2008.12.01
Tech gets commitment
Virginia Tech has received a football commitment from DeAntre Rhodes, a 6-foot-2, 280-pound lineman from Varina High School who was rated the No. 13 prospect in Virginia on The Roanoke Times' preseason list.
Rhodes is the 19th player to commit to the Hokies for 2009, including two 2008 signees who are teammates this season at Fork Union Military Academy, wide receiver D.J. Coles and running back Tony Gregory.
A third member of Tech's 2009 recruiting class, offensive lineman Andrew Miller, will begin his Hokies' career on wrestling scholarship.
Rhodes, the No. 2 offensive-line prospect on The Roanoke Times' list, is now likely to get his first look on defense.
Rivals.com lists Rhodes as having received offers from nine Division I-A programs, including Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Clemson and Michigan.
--DOUG DOUGHTY
AD Weaver: Time for you to deliver on the HCIW agreement for Coach Foster. 13 days ago you said you were "trying to learn" about this arrangement that Mack Brown agreed to in Texas.
You as AD are responsible for the long-term health of Hokie football. Now that Sweeney got hired for the Clemson HC job it is time to execute the HCIW agreement for Foster. Woe to you if you drag your feet in the "trying to learn" phase and Coach Foster goes somewhere else.
Coach Beamer is 62 years old. It is time to think about the transition plan and Coach Foster is the bedrock of Hokie football.
We need your leadership on this issue!
Yes, VT is busy this week prepping for the ACC Championship. But, signing a HCIW agreement immediately to prevent Foster from leaving elsewhere is of more long-term significance to VT than whether we are going to play in the OB this year.
If Mack Brown at 58 years old (who has won a NC at UT) can agree to a HCIW agreement, then surely Beamer at 62 years (and no NC trophy) can see that Coach Foster is the future of VT football.
Comment by hokie nation — December 1, 2008 @ 7:57 pm
Get with it Mr. VT Athletic Director - Stop dragging your feet! - Clemson is not the only Coaching vacancy -
At the least tell Coach Foster that it is in the works - We want him at Virginia Tech - We need him at Virginia Tech - Contact his Agent if he has one - Move, Move, Move!!!!!!!!
Comment by Bob — December 1, 2008 @ 10:17 pm
A deal for Foster NOW would be premature. He deserves to be rewarded for what he is, the best Defensive Coordinator in the country. If he is hired away, it will give him the opportunity to coach NOW, and at age 50, that is what the man deserves. It would also allow us when the time arises to hire a man with experience as a head coach if he chooses to come home to VT. This program is big enough to lose anybody and continue the success.
Comment by Sid — December 2, 2008 @ 7:34 am
Hokie Nation: The deal is not so easy in the state of Virginia. Since Va. is an EOE state we must interview a certain amount of candiates for the job. Mr. Weaver is trying to find a way around this law.
Comment by scott — December 2, 2008 @ 8:26 am
Ditto all the above. The defense has made the difference in the W/L record for many years. At the helm has been Coach Foster. Execute the agreement, leaving some wiggle room, to try your best to lock Coach Foster into Blacksburg!
Comment by Ron — December 2, 2008 @ 1:47 pm
I have to agree with Sid, and I have a question for all of those telling Mr. Weaver he HAS to sign Coach Foster to a HCIW contract. What if Coach Foster DOESN'T want to be the HCIW? Any contract of this type would have to include a significant buyout and if he got the opportunity to be a head coach at a school attractive to him, he might not be able to take it. I agree that Coach Foster is important to the Hokies, but as he teaches his players, one person doesn't make a team. For everything Coach Foster has done for Virginia Tech, if he wanted to take a head coaching job at another school, he should be able to do so without being penalized.
Comment by Justafan — December 2, 2008 @ 4:27 pm
I agree! VT football is bigger than one person and the program can survive anybody leaving. I say forget the HCIW agreement for Coach Foster and instead make him the Hokie HC now -- because VT football is bigger than Coach Beamer. At 62 years old, Coach Beamer is looking pretty haggard these days. I don't want the big drama over the next couple of years to be whether Beamer is going to catch Tressel or not in # of wins. Instead of the Beamer vs. Tressel drama, I want the big drama to be whether VT can win a National Championship or not. For the past couple of years, Beamer has had blinders on about Stinespring as his OC. This stubbornness tells me that Beamer is not serious about winning a NC. Coach Beamer is too stubborn to admit that making Stinespring the OC in 2001 (when he had zero credentials) was a HUGE mistake and set the team back. Even now, Beamer probably still has no desire to replace Stinespring at the end of this season. At the year-end meeting with Weaver, Beamer will most likely try once again to use the jedi-mind trick on Weaver and tell him that Stinespring needs to stay. Beamer and his stubborn decision to keep Stinespring have prevented this team from going to the next level. Therefore, I question if Beamer truly does have the best interest of the team in mind by keeping an OC that has been 100+ for the past 3 years. That my friend is cronyism at its finest. Therefore, I say Beamer is an obstacle from allowing the team get better and he needs to go fulltime to his lakehouse in Georgia.
This is not about Beamer. This is about the team. This is not about Beamer's legacy and his twilight years at VT. This is about the team. Beamer constantly moves players around on the team to be were they best benefit the team -- not the person. He should be able to see better than anyone that Coach Foster is the future of Hokie football. Coach Foster is the man to lead Hokie football to the next level.
It is time for some new ideas and some new energy as our HC. The sight of Coach Foster running down the sidelines at the end of the of the UVA is Hokie football. This is the type of energy that we need now as the HC of the Hokies.
Let me quote the ESPN ACC website this week about Coach Foster:
"It's time the man behind the machine got some credit. Foster's defense has been the key all season, and was again in the 17-14 win over rival Virginia that sent the Hokies to the ACC championship game for the third time in four years."
ESPN nailed it. Coach Foster is the "man behind the machine" and he has been for some time at VT. Ever since the Hokies joined the ACC, Beamer and Stinespring have been earning a living off Coach Foster's defense. Without Foster's defense over the past 5 years, the Hokies are nothing more than a team of the caliber of Syracuse.
AD Weaver, do the right thing.
Comment by hokie nation — December 2, 2008 @ 9:07 pm
These are very good comments. Comments by hokies nation are very, very good.
Bud Foster certainly deserves to be a head coach if that is what he wants. All indications are that he wants this, he has checked out openings at several schools the past two years, Arkansas, WVU, Clemson. He has actively checked these openings out. He clearly wants to be a head coach.
A head coach in waiting would be good for Hokie fans in keeping him at Tech. The question in this for Coach Foster is how long would the wait be? This could be many years. An example of this is Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno, look how long they have stayed on at their schools and how old they are.
Yes Coach Foster is the answer for us as Hokie fans but is it the answer for Coach Foster? Would he want to wait that long?
As for the comments about Steinspring, everybody feels the same way, almost everyone. The answer to that appears that as long as we are winning, he will be the OC, even though the defense is winning the games. Remember that Coach Beamer is the head coach and it is his final say ao on the offense, it is his offense. You are correct about the offense, it is not getting results, and that is what Coach Beamer says that he deals with, results.
Once again very good comments, I enjoy reading them.
GO HOKIES!!!
Comment by Frank — December 3, 2008 @ 7:44 am
I think Frank Beamer has earned the right to decide when he steps down. If he chooses not to, so be it. I think Coach Foster will be a good head coach and I hope it will be at Virginia Tech, but if not, so be that as well. I still happen to believe that Coach Beamer and AD Weaver know more about what is good for the program that people on an internet messege board.
Comment by Justafan — December 3, 2008 @ 4:13 pm
To Justafan.
Nice tactic! So when all else falls in your logic, just blame that silly "internet message board" group. What do they know? They couldn't possibly have the best interest of VT football in mind like Weaver/Beamer do. They couldn't possibly have the passion for VT football like Weaver/Beamer do?
Let me point out to you, that 16 days ago it was Weaver himself (not an internet message board) that brought up the idea of a HCIW agreement for Foster. Weaver is a very smart and politically saavy individual. It was not by accident that he brought it up on a radio broadcast to the Hokie listing audience. That was a calculated move on his part. It could be termed a "trial balloon." He launched the trial balloon so public opinion within the Hokie Nation could respond. And thankfully, there were internet message boards like this one where fans could respond.
Overwhelming, the vast majority of Tech public opinion is very enthusiastic about the HCIW agreement for Foster (IF he didn't get the Clemson job). Weaver, himself in his comments even qualified it by saying that idea of a HCIW was only contingent upon if Foster didn't get the Clemson job.
Well, the Clemson job was filled. Thankfully, there is an internet message board like this to hold Weaver accountable. It's kind of like writing a letter to the city newspaper when you see something that you want to hold somebody accountable over. That my friend is a good thing and be very glad that you live in a country where you can hold somebody in public accountable.
I, in my original post, said that Weaver better be doing more than just learning about this HCIW agreement from Texas. If you are going to launch a trial balloon, you better be ready to execute it if it comes back that overwhelmingly people are in support.
It has been 16 days since Weaver last spoke on the issue. Is it unreasonable for us to know what movement he has made on the issue? Oh course, he can claim "I'm too busy trying to get enough alumni to buy the allocated number of tickets to Saturday's ACC Championship." But, as an "internet message board" poster I am trying to remind Weaver that his #1 job is to be a steward of the long-term health of the VT football team. Losing the "heart-and-soul" of the Hokie coaching staff (Coach Foster) would be a tremendous blow long-term blow to our football team. I happen to believe that without Foster over the past 5 years, we are nothing better than a Syracuse-caliber team.
Translation: Now that the Clemson job is filled, I don't want Weaver to dither in signing Foster to this HCIW agreement. Weaver is the one who officially went on the record. He is the one who needs to communicate what is being done on this important issue to the Hokie Nation. How sad it would be for the Hokie nation if we were a week too late in offering up a HCIW agreement because our AD was trying to fill seats at a football game. That seems too tactically-minded than strategically-minded.
Thanks Roanoke Times for providing this public service to the "internet message board" folks out there that Justafan and others like him routinely criticize.
Maybe if there would have been a robust "internet message board" community back in 2001, they could have raised the flag on Beamer hiring a person with zero credentials to lead the Hokie offense.
Accountability in this new "internet message board" era means being held to poor decisions in the past (i.e. hiring Stiney). Coaches should welcome this accountability. People like me pay for season tickets that pay Weaver and Beamers salary. So I think I should have a voice in how they are being good stewards (or not) of that public trust that these two gentlemen hold at a state universary.
When I see cronyism with my own eyes, thankfully I have a mechanism like this to say so.
16 days and counting since Weaver first mentioned the HCIW option. How many more days until he mentions it again?
Comment by hokie nation — December 3, 2008 @ 10:19 pm
To Hokie Nation (of which you are just one voice): No tactic, just common sense. I too, am a member of this "internet message board" group. I too, have a the best interest of VT football in mind. I too, have a passion for the VT football program. However, where we differ is that I am realistic enough to know that AD Weaver and Coach Beamer know more about the football program that any of the "internet message board" group participants, including you and I. Do you sit in on all of the coaches meetings? Do you attend practices? I know I don't and none of the Hokie fans I know do.
I am well aware that AD Weaver made mention of the HCIW possibility and said he would look into it. Maybe he did and doesn't believe it would be beneficial to the program. As I posted in an earlier message, maybe Coach Foster doesn't want to be tied down by the restrictions of an HCIW.
I have no problem with people stating opinions on messege boards, but you seem to think you speak for all Hokie fans and I don't share that opinion with you.
You said, "But, as an "internet message board" poster I am trying to remind Weaver that his #1 job is to be a steward of the long-term health of the VT football team." and "I, in my original post, said that Weaver better be doing more than just learning about this HCIW agreement from Texas. If you are going to launch a trial balloon, you better be ready to execute it if it comes back that overwhelmingly people are in support."
I'm sure AD Weaver doesn't need any help realizing his duties. But if you feel he does, I would advise you to write him a letter and include your return address and phone number. I have done so several times and gotten responses by phone and by mail. As busy as he is, I sincerely doubt he takes time to read this message board.
You said, "Thanks Roanoke Times for providing this public service to the "internet message board" folks out there that Justafan and others like him routinely criticize." I agree and also thank the RT for this forum for stating "opinions" on issues that have our interest. You are wrong in stating that I "routinely criticize" those on this board. If you do a little research you will find that I agree with some posters about as often as I am critical. I am normally only critical of people who think they know enough to make bombastic demands of those who are closer and more knowledgable of the situation being discussed.
You said, "People like me pay for season tickets that pay Weaver and Beamers salary. So I think I should have a voice in how they are being good stewards (or not) of that public trust that these two gentlemen hold at a state universary." I too, am a season's ticket holder and contributor. I have been since the late '70's and I don't think you, I or anyone else on this board has the knowledge to make the decisions that these men have to make.
Lastly, you said, "Accountability in this new "internet message board" era means being held to poor decisions in the past (i.e. hiring Stiney). Coaches should welcome this accountability." I hate to tell you but coaches are too busy to read these boards. Boards like this have costs some good coaches their jobs. Coaches Fulmer and Tuberville had great records at their schools, but one bad year and some contributors and message boards posters who think they are football genius' have forced them out.
Messege boards are great for stating opinions and facts. But making anonymous demands when you don't have all of the facts (and please don't respond that you have all of the facts, you DON'T) is sad.
That's my opinion, and I am outta here.
Comment by Justafan — December 4, 2008 @ 6:14 pm
Justafan...
What makes you think that I haven't written to Weaver? What makes you think that I got the same response that the Roanoke Times did (i.e. no comment).
I understand Weaver is too busy trying to fill seats at Tampa right now instead of worrying about how to keep the "heart and soul" of Hokie football here for a HCIW agreement. We wouldn't want to be like FSU and UT (two teams that have won a NC in the past couple of years).
And I believe you are smart enough to understand the benefits of asking this question to Weaver in a public setting like this blog post read by hundreds of folks in the SW Virginia area (many of whom are season ticket holders like yourself). Tell me you know the difference between writing a snailmail letter to Weaver and having an open letter via the Roanoke Times blog. I will assume that with your association to Tech (since the late 70s) that you truly understand this new Internet age that we live in.
Anyway...it also sounds like you have username envy that I use the name "Hokie Nation" and I sound like some monolithic entity. Well, I am indeed sorry about that. My apologies that you selected a username that makes it sound like you are just a single fan out there trying to make sense of it all.
Comment by hokie nation — December 5, 2008 @ 9:40 pm
Trying to get seats sold for the game in Tampa is a waste of time, time that could and should be put to better use. The game should sell itself, but it isn't doing it and won't, this year or next year. The game is being help too far from home for fans to travel to it. Tampa is not an ACC city. It was a terrible choice as a place to have the game played. This was truly a terrible decision. The game should have been held in the state of NC, the home of the ACC. What a choice of a location for the game, Tampa! This is an awful bad thing for our conference, another year of empty seats for the championship game, especially in a year when many people are questioning the strength of the conference football teams. This thing of trying to get seats sold looks bad, it looks like begging, trying to get 5,000-10,000 people to buy something that they don't want to buy. Looks really bad!
Comment by Frank — December 6, 2008 @ 8:29 am
Well, Hokie Nation, you sure are proud of yourself.
If you were bringing up questions and opinions concerning the football program I would have no problem with you. But, you have been making demands as if you are master of all time, space, and dimension. Mr. Weaver is not doing as you wish and it's ticking you off. Just because you think it's the thing to do doesn't elevate you to the position of running the VT Atletic Dept. I AM smart enough to understand the benefits of asking Mr. Weaver this type of question. Are YOU smart enough to understand that he is under no obligation to answer it?
You asked "Tell me you know the difference between writing a snailmail letter to Weaver and having an open letter via the Roanoke Times blog. I will assume that with your association to Tech (since the late 70s) that you truly understand this new Internet age that we live in." Yes, I do know the difference and I do truly understand the internet age that we live in. I have worked in the technology industry since the afforementioned '70's. Do YOU understand that just because you post a message on this board, it doesn't mean Mr. Weaver will read it? I suggested you write him a letter via "snailmail" as it has been my experience that he does read his mail.
If you do decide to write a letter, please try to tone down the demands. Grandma always said you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
Lastly, sorry to disappoint you, but I do not envy your user name. I was just reminding you that you do not speak for the entire Hokie Nation.
BTW, if you haven't already done so, buy a copy of the Hokie Nation DVD. It's a very good documentary on Hokie fans. Plus, I'm in it, just wish I got royalties.
Comment by Justafan — December 6, 2008 @ 8:15 pm
WOW Hokie Nation must love himself and his self imposed feelings on VT Fans. What an absolute idiot. Even presuming to name himself hokie Nation is Grandiose to the point of sadness.
Comment by Bill Lipscomb — December 9, 2008 @ 9:20 am