SBNation.com User Blog: Ty Hodges

Indefensible - The Methodology Of Termination

Ty Hodges — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:00:33 -0000

Let me preface this article by saying that this story is not about my opinion on whether or not Seth Greenberg should have been fired. Our editorial staff has done a brilliant job of expressing those opinions already.

What this story will cover is the inexcusable and blatantly disrespectful manner in which Seth Greenberg was removed as the Virginia Tech's men's basketball head coach. It is my strong opinion that whether or not you agree with the decision made by Jim Weaver to change the direction of the program, the methodology of that change was about as poorly executed as it could have possibly been.

My case after the jump...

On March 9th, Virginia Tech's season was over. In the second round of the ACC Tournament, the Hokies were beaten by the Duke Blue Devils for the third time that season. That loss marked the end of what can be simply put as a disappointing season. Tech's record sat at an underwhelming 16-17, while their ACC record was a dismal 4-12. This was not the season that the fans, the team, or Seth Greenberg had in mind.

Fast forward to April 2nd, almost a month later. News outlets began reporting that Virginia Tech assistants Rob Ehsan and Jeff Wulbrun (director of basketball operations) were leaving for UAB. For Ehsan, this move was parallel in terms of the coaching hierarchy while Wulbrun was able to move up the ranks to a full-fledged assistant coach.

This move by Ehsan and Wulbrun marked the fourth straight year that at least one of Greenberg's assistants had left to take positions at other programs.

Fast forward again, this time to April 13th - almost two weeks later. These same news outlets began running stories of another Virginia Tech assistant leaving. This time, James Johnson (or known around the team as simply J.J.) was leaving Blacksburg for another job within the ACC. In one swift move, Johnson became the third member of Greenberg's staff to leave within a three week period as he departed to take an assistant coaching job at Clemson - a job slated to give him, as Norm Wood put it, "a significant raise."

Fast forward for the last time to April 15th - two days later. Virginia Tech announced that they would be increasing the pay of new men's basketball assistant coaches in order to keep up with the salaries offered by other ACC programs at the request of former head coach Seth Greenberg.

On that, an interesting quote was pulled from Virginia Tech Athletic Director, Jim Weaver.

"We certainly like the continuity that we have throughout the great majority of our department, and certainly we’d like to see that same kind of continuity in men’s basketball."

Boom. There's the word - continuity. That word would spell the end of Seth Greenberg's tenure at Virginia Tech only eight days later.

It's easy to see why Greenberg made his fair share of enemies during his time at Virginia Tech. Greenberg has a brash, outspoken, and brutally honest personality; and it's easy to see why this New York attitude wouldn't necessarily mesh well with others in the heart of Southwest Virginia. It was this clash of personalities that led to the lack of continuity that Weaver so strongly wants within his basketball program.

On April 23rd, Jim Weaver and Tom Gabbard, the associate director of athletics for Virginia Tech, sat at a podium and announced the "termination" of Seth Greenberg's contract. Make no mistake either, the word "termination" was intentional. There was no "parting ways," and there was no "letting go." Instead, we saw Greenberg get terminated, and the rubble and debris that has been flying ever since could be pulled straight out of a Schwarzenegger film.

Here's where I begin to take issue with everything that has transpired so far. We've fast forwarded, now it's time to rewind for a second.

Rewind to the week of April 15th, this is when Jim Weaver and Tom Gabbard apparently made their decision that they were going to "terminate" Greenberg's contract. That means that over the course of those seven days, they had agreed that they were going to let Greenberg go.

This begs the question, why did Greenberg first hear about his potential firing from David Teel during the afternoon hours of April 23rd? Why was Greenberg having to take time away from showing a recruit around campus to answer questions from media members about whether or not he still had a job?

Just before noon on April 23rd, media members and outlets received word of a press conference that was to be held at 4 P.M. that day. At 1:30 P.M., Seth Greenberg received the news in a private meeting with Weaver and Gabbard that he was being "terminated."

While members of the media, and all of the Virginia Tech community for that matter, were left to speculate about what the press conference could be about, Greenberg had no knowledge about this press conference at all. The fact that the media and fans knew about the press conference before Seth Greenberg did is downright disrespectful to the man who pulled Virginia Tech basketball out of the gutter, washed it off, and gave it the clothes off his back.

Where was this notice ahead of time by Weaver or Gabbard? Sometime between April 15th and April 21st, Weaver and Gabbard made up their minds about what to do with Greenberg. Why was Seth not informed sooner about this decision? Why was he not given any chance to prepare for what was about to happen to him? I highly doubt it's because Weaver and Gabbard couldn't find the time between their busy schedules.

Why did Weaver and Gabbard wait until 8:20 A.M. on the morning of April 23rd to have Virginia Tech President Charles Steger sign-off on the decision? Why the haste in general? It's surely no wonder why Greenberg felt "blindsided" about the decision to let him go, because he only had two and a half hours to process the decision before it was made official to the world on HokieSports.com via a live stream.

The fact of the matter is this - Greenberg gave Weaver nine of his best years, and in return Weaver gave Greenberg two and a half of his worst hours. There's something seriously wrong with this scenario.

There are more questions that can be asked. Why did Weaver and company wait so long after the end of the season to make this decision? Why didn't Weaver and Gabbard seek out Steger's approval of the decision before the day of the decision itself? Why didn't Weaver and Gabbard make this decision immediately following the first two assistants leaving back in early April?

I don't know the answers to these questions, nor will I claim to. However, what I know is what I see, and what I have seen in this whole situation is an egregious hypocrisy by Weaver.

It is beyond me how Weaver can sit at a podium and preach continuity and family while simultaneously throwing Greenberg under the bus. The last time I checked, family members usually don't leave each other out to dry in the worst way possible - at least, not a good family, that is.

There was a clear lack of respect for Seth Greenberg in the hours leading up until 4 P.M. on April 23rd. Greenberg pulled Virginia Tech basketball out of complete darkness and showed them the light (the NCAA Tournament), albeit for a brief period in time. In the end, however, Greenberg was left in the dark until the last possible moment by Weaver. This is an unfitting end to what was a mostly successful tenure at Virginia Tech given the situation that Greenberg inherited upon his arrival in Blacksburg.

For Weaver, it's too late to do the right thing in this situation. That opportunity has long since passed. For his sake, I hope Weaver is able to pull in one of those "big name candidates" that he spoke so adamantly about in the press conference. If he can't, he will have set Virginia Tech basketball back while painting the program in the poorest of lights.

Poll

Was Seth Greenberg's firing handled correctly?

Yes

29 votes

No

278 votes

Not Sure

26 votes

333 votes | Poll has closed

Rushing For History: Weeks 5, 6, 7 and 8

Ty Hodges — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:34:50 -0000

Holy cow, has it already been eight weeks of college football? This season has gone so fast...and so has David Wilson! Let me start this article with an apology. I've been absent for the last four weeks and I apologize to all the people that actually read what I write.

That being said, I've got four crazy weeks of catching up to do! Let's get to it after the jump!

Week 5

Ryan Williams (2009): This wasn't the prettiest game for Ryan Williams or the Hokies. Virginia Tech went into Duke riding a three game win streak, the prior two games against ranked opponents. The Hokies were up to #6 in the nation and almost let a motivated Duke team knock them off. Ryan Williams had a rough time running against the Blue Devils too.

Stat Line: 24 Carries, 83 Yards, 0 Touchdowns

Season Totals: 108 Carries, 575 Yards, 8 Touchdowns

David Wilson (2011): Speaking of ugly games...this is the infamous week where the Hokies got waxed at home by Clemson. The offense lacked an identity and clearly didn't come prepared (The same could be said for the fan base too). Among the horrid play though, David Wilson actually had himself a decent night.

Stat Line: 20 Carries, 123 Yards, 0 Touchdowns

Season Totals: 109 Carries, 643 Yards, 5 Touchdowns

Progress: David Wilson +1 Carry, +68 Yards, -3 Touchdowns

Week 6

Ryan Williams (2009): Now this is what you call a rebound game. The Hokies got over their spook from Duke and Ryan Williams went off. Boston College never had a chance. This game was never close so let's just get to the stats.

Stat Line: 18 Carries, 159 Yards, 1 Touchdown

Season Totals: 126 Carries, 734 Yards, 9 Touchdowns

David Wilson (2011): You want to talk about an exciting game, this is the one for you. This was one of the most entertaining games I've ever seen. It had everything, good and bad. David Wilson fit into the good category. This was a huge confidence booster for Wilson and the Hokies, even if Logan Thomas stole the show against the Hurricanes.

Stat Line: 23 Carries, 128 Yards, 0 Touchdowns

Season Totals: 132 Carries, 771 Yards, 5 Touchdowns

Progress: David Wilson +6 Carries, +37 Yards, -4 Touchdowns

Week 7

Ryan Williams (2009): This was the Hokies' second loss of the 2009 season. Playing at Georgia Tech has proven problematic for the Hokies and this remained the case in this game. Ryan Williams did his part with the carries he was given but looking back it makes you wonder why he didn't get the rock more. Hindsight is always 20/20 though.

Stat Line: 14 Carries, 100 Yards, 1 Touchdown

Season Totals: 140 Carries, 834 Yards, 10 Touchdowns

David Wilson (2011): It was a rough start for the Hokies against Wake Forest. The first quarter saw pretty much less than no offense. For the last three quarters though, it was game over. The Hokies got their momentum rolling and David Wilson was off to the races.

Stat Line: 17 Carries, 136 Yards, 1 Touchdown

Season Totals: 149 Carries, 907 Yards, 6 Touchdowns

Progress: David Wilson +9 Carries, +73 Yards, -4 Touchdowns

Week 8

Ryan Williams (2009): At home on a Thursday night, no one in Hokie Nation really though Virginia Tech would lose to UNC. Well, unfortunately that's exactly what happened. A last second field goal gave UNC a 20-17 win in Lane Stadium as the Hokies lost two straight, and their third game of the season. The outlook was bleak for the Hokies at this point in the season, for good reason too. Ryan Williams also had a sub-par game.

Stat Line: 23 Carries, 96 Yards, 0 Touchdowns

Season Totals: 163 Carries, 930 Yards, 10 Touchdowns

David Wilson (2011): The train is rolling again for the Hokies! After their loss to Clemson, the Hokies have won three straight games and David Wilson has given some major performances. As Logan Thomas improves, David Wilson will continue to get more space to work with. It appears to be working too as Wilson's numbers begin to soar. After this week, David Wilson became the only 1,000 yard rusher in the NCAA.

Stat Line: 17 Carries, 134 Yards, 1 Touchdown

Season Totals: 164 Carries, 1,037 Yards, 7 Touchdowns

Progress: David Wilson +1 Carry, +107 Yards, -3 Touchdowns

Phew, that was quite the write up for me. We're all caught up now though and I shant be letting you down anymore! What can we take from this? David Wilson is beasting at a rate that not even Ryan Williams could touch yardage wise. Ryan Williams has more touchdowns at this point but that could be in part due to the fact that if the Hokies are close to the endzone, Logan Thomas is either leaning forward or passing the ball. It's a change in philosophy for the Hokies but it appears to be working.

If Wilson keeps this pace up he will smash the single season rushing record for Virginia Tech. The Hokies have two tough games coming up with UNC and Georgia Tech. We will see how next week plays out against Duke. The Hokies have a bye week before playing Georgia Tech on Thursday night, so in three weeks we will have a better picture about not only the Hokies, but David Wilson's chance at snapping Ryan Williams' record.

Poll

Will David Wilson break Ryan Williams' single season rushing record?

Yes

232 votes

No

7 votes

Not Sure Yet

19 votes

258 votes | Poll has closed

A QB Controversy In Blacksburg?

Ty Hodges — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 05:33:04 -0000

All it took was one loss for the fanbase to work themselves into a tizzy. The North End Zone was one of the most critical, obnoxious and depressing group of students I've ever sat with. I would be a hypocrite if I didn't take some blame myself for my (re)actions in regards to some moments in the game. I've never booed a Virginia Tech player before in my life and yet, amongst the rain of boo's I found my own after the 11-yard punt by Scott Demler. It was a sobering moment for me.

Most interesting to me are the criticisms of first year starting QB, Logan Thomas. Before, during and especially after the loss to Clemson, I heard a lot of negative comments regarding Logan Thomas. The strongest comments that I heard involved Logan Thomas being compared to Sean Glennon, maybe the most infamous QB in Virginia Tech history. And now we find Virginia Tech 4-1 on the season, and there are clamors in the stands for Mark Leal in place of Thomas.

Below the jump, we will explore the possibility of a quarterback controversy in Blacksburg.

Ask any of the coaches and they will tell you that there is less than a zero percent chance of a QB controversy. Ask some of the fans watching the games and they will tell you differently. Mark Leal is quickly becoming a more common name in Blacksburg. Warranted or not, Logan Thomas is garnering comparisons to Sean Glennon and Mark Leal is getting compared to Tyrod Taylor.

There have been three claims that I have heard about Logan Thomas and Mark Leal and we will examine all three.

Claim 1: Logan Thomas Isn't A Strong Enough Leader

This is a claim that I hear a lot, more so after the Hokies' first loss of the season to Clemson. One particular comment made after the Clemson game doesn't help his cause.

When asked about how to fix the passing game, Thomas responded "I have no idea."

This isn't what you want or need your starting quarterback to say. Thomas needs to come across as more confident and positive, even after his first loss as a starter.

While this doesn't look good for Thomas, you have to take into account what some of the coaches have been saying about him. Thomas has a quiet leadership quality to him. Some in the locker room have compared his quiet confidence to the same swagger that Tyrod Taylor carried around all the time.

Time will tell if Logan will get more confident or assertive. What this argument doesn't answer is whether or not Mark Leal would be any better as a leader. Therefore, this argument really holds no weight. It proves nothing either way, therefore people, stop talking about it.

Claim 2: Mark Leal Fits Virginia Tech's System Better

This is another claim that I have been hearing since the spring scrimmages. Logan Thomas is tall and rigid when moving about in the pocket while Mark Leal is shorter and agile when scrambling. It's easy to see why the comparisons to Tyrod Taylor are being thrown out.

People don't like change and a lot of people aren't used to seeing a tall, poised quarterback in the pocket. Logan Thomas isn't looking to run around in the backfield, he's looking to sit in there and throw bullets.

Claims that our offensive line isn't good enough to support a pocket passing quarterback are the keys to this argument. If the offensive line isn't good enough to protect him in the pocket, we need somebody who can quickly escape pressure and move outside of the pocket.

This argument has some legitimacy, but it also has its flaws. While it is true that Logan isn't the most nimble player out there, having a mobile QB won't solve the offensive line problems. Ask any offensive lineman, it's a pain to have a scrambling QB in the backfield.

When an offensive lineman is engaged with his defender he has to keep his eyes on his target. It makes his job easier if he assumes his QB is directly behind him. With a scrambling QB, the lineman's assumptions can go out the window. It is very easy for the lineman to lose track of the QB and that's how assignments get blown on longer plays. This can directly lead to botched plays or sacks.

At the same time, if you can't escape pressure, you're going to get hit. Leal could definitely avoid pressure better than Logan Thomas could. Leal is lighter on his feet and more nimble than Thomas. With this skill set comes the ability to break off some long runs with your feet. Logan can very effectively pick up one or two yards by falling forward but the likelihood that he will bust off a huge run is doubtful. Leal brings that extra dynamic, but even those long 70-yard Tyrod-esque runs aren't a guarantee by any stretch.

With O'Cain calling the plays now, it's unclear if the new spread, shotgun formations are a part of his natural system or a result of Logan Thomas being the QB running the system. Either way, both of these QB's bring different skill sets to the table.

Feel free to debate this one.

Claim 3: Logan Thomas Isn't Built To Be A Quarterback

Of all of the claims this one might hold the most weight. Logan Thomas was recruited as a tight-end to Virginia Tech. Thomas has always dreamed of playing receiver/tight-end and this is on record. It is also on record that Thomas would not have chosen Virginia Tech had they recruited him as a QB out of the gate.

Thomas' height and natural skills as a receiver would certainly give validity to the argument that he needs to play the position that is most natural to him. We saw against Wake Forest in 2010 that he can make the big plays as a receiver.

Mark Leal was recruited as a QB and played QB all the way through high school. It's what he's known and is comfortable with.

It's very easy to make the argument that both players should do what is natural to them. Let Leal be the quarterback and let Logan Thomas fill some gaps in the very weak tight-end position for the Hokies.

The flaw in this argument is that this argument goes off the assumption that Logan Thomas won't improve. Thomas is a first year starting QB and is going to go through some growing pains. It's impossible to tell how Logan will look two to three years down the road, or maybe as soon as by the end of the season.

It says a lot about the confidence that the fans have in Thomas after wanting to make the switch after a five game tenure.

I believe this is an argument that can be debated as well.

The Verdict

The reality of the situation is that there isn't a QB controversy within the locker room. The coaches speak highly of Thomas and his fellow players are doing the same. If coaches listened to the fans, Tim Tebow would be leading the 0-4 Broncos for the entirety of the season.

Should Thomas continue to perform poorly though, it could become interesting to see if the coaches give Leal some special packages in the offense. In the mean time, be calm and carry on.

What is your take on the debate? Post in the comments below.

Poll

Who Should Be The Starting QB For Virginia Tech?

Logan Thomas

359 votes

Mark Leal

233 votes

Dual-QB System

147 votes

739 votes | Poll has closed

Rushing For History: Weeks 3 and 4

Ty Hodges — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:01:58 -0000

Two weeks ago we began tracking David Wilson’s progress in catching and breaking Ryan Williams’ single season rushing record. Since then, the Hokies have moved to 4-0 on the season and David Wilson’s yards keep totaling up.

Is he still on pace to break Virginia Tech’s single season rushing record? Find out after the jump.

Week 3

Ryan Williams (2009): Ryan Williams played in this game but not one single Hokie will remember it for his performance. If you don't remember, this was the home game against Nebraska in which Tyrod Taylor manufactured the Miracle in Blacksburg. After an 81 yard pass to Danny Coale (He's still open, by the way), Taylor completed an 11 yard touchdown pass to Dyrell Roberts. But like I said, Ryan Williams DID play in that game. Here's how he did.

Stat Line: 21 carries, 107 yards, 1 touchdown

Season Totals: 50 carries, 342 yards, 6 touchdowns

David Wilson (2011): This was certainly not David Wilson's best game in a Virginia Tech uniform. Arkansas State was a thorn in the side of the Hokies all night and it didn't help Wilsion's chase with Logan Thomas throwing the ball 33 times. The Hokies got the win but Wilson's pace and numbers took a hit.

Stat Line: 21 carries, 88 yards, 1 touchdown

Season Totals: 63 carries, 388 yards, 4 touchdowns

Progress: David Wilson +13 carries, +46 yards, -2 touchdowns

Week 4

Ryan Williams (2009): This is the week in 2009 when the Miami hype faded just as soon as it came. Ryan Williams was directly responsible for that. In Blacksburg it felt like a hurricane came to town that day as rain poured on the players and fans. Williams had one of his biggest games as a Hokie against the 9th ranked Miami Hurricanes.

Stat Line: 34 carries, 150 yards, 2 touchdowns

Season Totals: 84 carries, 492 yards, 8 touchdowns

David Wilson (2011): This was another interesting week for David Wilson and the Hokies. Playing on the road against Marshall, the Hokies put up 30 points but came away from the game disappointed by their execution. The Hokies could (and probably should have) dropped 40+ points on the Thundering Herd.

Stat Line: 26 carries, 132 yards, 1 touchdown

Season Totals: 89 carries, 520 yards, 5 touchdowns

Progress: David Wilson +5 carries, +28 yards, -3 touchdowns

There we go! David Wilson is still on pace to break Ryan Williams' rushing record but the margin is slim. Two weeks ago, David Wilson was up on Williams by 65 yards, that number is down almost 40 yards. It's very interesting that David Wilson is losing his lead on Williams despite playing inferior opponents. Ryan Williams had big games against #19 Nebraska and #9 Miami. Wilson had some running issues against Arkansas State and Marshall.

Is there a reason to be worried? Not really.

Logan Thomas was thrown through the ringer in the past two weeks throwing the ball more than 30 times each game. This is a move by the coaching staff to make sure he has plenty of experience throwing the ball before ACC play begins.

Ryan Williams also seems to have a nose for the endzone more than Wilson does at the moment. No one is going to doubt how explosive Wilson is and how much of a playmaker he can be, but he still doesn't have the killer instinct that Ryan Williams had. This will come with time.

We will see against Clemson whether this trend of Logan Thomas throwing the ball more will continue. I expect the Hokies to let the offense run through Wilson and Oglesby more this weekend in an attempt to keep that Clemson offense off the field as much as possible. This should equate to a big game for Wilson.

Rushing For History: Weeks 1 and 2

Ty Hodges — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:17:28 -0000

David Wilson is Virginia Tech's premiere running back for the 2011-2012 football season. If you didn't know that already, please go back and read older posts until you're caught up. All throughout Hokie Nation, people have been clamoring that this could be a major breakout year for Wilson (This is especially true due to the weak schedule). Because of this, we will be tracking David Wilson's progress throughout the season in a chase for Virginia Tech's single season rushing record held by Ryan Williams.

The goal is 1,655 yards. Ryan Williams set this record during his redshirt-freshman year in 2009. Williams had to run through and past some tough opponents, while David Wilson appears to have the easier path to the record books. Let's see how these two amazing backs stack up to one another through the first two weeks of their respective seasons.

Week 1

Ryan Williams (2009): Game one for Ryan Williams in the 2009 season was the infamous neutral-site game against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Ryan Williams was really the only offense that Virginia Tech was able to muster against the Tide. Despite that fact, the offensive line was man-handled by Bama's defense and Williams struggled to get much going on the ground.

Stat Line: 13 carries, 71 yards, 2 touchdowns
Season Totals: 13 carries, 71 yards, 2 touchdowns

David Wilson (2011): David Wilson got the benefit of playing Appalachian State instead of a powerhouse like Ryan Williams had to. The exact opposite happened against App. State that happened against Alabama; The Hokies did the rolling. Virginia Tech was able to do whatever they wanted on the field and it reflects in Wilson's stat line.

Stat Line: 16 carries, 162 yards, 3 touchdowns
Season Totals: 16 carries, 162 yards, 3 touchdowns

Progress: David Wilson +3 carries, +91 yards and +1 touchdown

Week 2

Ryan Williams (2009): Ryan Williams finally got his chance to eat against the Thundering Herd of Marshall in week two. This game was a cakewalk for the Hokies and Ryan Williams. It should be noted though that David Wilson had more rushing yards than Ryan Williams in this game due to garbage time at the end of the game (For whatever that's worth to anybody).

Stat Line: 16 carries, 164 yards, 3 touchdowns
Season Totals: 29 carries, 235 yards, 5 touchdowns

David Wilson (2011): This was a tricky game for the Hokies on the road against East Carolina. After recently expanding their stadium to 50,000 plus seats, the Pirates gave the Hokies their best shot. Virginia Tech held on in the end while getting an impressive performance out of David Wilson, though the touchdowns belonged to Josh Oglesby.

Stat Line: 26 carries, 138 yards, 0 touchdowns
Season Totals: 42 carries, 300 yards, 3 touchdowns

Progress: David Wilson +13 carries, +65 yards, -2 touchdowns

I think you can do the math. At this pace, David Wilson will break Ryan Williams' single season rushing record. At this time in the season, David Wilson is getting to pound the rock more than Ryan Williams did. This should make sense to most people because David Wilson is responsible for carrying the offense in light of newbie quarterback Logan Thomas, who is currently undergoing some growing pains.

At this time in the season, Ryan Williams has been a more effective runner than David Wilson. Wilson is averaging 7.1 yards per carry, compared to Williams' 8.1 yards per carry. Williams also has two more touchdowns after two weeks than David Wilson does.

Time will tell whether Wilson will continue to carry the load like he has through the first two games. It also remains to be seen if the lighter schedule will push him above and beyond Williams and his rushing record.