With Pep Hamilton talk cooling, is Chuck Long a candidate?
Virginia Tech’s presumed search for a new offensive coordinator appears to have gone away from Stanford’s Pep Hamilton, although a different candidate popped up Thursday night.
Daily Press columnist David Teel tweeted Thursday afternoon that, barring a late change, Hamilton will not be the Hokies’ new offensive coordinator.
A few hours later, Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch tweeted that former Oklahoma and Kansas offensive coordinator and San Diego State head coach Chuck Long could be on Virginia Tech’s radar, news that, to be kind, did not thrill the Hokies fan base.
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The 49-year-old Long, who in his most recent college coaching stint spent two years leading a struggling offense for Turner Gill at Kansas, chose not to coach at the college level last season, instead helping with his son Zach‘s high school team in Norman, Okla.
His last two college jobs have not gone well. From 2006-08 he was the head coach at San Diego State, where he was fired after going 9-27. In two years at Kansas in 2010-11, Long’s offenses ranked 113th and 106th nationally. The Jayhawks struggled to a 5-19 record under Gill, who was fired along with his staff.
But before that, Long had a successful run at Oklahoma for Bob Stoops, first as a quarterbacks coach in 2000-01, then as a co-offensive coordinator with Kevin Wilson from 2002-05. Under Long’s tutelage, quarterback Josh Heupel was a Heisman finalist in 2000 and Jason White won the award in 2003.
Oklahoma won the national title in the 2000-01 season, Long’s first with the program. In White’s Heisman year in 2003, Long’s second as coordinator, the Sooners averaged 42.9 points per game and again made the BCS title game, where they lost to LSU. In 2004, Long was a finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation’s top assistant. During his six years with Oklahoma, the Sooners went 67-11 and appeared in four BCS games.
Still, he’s probably best known for his playing career at Iowa, where as a quarterback he led the Hawkeyes to the 1985 Big Ten title and finished 45 points behind Auburn’s Bo Jackson for the Heisman Trophy, the second-closest finish in the award’s history. He had an unmemorable NFL career with the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams but was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer reportedly spoke with several possible offensive coordinator candidates at the AFCA convention in Nashville, Tenn., earlier this week.
While it’s tough to put a timetable on any coaching moves — particularly at a program that so far has not even acknowledged that there is an opening — it seems logical that Beamer, with Logan Thomas‘ NFL decision up in the air, would have something in place before the Jan. 15 deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft.
January 11, 2013 - 12:25 AM
That’s par for the course – I guess Beamer thinks he has plenty of time to make a change – Mabe next year or the year after that – I guess Pep wanted to run his own Show!
I can picture Beamer standing there now…looking at a whiteboard full of names with that same confused, arms-crossed look he has on the sideline after another turnover.
Chuck Long as offensive coordinator may not be a bad hire at all!
It is possible, and almost seems that way now, that Beamer is messing up the so called search for the person for the position of offensive coordinator. This process should have started being conducted before now, and should have been concluded by now.
Many teams have replaced coaches, including head coaches, already this year, and without all of this hesitation.
This could be another example of the slow to change attitude of Beamer, and that is part of the problem with the program now.
This could not be a good situation, no matter how it ends.
Obviously, we’re not privy to all that’s going on behind the scenes but this appears to be another mismanaged process at Virginia Tech.
I will ask again…where are Kevin Rogers and Ricky Bustle?
Sad.
I WONDER IF IT IS TOO MUCH TO ASK TO HAVE A COORDINATOR WITH A SUCCESSFUL TRACK RECORD?!!!??? IF THE GUY CAN ONLY LAND AN ASSISTANT HIGH SCHOOL JOB, WHAT THE HECK??? THIS OFFENSE NEEDS SOME PEP.
When I heard, I immediately dropped some chuck long in the toilet and flushed it.
“What’s the play?” “Oh, go long and let Logan chuck it.”
Will we see a bunch of chuck screen? How about 3rd down and chuck? 3rd down? No problem, just go long and chuck it into the stands.
There’s going to be plenty of Chuck Long jokes. He’s also a Chuck Norris reject.
Andy, while they would never admit it, do you think Weaver/F Beamer/et al are aware of the disdain of the fan base when names like Chuck Long get out there as a possible candidate? Do you get the sense that they have any ear for the “message board” opinions/desires/diikes when there’s such a strong negative reaction? Could perhaps Shane Beamer feed that back to them, or is it just a handful of high-level boosters who are probably just as clueless as Frank as to what the masses want have Frank’s/Weaver’s ear?
VT has to go to work recruiting and young, energetic, up and coming coach. They have to do their homework on this one. But they need to make a decision quickly. There is plenty of talent to be discovered out there. They need to have all hands on deck and find that diamond in the rough. They have always been good at that in recruiting players, now it’s time to apply some of that knowledge to recruit an OC.
Chuck Long being in the eyes of VT’s new OC is very false.
This was a rumor started by a kid in High School in Kansas posting on his personal blog that has spread thru the internet. Don’t believe it Mike Barber, kids will post anything on the internet these days and people tend to run with it and publish it thinking there is truth to it. Sure rumors are rumors, but this is a big fat lie.
Hey, let’s be bold and go for Bruce Arians!!
With Chuck Long as the OC, Virginia Tech’s offense would be known as “Chuck and Clunk.” With Logan Thomas being erratic passer, he would be chucking it all over the field. In order for Logan Thomas to avoid taking a sack, he would have to chuck the ball in the ground. The penatly, though, would be intentional chucking.
See? Chuck Long is going to bring about a lot of wonderful jokes.
I have heard a rumor that they found Jimmy Hoffa’s body and it’s a possibility that he will be offered the OC position. No, I got that wrong. What I meant to say was that there was a blog that cited a blog that had rumor that there was a possibilty that maybe Flipper the dolphin was being considered for the position. An anonymous Virginia Tech fan was quoted as saying ‘what is Beamer thinking? Everyone knows that Flipper’s record against SEC teams is awful!’
Wonder how many fans wanted to upchuck when they heard the news about loosing Pep?
VT should really go for broke and hire away Dave Crist from Blacksburg High School. There is already a connection there, he has been coaching Stinespring’s kid on the team for a few years now.
Trevor, that was a really good opening line. LOL
WQW here we are a few days away from LT having to make a decision and we still don’t have a OC in place what does that tell you’ll? What it tells me is how we lose so many games that should have been won being so indecisive and moving at such a snails pace maybe guys Beamer is getting old in more ways than one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This “Search” process, if you call it that, is one big cluster f… You have coaches still on staff but they’ve been told to feel free to search for opportunities? You wait until a convention to interview potential candidates, when feelers should have been sent out years ago? WTF is going on down there? Pick up the phone, call Bruce Arians, ask advice to see if there are some NFL up and comers he would recommend. This whole process should go down as a case study in a business ethics class as the definition of organizational ineptness. I love my Hokies but for crying out loud, this is ridiculous.
I think Beamer want’s a good ol boy to coach the team!!!!!!!!
Get a life guys….really?
Might as well make a rumor that Chuck E. Cheese is going to be Tech’s next OC. That way, the players can get free tokens to any Chuck E. Cheese resturants. The mashing game is vastly underrated as well as skeet balls.
I have been Chuck bombed!
If i was FB after this years abysmal offensive performance to woulda hopped a plane to visit Pep instantly instead of waiting for a coaches convention where there are alot of distractions if i was serious about truly wanting the guy that is!!!!!!
”
This is another example of why it is time to move past the “Beamer Era” at VT. A new offensive coordinator who is young, vibrant, and has a successful track record needed to be hired promptly to help recruiting and to begin implement a new offense. Beamer has done a lot for VT football, but he has been very, very generously rewarded. He seems incapable of effectively managing change.
It’s very interesting to see how much inside information that posters on this blog have. I mean, they can read minds, know exactly what has or has not been done,it’s simply amazing at their insight. To put it succinctly, you don’t know crap about what is going on!
Why not look at assistants under OC’s from high powered offense teams such as Oregon or alabama?
Rupert – great visual. I can see that same look on Frank’s face, it’s probably the most painful thing a VT fan has to see on the sidelines and we saw it far too often this year.
What is most disappointing is that Frank has obviously not done any planning until the season was over. At this point we seem to be soliciting anyone who is interested. Frank should have had a plan a long time ago of who he was interested in and he appears to be looking mostly at the unemployment line.
However, the truth is you have limited options. The great OC’s were either well paid and entrenched at successful schools or they were hired to be HC’s. That leaves you with fired HC’s who got hired for their success as a OC, but couldn’t turn it around as a HC – probably not his fault. As far as Chuck Long and San Diego State – nobody is ever going to make that team a winner, certainly not in the long term.
VT is not going to hire away a successful OC at other than a Div II or weak sister Div 1 team. Again why would a Pep Hamilton even consider VT, he’s likely to make less money (VT’s assistants are not anywhere near the highest paid assistants, surprise, surprise – nor is Frank even near the top of the ACC). He is likely to struggle to recreate what he probably already has at his current job. He’s not going to become the VT HC, but if he can turn VT into a top 30 offense he is likely to earn the title “miracle worker” and get hired to any number of great HC jobs.
Nope VT fans, don’t expect too much for all your waiting. I expect our reactions will more likely be “really?” or “is that what we’ve waited a decade for?”.
Ricky Bustle. really? I think the old saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. Plus he just joined Southern Miss didn’t he?
Kevin Rogers – I think we could get excited about this but I believe he was going to BC but had some personal issues of unknown type.
VT fans deserve all stops to be pulled out, even if it means Frank gives up a couple hundy thou of his own salary. Yes we owe Frank a lot, but he owes us as well.
I say stand by to be disappointed.
It appears that whoever is offered the OC job will not get to choose all of their assistants. Beamer must want to reassign Stinespring as a position coach and that could be a hang up with potential OC candidates.
Kenroe, if you were FB, you would have been fired years ago.
You people make me laugh. You all talk as if you know exactly what’s going on and speak like you could easily run a major college football program. You all wanted changes on the offensive side. Now that they are taking their time to make sure the right changes are made, you’re complaining still. Words not leaking out as to what’s going on and you feel that is wrong because you are entitled to know exactly what’s going happening in the process. Nothing is getting leaked because the people involved have enough character to respect the process and the people involved. But I’m sure some of you wouldn’t understand that.
As a long suffering fan of the Detroit Lions, I had hoped Chuck Long was long out of football and pushing a plow on his Iowa farm! My Goodness, why not interview Matt Millen, too.
I’ll have to say – I am pretty surprised in a sense. All indications were that Frank Beamer multi-tasked and prepped for the offensive coaching changes that the moneyed donors demanded during the whole month of December when he had plenty of time to do what other head coaches making staff changes were doing. Evidently that was a false montage.
Now, it appears that Frank did none of that. We all knew the pressure was on him prior to Thanksgiving, and he certainly had LOTS of time during December to formulate his plan. All indications were that he was doing just that. The problem is – here we are nearing Jan 15th, and everything still seems to be totally undecided.
I feel bad for Logan Thomas. Not that he was a once in a lifetime player, but Frank Beamer is really doing him a disservice by dragging out the decision that the moneyed donors are forcing Beamer into making. LT’s got until Tuesday to make his call. Evidently Frank doesn’t think enough of him to give him more than a few hours to make his own decision.
This is sadly reminiscent of Frank’s attempt to steal away to UNC with his entire staff, right down to the secretaries (appropriate title for the time), while decimating his supposedly beloved alma mater in the lurch.
I said all along that the Tony Franklin fantasies were embarrassingly absurd, and that there would never EVER be Pep in Frank’s step. Now, unfortunately, it’s getting back into the embarrassing stage. This is approaching the humiliation factor of Jim Weaver trying to re-engineer the basketball program.
Some comments seem necessary. For a program that many apologists like to pretend is so noteworthy – Frank Beamer certainly does seem to be having an excrutiatingly difficult time finding someone to coordinate his offense. Perhaps the mantra we were spoonfed for years – Frank is such a lovely guy to work for that EVERYONE wants to just stagnate under him forever – could that be false?
Could it be that Frank’s latest obsession – paving the way for Shane to succeed his mini-dynasty – is causing problems for people not bathed in O&M ink? Perhaps people in college football with perspective don’t like the stink of the nepotism that permeates Merryman?
Is it possible that Frank still insists on maintaining such handcuffs on any potential new OC that they all wisely back away as cautiously as possible? Could Franks demands that Stinespring & Shane be retained no matter the loss be what is causing sensible OC candidates to stay away?
For a program that is supposed to be so esteemed, and a head coach supposed to be so accommodating, why is it so impossible to find a new Offensive Coordinator? Could it be Frank is trying to undermine the process? Could it be obvious it’s not desirable? Could it be that Frank is willing to go down in flames over Stinespring & Shane? Really?
I thought he was better than that. I really did.
Bring Marcus vick back to be a coach,oh thats right we wont have to bring him back he will allready be here after his jail time is complete.
Where is AD Jim Weaver on this slowly developing fiasco. After such a smooth transition with the Basketball program last year, maybe Mr. Weaver should be asked some questions about his leadership of the entire athletic program at VT. This looks really bad!
I was on a flight from Atlanta to Roanoke Thursday and Chuck Long was a passenger.
What you are all are not understanding is that Frank has put Stinespring in charge of the hiring of a new OC. This is the only way to explain why this is so screwed up. Stinespring does the initial interviews and has cards that has particular defenses on them. Stinespring lays them down on the table and to Applicant then needs to say what play he would call to exploit the weaknesses. Most applicants do not pass this portion of the process because they do not say “run off tackle right.” to every scenerio.
This is a business decision, pure and simple – those if us who know what it takes to successfully manage employees and run a business can probably understand the lack of information. Anyone that thinks this process is being too secretive or too slow should stick to their day jobs. I will admot that I am dismayed that the time frame for attracting quality candidates appears to be closing, but maybe the reality is the selection has been made and all the contractual details are being worked out before a public announcement occurs.
Do not bring Ricky Bustle back. The offense with MV1 was anemic, even in 1999 it was only ranked like 78th or so.
IMHO, Chuck Long would be way past even sloppy seconds. Spend the money, swipe someone away with a proven record.
What is Walt Harris up to these days?
Crooked you are in bizaro world and clueless about what goes on. You go back and drag up old news that is not relevant to anyting that is going on. I really think you do it so someone will respond to you.
THe athletic dept does not have to keep you informed on their daily business negotiations.
Please get a hobby so that you can focus your engeries elsewhere.
540HOKIE maybe you.re right im not a Coach butt i have common sense and i think my sentiments are are in the majority on this blog in that FB does not readily accept change and this not not the time based on the fact that his QB has to make a decision whether to go pro in 96 hours or less sorry dude butt this isnt the time to move a at a snails pace and while true i will admit i dont know exactly what the holdup is i do know we need to make a decision and go with it Alabama looms!!!!!!!
I don’t know about tokens to Chuck E Cheese but some gift cards to Beamers 25 would be nice. Has anyone considered Will Furrer or Don Strock for the OC? That makes good sense, don’t y’all think so? This whole fiasco is so entertaining, I cannot wait for the next article. We don’t have this much fun at GT.
Weaver needs to retire, he is not physically able to do his job, and Beamer needs to retire, he is not mentally able to do him job. Weaver should tell Beamer to hire the guy in the office next to Weaver, whoever that is and move on.
Crooked Road is right on target. I would add the opinion, and it’s just my opinion, that his observations are also one of the reasons the top 1 thru 5 Virginia High School recruits are routinely going out of state, especially those who will be offensive standouts.
UVA.s special teams coordinator is bolting for TEXAS A&M after only 9 days WOW lol!!!
Crooked, your repetition of your characterization of Frank’s threat to take the whole circus to UNC seems like revisionist history to me. As I recall the process, it was a power struggle between a very successful coach and an overreaching AD. Had Frank absconded, Weaver would have been at fault and roundly blamed for botching the situation just to secure his role as “da boss” and cementing his absolute power over all things sporty at VT. You are the only person I have heard that holds a grudge against Beamer for that debacle. If coach had wanted to go, he could have and would have done so.
The questions you ask, other than some of the more facetious ones, however, are legitimate. We do wonder if Beamer’s style of conservative football is holding us back from a great hire.
As for Lloyd’s question of whether the coaches know about the blogger’s disappointment with the process, I would hope they have better sense than to listen to this crowd. AB and AMac (get better!!!) have great blogs, it is fun to read them and to post, but should have a disclaimer at the beginning of every entry explaining to all that these boards are for “entertainment purposes only”!
forever, it really seems that you’re allowing your distaste for my opinions and your own unwillingness to accept that Frank Beamer might be less than perfection to really cloud your perspective.
We’re at the point where almost everyone – except the most goosestepping of loyalist apologists admits there need to be personnel changes made to the offensive staff. Yet it really seems that we might be at yet another of those patented Frank Beamer admonishments of ‘Jason In Arlington’, where Frank digs in deeper, despite it harming his own career, all because Frank cares more about his own ego than his career.
Is Frank undermining his own supposed ‘search’ for a replacement to Stinespring? Or is the word so obvious among the coaching community while remaining so undiscussed among Hokie faithful that it’s not as lovely to come to Blacksburg as Hokies like to imagine?
I mean – for all of the hype about Frank Beamer’s esteem, personality, and demeanor, why is the search lowering as far as it obviously has done? Why aren’t people standing in line to work as an OC for Frank Beamer? Doesn’t that question need to be asked? Aren’t we allowed to even discuss that paradox?
Anyone heard of Scott Loeffler? I har he is on the short list for OC? I am also hearing Long is out of consideration.
perch, you try to be deft, but you just came off as daft. You sidestep Frank Beamer’s own claim that he was prepared to leave VaTech for UNC, to take his entire coaching staff and go so far as to take his ‘administrative assistants’ (secretaries back in the day). However once he returned to Blacksburg, his secretary and his assistants bucked at the idea.
I’m just going off what Frank’s homilies were about the incident. If he’s a liar about it, then that’s on him. You like to ignore the macro, that at the height of his earning potential based on the performance of Michael Vick, Frank Beamer was extremely willing to desert his supposedly beloved alma mater for the bigger money and brighter lights of UNC, a more illustrious university also very close to his hometown. Based on Frank Beamer’s words, what stopped him was the unwillingness of his assistants (cue Billy Hite & Bud) and admin staff to leave the place where they had established roots despite never graduating from VaTech, like Frank Beamer had.
You might need to diagram it to understand it, but that was the factor. You want to argue against that as being a foundational factor for the current state of disarray? Go ahead and lay it out in a more coherent pattern than – ‘You’re just a hater and he’s the best we’ll ever have just because we can’t imagine anything else…’
Folks like to paint Frank as unmatchable, but I’m just pointing out a few of the foibles. Anyway, old stuff. Here’s the new…
My point is Frank Beamer still hasn’t hired an OC, after over a decade of failure by his virtual son – Stinespring, and perhaps part of the reason is he refuses to release his grasp of Stinespring, even at the point of his own reputation.
It’s Frank’s legacy that Frank is tarnishing. Just like my other infamous reference, it’s what Frank is doing to himself, not my words, that leaves the reflection on Frank.
Why can’t everyone just be more “frank” about your posts? “Frankly”, I’m fed up with the “frankness” of it all. Is this being “frank” enough for you all? Plain down “frankless”!
Crooked, your revisionist history of NC and I repeat “history” is so far off the mark it is comical. It is people like you that keeps “scopes” in business.
So little time to waste reading so many moronic and clueless comments from the dumbest Hokie (non)fans on the planet.
Bob H – MV1 offense under Bustle ranked 1st nationally in scoring. The team went to the freakin’ NC you idiot, and you want to pick that unit as your example of offensive failure. Unbelievable.
You people provide great evidence every day as to why Beamer and Co. should NEVER listen to any of you.
I played at Virginia Tech under Coach Beamer (and also Bill Dooley) and think the world of and totally trust him. I also know Chuck Long personally when he was the head coach at San Diego State and could not think of a better pick for offensive coordinator and/or QBs coach. Chuck is a fantastic recruiter and has connections and inroads to high schools on the west coast, mid-west and especially Texas (which is the high school football state). He has excelled as an offensive coordinator at Oklahoma and I know that his lastest stint at Kansas does not look great, but everyone needs to consider that Kansas is a basketball school that will never have a good football program. At SDSU his record was not great because the defense was horrible when he got there and it improved some, not alot – the offensive was great and that is what we need to focus on. Bud Foster has the defense ranked high nationally every year, so obviously there are no worries there. Chuck is just a solid person that can take Logan to the next level where he wants to be and can open up our offense. Even though Brian Stinestring probably will not be the OC this next year, he is a top notch recruiter and a great guy as well. Coach Beamer will probably do everything he can to hold on to Brian – I would. Anyway, my take is hire Chuck. I believe he can take our offense to the next level.
We all know if its on the internet its “true”. Nothing has come out of BB or FB. Maybe we have all been speculating. We’ve been waiting on an announcement that may not be coming. Could it be possible that no changes are being made?
Agree with John and Dave. Whole process is pitiful. I am in business and we meet annually to discuss succession plans for every key position. You mean to tell me the way this programs offense has been heading for years, there was not an immediate set of names, programs etc to approach?? Ideally you have a succession plan to replace people that are being PROMOTED, of course that doesn’t happen at Tech. And to not even acknowledge whether there is a even a search or evaluation going on while your star QB must make a quick decision whether to turn pro or not?
Turn it over to Bud and get rid of Frank and Weaver before things completely implode like the basketball program has after Weavers ingenious moves there ( again with no plan or candidates )
I agree Palmetto State Hokie, I think Virginia Tech can do a lot better than Frank Beamer and Weaver. This whole process has been a joke. Everything with these two is more like checkers instead of chess! I really like Coach Foster. He has that fire and that mean streak in him that really appeals to recruits from down my way. We are use to no nonsense coaches when it is time to go to war. And basically, that’s what football is. War! Have you ever heard ODU’s coach talk, he talks like he means business. Remember how Bobby Bowden used to talk. It was about kicking your @## on the football field. Bud Foster too. Bud seems like he wouldn’t mind beating a team 77-0 at all. Remember Tom Osborne and Nebraska. They routinely hammered teams without a second thought. That’s the kind of coach that is needed.
I Say Let’s Start The ABBBS (Any Body But Bryan Stinespring) Campaign Or Just Get Joe Fan To Run The Country Line Dance O 1-2-3 Kick 1-2-3 Kick Repeat!!!!!
Crooked Road, I know for a fact that Coach Beamer has communicated with Logan Thomas daily throughout this entire ordeal. Logan is up to speed on whats going on. Just because you are not doesn’t mean much. For you to say that Beamer has done Thomas a disservice is totally wrong.
But most trash that comes from your keyboard is equally wrong as well.
Danny, you know for a fact? What’s your connection to LT? If you know for a fact then you should ask LT for some insight. Or is your “knowing for a fact” just more of the same emphatic but non factual speculations and musings so many others post?
Crooked, I totally agree that we need a new OC. Stiney has been on my sh## list for ten years. I think he’s good people, players like him, I just don’t think he’s the man for the job. We need other changes as well, just don’t think FB is one of them…at this time. Weaver? Shoulda been gone long ago. Not trying to be deft, but I’m not any dafter than you are. You’re just plain wrong about the UNC thing, though. Were you even around then?
Will, thanks for your post. Nice to hear from someone with more than conjecture to offer on the subject.
Steve,
no, I dont communicate with Logan but there is a current VT player who lives in my neighborhood. He is pals with Logan and they talk. Simple as that.