After the impromptu firing on Seth Greenberg, many Virginia Tech fans were worried about how the move would affect the Hokies' recruiting efforts as well as their current crop of players. It appears to this point those concerns were legitimate, as already we've seen two of the biggest recruits (one former and one current) in program history decide to go elsewhere.

However, the inability to keep the aforementioned players/sign new ones is not on the new coaching staff. It was WAY too late in the recruiting cycle for the coaches to get a foothold. That is on Jim Weaver for the timing of his decision to fire Seth Greenberg.

Coach Johnson put a staff together lightning quick, and although there were a bunch of no-name guys added (to the casual observer at least), Johnson put together probably the best staff that could have been expected under the circumstances (more on that in a later post). Although the new staff hasn't had the results they wanted yet in terms of commitments, they've been out burning rubber and making their mark on the road. Since they haven't secured a commitment, I thought I'd show you what they have been up to. Here's a look into their efforts.

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BREAKING NEWS: Gobbler Country is proud to be the VERY FIRST publication on the internet to report that Virginia Tech basketball player Allan Chaney has been cleared by a doctor to play collegiate basketball again. More on this developing story after the jump.

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At first I started this post as a moratorium to the class of 2012, as according to Tech Hoops, today is the last day a player for the class of 2012 can sign a national Letter Of Intent. However, I found out later in the thread that just because today is the last day a player can sign a LOI doesn't mean he can't still end up playing for a school on scholarship.

So while the cycle of the 2012 recruiting class has pretty much played itself out, new coach James Johnson is insistent he still wants to bring in some players. As Josh Parcell told us earlier in his post, the Hokies landed a transfer today. We'll dive more into this player and what his commitment means as well as look at some of the options for the Hokies as they try to add some bodies and close the class out in style. More after the jump.

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The 2012 NFL Draft is in the past now, and although Virginia Tech didn't place as many Hokies in the draft as we would have liked, we did have our first 1st rounder in David Wilson since 2008 when Duane Brown was selected with the first round pick of the Houston Texans.

So if you're curious about where some of the Hokies ended up, even the undrafted ones who signed deals, follow me after the jump for a complete list and an analysis of the drafted players, why they were drafted where they were and if it was a good fit.

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Today Athletic Director Jim Weaver called an impromptu press conference and announced his decision to fire Virginia Tech Basketball Head Coach Seth Greenberg. The decision, the handling of the press conference and Weaver's timetable of events have come under scrutiny both nationally and within the Virginia Tech fan base.

As an ardent Virginia Tech basketball fan, I thought it appropriate to weigh the things that were not handled well and that I take issue with against the things that were unfortunately and unarguably true about Seth Greenberg's tenure at Virginia Tech. For a full-on analysis of everything that was running through my mind today, please jump right on in. Discussion is welcome and encouraged.

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If you're a Gobbler Country geezer like myself, you should remember my recruiting posts from two years ago entitled Virginia Tech Recruiting Guide for the Class of 2011. If you're a GC newbie, maybe go and check those out (if for nothing else you can get used to the format/see if my predictions held true).I broke the posts up into a five-part series. Even though it feels like I'm getting a late start in my mind, I didn't start that series of posts until June 19th of 2010, so I am well ahead of schedule by comparison. That says more about the Hokies' early recruiting exploits than about me.

Last year however I took a job in baseball that had me working over 100 hours a week, which essentially ensured any efforts I made in covering the 2012 recruiting class futile. Unfortunately I labeled the 2011 class the most disappointing/worst class in Tech's modern history (although I do not feel as strongly today), while I tabbed the 2012 class the best. It doesn't take a genius to see what may be a trend developing there. Hopefully I'm not the Hokies equivalent of the Billy Goat or the guy in the movie Celtic Pride who was responsible for the curse of Bill Buckner. If so, I may have to re-examine my recruiting coverage. But black cats and broken mirrors aside, let's jump right in as I get you primed for the Hokies recruiting class of 2013.

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Unfortunately for Hokie fans, our last memories of a Virginia Tech kicker/punter was Justin Myer missing an overtime field goal in the Sugar Bowl (of course he was our 3rd-string kicker and hit four field goals to get us to that point). While it wasn't his fault that we lost, it is a bitter memory and it still feels very recent (sorry for bringing it up...moving on).

Gone are Myer, the original 2011 backup Tyler Weiss who was sent home from the Sugar Bowl after missing curfew and presumably so is 2011 starter Cody Journell. Also gone is Danny Coale who ended the season as the punter and looked so good that it was puzzling why he wasn't the guy all season. So there are a lot of fresh faces in the kicking game. Just as we have done for other positions, we continue our look into each position with the Kickers/Punters preview.

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Five years ago today a gunman on Virginia Tech's campus shot and killed 32 students and faculty members before turning the gun on himself and taking his own life. The nation and the world for that matter watched in horror as the events unfolded live on television. It stands today as the largest loss of life due to an act of violence in a university setting.

Onlookers were shocked not only because of the body count or gruesome details of the shooting, but because of the betrayal of innocence that is expected of and associated with academia. Shattered were our preconceptions that it couldn't happen here. Five years have passed and yet it still seems like it happened just yesterday. It stands as haunting memory in our collective being, one that has affected us directly perhaps more than any one event in our lives.

Join me inside as I take us back to that tragic day and try unsuccessfully to harness the words that will serve as reverent and do justice to those involved. Please don't hesitate to do the same in the comments section.

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With spring practice close to wrapping up and the annual Spring Game just around the bend, it's time for us to take a look at an area of concern (for the moment due to injury): the linebacking corps. While the Hokies can return all three starters from last year's team, all three have been hobbled by injuries and will miss all of spring practice.

Even operating under the assumption that those three guys will be back for fall practice and the start of the season, it is important that Tech has a contingency plan, and interesting to see who or what that is if such a plan is afoot. As last year taught us, there is no such thing as too much depth, so it is paramount that with an injury-riddled position, the Tech coaches are able to establish depth with their linebacking corps now rather than in-season. For a breakdown of the corps as a whole and by position, keep reading like your life depended on it.

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First off, before I jump into this post, I would like to congratulate Furrer4hesiman for all of his work on the site. Without him creating this forum, none of us would have ever been able to express our insights and relay our feelings about Virginia Tech sports as we have so openly and completely here. He will certainly be missed. Additionally, we have managed to bring Josh Parcell, a former Gobbler Country editor, back on board. Josh has spent the last two years away from the site running ACC Mania and interning at ESPN, which has recently hired him for a full-time position that he will start in June. Congratulations Josh!

Now to basketball. For those of you that have a sour taste in your mouth about how basketball season ended, you're not alone. But what really was the cause of our poor finish? What did the players/coaches do wrong/right? Well, just as I write a basketball preview post before every season begins, I also write a post after every season ends. Click that button and come see how the Hokies grade out!

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It has been some time since I published one of these posts chronicling our biggest "DERP" moments as a football program, but I assure you, I didn't forget to continue this series. I only wish I had. Especially now having seen that several of the 2011-12 games will have to be added to this series, my motivation to publish such a post has been zero. The last time I published one of these posts we were shelled at home by Clemson. But as the Hokies begin a new season today, I will have to continue to believe (incorrectly) that these types of losses will cease to happen and stop the painful procrastination that prevents me from publishing these posts (but apparently inspire my alliterative side).

As Hokie fans we've come to expect certain things out of our teams: Dominating D, Beamerball, a conservative in-game philosophy, sub-par offenses and last but certainly the most memorable...the COULD HAVE BEENS! The earth-shattering, mind-numbing, life-altering losses. They define our existence just as much as our wins.

I've compiled a list of the games we wish we had back and ranked them based on the criteria of how much it hurt, how much it meant, and last but not least WHO it was we lost to and how. This is the second part of the series Games We Wish We Had Back. Come join me in reliving some of the worst moments in Tech football history...just don't forget to bring the tissues (or hard liquor).

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The Hokies took out their frustration of their long losing streak (dropping 13 of their last 17 games) and their most recent loss to Clemson exactly a week ago with a 68-63 win over the Tigers in the first round of the ACC Tournament Thursday night in Atlanta. With the win they advance to the ACC Quarterfinals and a Friday night matchup with Duke at 7 p.m. For more on this exciting win, keep reading after the jump.

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There has been much discussion both on Gobbler Country and elsewhere about how good the 2012 recruiting class really was for the Hokies. One thing I thought would be helpful was to analyze the class by positions as a segway into my 2013 recruiting posts. So for those of you still sulking over my limited recruiting analysis of the 2012 class, don't worry, I still have one last bone to throw your way before I start my 2013 class coverage (which will be closer to my 2011 class coverage than last year).

For those of you who read my pre-signing day recruiting primer, you probably have a good idea who most of these players are and what their skill level/abilities are. But if you need a refresher, here it is. This post won't go into as much detail on those individuals, but will highlight our position-by-position recruiting in groups and evaluate our success in each area. So whether you're a casual Tech fan with a very tame interest in recruiting or a fastidious recruiting follower and Tech football zealot, this post is for you. All you have to do is continue reading!

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After the Florida State game, I changed my long-standing opinion on Greenberg when I tweeted and texted my friend "Fire Seth Greenberg. It's official. I'm on board now." Now just over one week later, I have done an about face. It may have been an emotional overreaction just like the "Fire Beamer" thoughts that crept into our heads after losses to JMU and ECU. Was it an inexcusable loss? Yes. Was it an unforgivable loss? Yes. But should that game, and this season determine his ultimate fate as our coach? This post originally was going to be a comment on VTCody's post last week about Greenberg on the hot seat, in which I was going to call for Greenberg's firing, but with each game, I sat on it and it just got too out of control, so now it's its own post. Whether you agree with this premise or not, please take the time to listen to the argument by continuing to read after the jump.

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Well, we're halfway through the ACC slate, and unfortunately we've tied our worst first half conference record (2-6) we've had since becoming a member in 2004. But, there are some very winnable games remaining and we are coming off of a win. So there's that. To kick that second half off the Hokies travel to Miami on Thursday for a tilt with the Miami Hurricanes. The game will air at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. Joining us for this preview are Jerry and Josh from Category 6, a Miami sports blog that's making a lot of noise. Read further to get their take on the 'Canes and the Hokies as we get ready for Thursday's game. Also here's a link to my answers of their questions.

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