorn, a bottle of whiskey and a dream. Gobbler Country | Twitter | Facebook
by furrer4heisman on Feb 1, 2011 8:35 PM EST up reply actions
yeah
but i usually just say powder blue. teal is more dolphins.
A bullhorn, a bottle of whiskey and a dream. Gobbler Country | Twitter | Facebook
by furrer4heisman on Feb 3, 2011 12:11 AM EST up reply actions
on-field approach
We can’t say on-field approach hasn’t changed at all on special teams and offense. For e.g., there are less attempts to block kicks and more emphasis on setting up returns. But I know what you mean. It does feel like more coaching changes wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. Not because we don’t have good coaches, but because change is just a good thing. Keeps things new and alive.
Ranking the Classes
I just don’t understand how a defensive player, especially in the state of VA, could not jump at the chance to play under Foster. Possibly one of the greatest defensive minds to coach the game, albeit the last two seasons have been sub-par compared to the last decade or so, and these kids choose to go to places like UVA, UNC, Clemson? I know some of these kids choose the academics over the quality of program and some think they can be the catalyst to launch that respective program to elite status. What is it going to take for a coach like Bud Foster to bring in these highly rated recruits, most importantly from VA?
playing devil's advocate
I can see where a top LB recruit might look at the LBs VT already has enrolled and want to go somewhere else where they might have a better chance of starting as a true freshman.
Better recruiting could put VT over the top.
Virginia Tech has been on the precipace of greatness for over a decade and that makes the coaching staff’s inability to give their roster a booster shot of blue chip talent very frustrating for their fans.
Think back to the 2007 season.
After the Hokies won the ACC championship game they were ranked #1 by the computers, but were too far behind in the polls to play in the championship game.
If the Hokies had recruited just a few more elite players in the preceding years they likely would have beaten undefeated and top 5 B.C. and finished the season 12-1 and ranked #1 in the BCS.
Virginia Tech would have played OSU in the national championship game.
Beamer and company do a great job finding very talented players outside the spotlight, but they need to learn how to sell VT to more elite players.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Gobbler Country
Related FanShots on Gobbler Country
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
