As the Virginia Tech football team prepares to enter summer camp, there have been some mixed observations from national media.
The recent Metallica concert in Blacksburg brought even more attention to Virginia Tech’s football entrance music, and in a recent ranking by 247 Sports, the playing of “Enter Sandman” was the top gameday tradition in all of college football.
CBS Sports considers Tech’s head coach to be on the hot seat. While Brent Pry has failed to reach several expectations, he is ranked at #63 on the overall Power Four list of coaches.
CBS Sports says things feel headed in the wrong directions. Pry does rank ahead of Virginia’s Tony Elliott, who is also facing some heavy scrutiny.
Thus, onlookers feel like everyone is watching a Clint Eastwood movie with its own version of “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.”
But the football program isn’t the only sport under the microscope in Blacksburg.
While the school’s softball team made the postseason, they seemed to fail in most onlookers’ eyes. There was also the baseball team, who did not get out of the shadows of the ACC tournament.
Athletic Director Whit Babcock is also coming off a below level men’s basketball season. This summer is a make or break time for Virginia Tech athletics.
The baseball program did part ways with Ryan Fecteau (associate head coach, pitching) and Kyle Sarazin (director of player development). This could just be a band aid and will depend on who Tech’s hires to fill the openings.
The transfer portal is also a negative for all the above mentioned sports programs.
The revolving door could make or break everyone up and down Beamer Way.
This could also be a key for Babcock to see if he can stop the outward sucking air, plugging holes across the board. Mr. Fixit will have to step up his game, and he too has been under some heavy criticism.
The report card will be published early in the fall, and the hope is that it will be a passing grade. But lots of changes must take place to make it a little better before those sports are jumpstarted this Fall.
Eastwood couldn’t say it any better, “Do you feel lucky?” Hokie fans hope so!