Speaking of Stoops, heās been getting thrown around a lot the last couple days as a target for VT.
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A 7-win season equates to a 4-4 or 5-3 record in the ACC depending on non-conference. Iām not inspired much by that given the overall talent of the conference.
Maybe Duke or NC State are better examples. Wonāt find a perfect analogy but those are also two programs that have also usually at least challenged for that second tier of teams in the ACC during the last half decade.
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He did recently say heās loyal to UK
So a move is likely imminent
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Barnhart has a way of making his expensive problems leave on their own accord I guess. Quite the skill. Theyād be thrilled about that, and I would be pretty scared of him. Not sure if heād be as scary without Vince Marrow and a border with Ohio, but heās definitely a good coach.
I always figured the amicable solution for them would involve Ferentz retiring at Iowa, but that may not be in the cards by the time they need it to happen.
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I wouldnāt be overly scared of Stoops tbh. Heās not a bad coach, high floor because he knows how to build a defense and is a decent recruiter. But his offense has been an absolute mess the last couple of years, if he doesnāt have an NFL talent at QB or an athletic anomaly like Lynn Bowden theyāve been anemic on that side.
He also does nothing in terms of being a spark, in fact I think VT fans would revolt against their athletic program if he got hired.
Feed me Stoops to VT. Would love that low ceiling type of hire for them
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Iām a little skeptical of his recruiting going forward to be honest. Vince Marrow was a GREAT recruiter, and heās at Louisville now. And Stoops mostly makes his hay in the midwest, that would be harder in Blacksburg. The rise of Illinois and Indiana are going to be hard on him too. Those programs are going after the same guys that Ohio State and Michigan passed on that Stoops has feasted on over the years.
The offensive issues are very real. I thought Hamdan might work out, but they lost so many skill guys its honestly hard to tell, and Iām not sure theyāll give it more time to see.
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Where is Dan Mullen on their big board?
He would also be a guy that carries a big name but disappoints. Seeing AC in a Hokie uni would also be the cherry on top.
(Also, AC did have a nice game for himself last week against a horrendous AF defense - including a 19 yard game winning scramble with 36 seconds left)
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A lot of their fanbase has him high up there, right below James Franklin and God.
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I think heās very near the top. Like Franklin 1 and Mullen 2. Stoops seems to have slipped into that tier as well.
The next tier is Chesney, Huff, Silverfield, and Golesh. Golesh should get a shot at a better job. So will Franklin tbh, and Silverfield might as well if they continue at this pace into the playoff.
Chadwell is the interesting darkhorse to me.
Iām sure there are some coordinators technically in the mix, but I would be surprised if they went the coordinator route right now.
Is UK his dream school?
Canāt help but think VT fans are really setting themselves up for disappointment. Their aspirations for the HC are through the roof and could be a lot of competition
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It seems like a lot of the shine has worn off Chadwell after he inexplicably went into this season with Ethan Vasko as his QB1.
I still think heās a good coach but there are questions being raised about how sustainable his system is over time.
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Iām off Chadwell or at least pausing my support for the immediate future.
I just donāt know what he saw out of Vasko from his time as Coastal that made him think āyeah this guy can replace Salter in my offenseā. Vasko is a tight end masquerading as a QB.
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Thatās why Iām off him. Iām okay with a coach having āhis guyā or missing an eval, but that one was so far out of left field it makes me question everything he does.
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38 new posts today and not one Dragon betting pick. Now I know what it feels like when thereās no recruiting news.
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If you deem this season as successful, however you define success, then you almost have to give Elliott an extension with at least 1 or 2 additional guaranteed seasons regardless of how long the extension headline reads. The alternative is a coach entering next season with 2 years left on his deal and no coachesā buyout after 2026 thinking that UVA told him that he had to have a good 2025 and he went out and did it. After dealing with the shooting, lack of a football facility, state politics, academic restrictions and other stuff his first 3 years, he has a breakthrough year and gets nothing out of it. So if he has a successful 2026, why wouldnāt he take another job, reset his clock another 5-6 years for more guaranteed income? Because if you donāt extend him, youāre telling him that youāre just waiting for one more bad season to fire him. And if he has a mediocre 2026, would you fire him? If you donāt then youāre going into 2027 with him as a lame duck?
I mean, after typing that out, if he has a good rest of 2025, if he doesnāt get extended, Iād look to make a move this offseason if I were him. If someoneās willing to reset the coaching clock for him, then itās time to go. Sticking around only means youāre leaving or getting fired next year.
So whatās not having to hire a new coach and starting over worth to you?
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Feels like CTE is calling everyoneās bluff and now itās time for everyone to pay up or get stuck holding the bag to explain why they dismantled the very thing they worked so hard to develop.
Hereās a little tidbit for you, Hooz.
The Total on the Florida Atlantic/South Florida matchup opened at 73.5, and has only dropped to 73 in the early action.
This is the first game I have seen this year with a total in the 70s, but itās actually a reasonable opportunity to bet the over. South Florida is, by itself, averaging 60 points over its last three games, while giving up an average of 25. Meanwhile the Total on the last three Florida Atlantic games has averaged 72.
Given that, the total of 73 might be too LOW. 
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