As someone ghosted on the TSL.com subscribers message board over 4 weeks ago … it has now been objectively science-fact confirmed, that coach Grimey would indeed be the very first Virginia Tech assistant coach to go. This was nearly unanimously poorly received and nay-sayed on TSL; right up until it forcibly was not…
…and yes, Jeff was the least great Virginia Tech fit. Namely, because he is now an adopted Louisianian State fit. Ergo, let the Virginia Tech offensive-line rebuilding process, begin anew, once more, all over again…
It’s a grimey job, though someone’s got to do it. Only caveat is … this is now a multi, and I do mean multi –as in plural, very plural- years of a job. Why however is what you should be asking yourself and therefore holding myself and my feets to the scrutiny fueled fire?
My response in defense is threefold…
- First up, and for starters, everything begins (or ends) up-front. Think of this remaining and foreseeable Beamer era offense as a automobile. In our metaphor, the VT offensive-line would be the tires. Only thing is that we (now) have one spare, one C.News tire, one Grimey tire, and one offensive-line coach to be named later wheel. I don’t know about you, though that’s pretty tired to me. And we all know just how well life tends to go as the proverbial third wheel. Juxtaposition, jumbling and a mongrel approach will now be the rule of the day and it will be no less that 4 years before a 5 of-a-kind day dawns, at a minimum! Because what are the odds that the 2017 Virginia Tech head football coach retains Frank’s third offensive line coach in 3 years???
- Secondly, and this is a real live problem for the returning starters in particular –of which we currently field four. All techniques, schemes, emphasi, drills, and even the common-tongue film-room nomenclature itself are all about to change. The overall playbook will appear to be similar, though an upfront directors cut is about to be force feed yet again this spring. (less any in-house promotion from within of course) Three sets of techniques and incidents of tactical emphasis is at least four too many in back-to-back-to-back seasons! That’s bad medicine folks, and I ain’t Marry Poppins and here comes our third spoonful of X’s and O’s, that’s how it’s set to go down. Hence, this is a recipe for no better than confusion, collision and playbook(s) tying up feets.
- Tertiary, how much attrition should we expect in what appeared to be a very o-ver-ra-ted initial, and simultaneously final coach Grimey debut and now departing offensive-line class? Notice the offers lists’ that these now wavering O&M verbal’s solicited. One outta the five looked pretty sporty to the R.A.T.T. in me, one is prolly gonna go to “the” Ohio State and two of the other three are shows signs of vibes, if not outright commitment tremors. That’s not and epic class in and of itself, and it’s gonna damn sure be a good deal south of that if these verbals fall upon deaf ears and re-nag.
Loading ...Conclusion(s), illation … pragmatism:
Frankly speaking, to preach or to espouse anything else is practice a pagan devotion to O&M replacement theology. As it will objectively take the in-coming offensive-line coach at least 3-4 years at a minimum to graduate the didactic and mixed-bag set of Newsome+Grimey refugee ballers and to then, slowly yet surely write or reshape the Virginia Tech offensive ground-troops into a sporting icon (Greek: meaning “image”), of his very own.
To believe anything else is to be well versed in the arcane arts of spiritual delusion and deception, and that’s way too secular of a response from a nominally altogether rather devout and downright pious Virginia Tech football fan-base.
***
Do yourself and your expectations a big favor; give the new Hokie offensive-line coach some room, let him breath and don’t hold your very own breath or embrace inflated or hurried expectations, or anything else, for several years; plural.
“LETS GO!”
“Hokies!”
bourbonstreet**
If they go ‘West Coast’ (which they will have to) then there will be some time to build line/rb concert with the newbies. Hoping for Ford to do that–gotta get them off the box, it’s killing everything. Think we have the recv’rs to do that….or hope. 1-2 years to get respectable on OL. Sense of urgency will help that. Need a youngish firepisser as OL coach imho.
I truly thought Ford to be the one.
A more precocious passer; at this stage anyway.
Though I have durability concerns re: him.
b.street
GO west coast ? This is still Lefty’s offense not whoever the new o line coach is. They will continue to install lefty’s offense. You don’t run the o line coach’s style , you run the O.C. style offense. Plus Beamer would rather die than run the west coast.
I believe the suggestion to go West Coast has nothing to do with who thenew OL coach is and has everything to do with the fact that the Oline is unlikely to be any good, and thus will need a quick passing game to hide the flaws.
Dude,
I can’t understand anything you write. Lol!
“No one can be told what The Matrix is.”
“You have to see it for yourself.”
b.street
hahahahahahaha
New playbook? I wouldn’t think so. OC is still here. It’s the new coach that will have the learning curve. Surely, we’ll hire someone well qualified. I’m decidedly more optimistic. Life is more fun that way.
More like deleted pages; and additional pages as well.
A re-print if you will.
b.street
B-Street,
Please attempt to write in the Queen’s English. Your writing style is incomprehensible.
Learned, entertaining, and challenging to be sure, but still … incomprehensible.
So what can we do to make the A11 offense legal in college?
What, no quaternary didactic? I’m disappointed in you Stacey. We need only an offensive line coach with the ability to coach the techniques to fit Loeffler’s scheme. You know, run blocking and pass blocking, the metaphysical necessities of moving the football. A track record as a good recruiter would be a real bonus. Let’s keep the epistemological stuff to a minimum.
Dear 1955:
Now that was a tall post in terms of thought content.
One could even epi’ dabble and call it: “knowledgeable”.
: )
Props!
stacey
Thanks for keeping it fun my friend. After all, it is a game.
And I like to keep an optimistic approach and believe we are on the quick rebound.
It would be nice to win another conference championship and a major bowl to send Frank out on a good note. It would be a magical finish to a great career for the man who is VT Football.
Very excited about this upcoming recruiting class. I’m just hoping we don’t lose most of the OLine recruits with Grimes exit. We are turning the corner again. I said it in ’92 and people laughed at me, and now I’ll say it again. I can see it coming together.
If I am reading correctly, you are saying you called the departure a few weeks back? I do remember you posting on the Subs. side of TSL that Grimes was the “Worst” fit of the 3 newbie coaches, but I did not read that as…..Grimes was looking to get outta dodge. If so, kudos to you Sir.
Now, on to the meat of my response….I understand Grimes is leaving for more cash, dough, cheddar, paper, greenbacks, what ever you wanna call it, but, seeing as he is a family man first and foremost, up rooting your family over and over and over again has got to be tough on the kids, no matter the paycheck. I would imagine that $$$$ was the no.1 reason for him leaving, but is there more to it? Was the rebuild process too much? Was nobody willing to hire Grimes (and Leoffler to a degree) post-Auburn so he/they needed to find a place (Blacksburg) to hang out for a year or two to cleanse themselves of a 2-whatever season?
I am all about loyalty, so this whole situation rubs me the wrong way, I admit that, I also understand this D-1a football thing is a big business, but we rip…..RIP 17-19 year old kids for “not sticking to their commitment” and “flipping” schools during the recruiting process, but Grimes is seemingly getting a pass by a lot of people. How can you bash a kid for making arguably the biggest decision of his life, yet a coach like this doesn’t even stay a full calendar year, and everyone passes it of as “oh, that’s the business we are in”. I agree, but give the kids a break, if you are giving the coaches as break.
Final comment and I’m out – did we counter offer? I don’t know? But whether we did or not…..without an AD in place and a President to some degree, and Beamer possibly retiring very, very soon, how would we have “counter offered”? Also, if we came back with say $450,000….we would certainly have had to up the ante on Bud, Charley, Torrian, etc. those that are proven and have been here a while…..but again, how would we have done that without an AD, Pres. . . . . you get my point, VT was in NO position to even comeback with an offer…….
My hope is Todd Washington is listening to Beamer right now….but I don’t know, and we will see in time, but a solid Oline Coach hire NEEDS to be made between now and Jan. 24th (when all the kids are making their OV’s to VT).
Honestly?
My sources actually called this one after the wvu basketball game.
Early November.
I sat on it as a favor to all of Tech in the meantime.
When I ghosted it 3-4 weeks ago –as a version of prep’ work.
And yes, I did go so far as to say Jeff would be the first to go.
Ergo, the “kudos” are all theirs.
(they always are)
b.street
Excellent counter-offer question; BTW.
None that I’ve heard of.
Methinks we were caught with our pants down so to speak;
and/or this was simply a good deal beyond our ability to pony-up.
Washington, I admit, is starting to intriguing me.
I need to study him (more) however.
Though he would be candidate #1; at this point.
b.street
I would love to see TW back in the burg and instilling some of his toughness on the OLine. I still recall the Miami game where he got cheap shotted and limped off the field “mad-as-hell”. He came back in the next series and basically told Ox to climb on his back… It was a thing of beauty.
So why was Grimes not a good fit? I have heard it said a couple of times now, but never how/why.
I said “least great fit.”
Somehow people took that to be a bad or not good fit.
Though I stand by what I said.
He was too BIG-time for us.
Very S.e.c. mentality wise
And honestly, since when has that been us?
b.street
Wow…I am glad to see I am not the only one that doesn’t understand his “language”. However, I do appreciate Bourbon’s analysis and deep perspective regarding our beloved Hokies!
I expect SL to have a big say who the next OL coach is. He’s the only one who has been on enough different coaching staffs to work with other guys and know who will work at VT.
Ive heard a few names for O-line coach Darren Hiller, Herb Hand< Greg Studrawa and the one everyone want Todd Washington ? Who will it be?
I expect to see another list of 4.
Same as it was with Scot.
b.street