Confirming the rumors we saw a few weeks ago. I’m okay with that hire. He has some interesting ideas and potential wrinkles to deploy.
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I’m not thrilled with the hire, but I guess I’m OK with it and very open to seeing how it goes. He has a strong record developing RBs (although Atlanta is not a very good running team right now, but it’s probably not his fault), but I don’t have any idea what is passing offense philosophy is. If Elliott is the one calling plays for a while, I’ll probably feel a little better.
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I’m of the same mindset. Not blown away by the hire, but it feels about on par for where TE is in his career, and not having an established coaching tree to pull from. I’m sure there’ll be some growing pains, but there’s time for all of that to happen since it will take time to adjust from the gimmicky system that is currently in place.
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I wouldn’t get too high or too low on any OC. Most of what the OC will be responsible for is behind the scenes stuff we have no reasonable way to evaluate as fans since we will be running Elliott’s offense. Have to trust TE to check off th boxes he is looking for there. Defensive Coordinator is a much bigger deal since he will be implementing his own defense.
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Sources: Virginia expected to add three members to Tony Elliott’s on-field coaching staff – Navy DL coach Kevin Downing, Army WR coach Keith Gaither and former UVA star and NFL first-round pick Chris Slade, who is an accomplished HS coach in Atlanta area.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 3, 2022
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A WR coach from a program that throws the ball less than ten times per game? Is he expected to be an assistant behind Hagans or Hagans moves to QB coach?
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Was just talking about that with a friend. I don’t see Hagans moving out of the WR room. But maybe Gaither becomes a TE coach or something like that.
For me the bigger picture is TE is bringing in some serious recruiters with connections throughout the mid-Atlantic and the south. All pipelines that have been closed off for the better part of 6 years.
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TE coach would make sense I think. And agree wholeheartedly on the recruiting front. Need to open back up those pipelines.
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Is it odd to hire multiple defensive coaches before hiring a DC? Or does this indicate we have a DC (that guy from Purdue?) but are still dotting i’s / crossing t’s?
No preconceived notions - just curious.
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C Slade! great hire
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Think the Purdue guy is headed to wake
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Yup, thanks. Just saw that.
Hearing Hoos are looking at the the Navy DC I’m hearing.
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Problem is Dragon is that none of these dudes coming in have done it at a P5 level. That said how would you like to be a Dline or LB being recruited by Slade and Stinim
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Interesting – Downing and Gaither coached together around 2010 at Elon, whose head coach at that time was Pete Lembo, a name lightly thrown around at one time (at least on The Sabre) as a possible hire at Virginia.
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The last 4 UVA regimes didn’t have experience recruiting at the P5 level so that’s nothing new. There is a lot to be said for having Slade and Stinim walking into a HS and flashing their knowledge. There’s also a ton to be said for molding better culture fits.
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Agree with all this, just seems a bit risky for a first time HC, thought he might expect to do a lot of ‘closing’ himself. Also the offensive side of the ball is setting up to be a very solid group of recruiters.
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Looks like Downing and Newberry (Navy DC) have worked together since 2010 or so
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LOL
Let’s see who else from the 2010 Elon coaching staff might be coming here …
How about early 1980s UVa player, Ron Mattes, and Dan O’Brien, only son of former OC, Tom O’Brien?