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Tech coaches set to hit trail, but this time it isn't the recruiting one

February 16, 2000
By Jimmy Robertson

Tech's football coaches enjoyed a bit of respite the week after signing day ended. Some spent a little time with their children. Others came in anyway, trying to get ahead. And others simply rested the entire week.

But the luggage isn't going to stay stowed away very long.

Tech's coaching staff is getting ready to hit the road again. Only this time, the trips won't be of the recruiting variety. Instead, these trips involved gathering ideas and schemes to best put those recruits to use.

On Feb. 21, Tech offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle, offensive line coach Bryan Stinespring and tight ends coach Danny Pearman fly to Indianapolis for a two-day summit with the coaching staff of the Indianapolis Colts.

"We want to look at doing some things offensively," Bustle said. "We've got some things in mind and they do some of those things. We just want to take a look."

Indianapolis features some of the NFL's best talent in quarterback Peyton Manning, running back Edgerrin James and receiver Marvin Harrison - all three of whom Tech played against at some point in the 1990s. With that trio, the Colts finished first in the AFC in both total (357.9) and passing offense (254.1) and fourth in the NFL in both total and passing offense. They also led the AFC in scoring offense.

It also helps that Tech's coaches enjoy a fine relationship with the Colts' staff. Indianapolis' defensive line coach is Todd Grantham, a former player (1985-88) and coach for the Hokies in the early 90s. Also, Indianapolis offensive coordinator Bruce Arians played for (1972-74) and coached at Tech. Finally, Indianapolis offensive line coach Howard Mudd and Stinespring often cross paths at various clinics.

Actually, the trip nearly came out of the Indianapolis blue. Bustle had planned to go to Indiana University for a couple of days to visit with Hoosiers coach Cam Cameron and his offensive staff. After talking with Grantham, Bustle worked the visit to the Colts on his itinerary. And once he visits with the Colts, Bustle plans on going to Bloomington.

"Indiana's got a heckuva athlete at quarterback," Bustle said, referring to the sensational Antwan Randle-El. "He's a lot like Michael [Vick] and I know their coach, so we're going to sit down and go over some things. Get some ideas."

Stinespring and Pearman will be packing an extra pair of thermal underwear and an additional sweater for their next journey. They plan to head a little farther west - to Lincoln, Neb. - after the meetings with the Colts' staff. For the second straight year, the two of them will visit with the Cornhuskers' staff. Last year, the visit paid big dividends.

"We came back with the speed option," Stinespring said. "They've had two great athletes at quarterback in Tommie Frazier and Scott Frost and we wanted to see what they did well and what components of that we could use. We studied it and we basically scrapped our dive option. We instituted the speed option and it was to our advantage.

"Now we want to see how we can expand on that. Soon, other teams catch up with what you're doing. We want to talk to them and see what their response was when that happened."

The trip also lets Tech's coaches impart with some of their knowledge. When you lead a team to the national championship game, you're doing something right. And other teams want to know what that something is.

"It's a dual meeting," Stinespring said. "They take some of our stuff and see how they can use it. They're interested in our power running game. It's a give-and-take trip."

Not to be left out, Tech's defensive coaching staff plans on visiting the Colts as well. They'll head for the Midwest on Feb. 28 for a two-day meeting.

Last season, Indianapolis finished 15th in the league in total defense (326.3 ypg), including 18th in rushing (107.2 ypg) and 18th in passing (219.1 ypg). With Grantham there, it makes sense for the Hokies and the Colts to share ideas, particularly when both pride themselves on defense.

"We're going to look at what they do from a zone pressure standpoint," Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said. "And we're going to look at some of their nickel packages. We're both alike in how we attack the passing game. We just want to see what we can do better, and with Todd there, we'll have access to videotapes and to some of their staff."

Those aren't the only trips being planned. Foster himself is trying to work out a trip to Nashville to visit with the Tennessee Titans staff. Tech running backs coach Billy Hite and receivers coach Tony Ball are working on trips. And as usual, Tech's coaches plan to do their own share of entertaining this spring.

But unlike last spring - when more than 30 schools visited Blacksburg - the coaching staff plans to control the flow. When a school's staff wants to visit, they set it up through a Tech coach and that coach, whomever it is, tries to keep the other coaches from getting involved.

"We like to get out and visit," Bustle said. "Last spring, it was hard to get out with all the people here. We sat down and talked about that, so we're going to try this out. Maybe we'll have a little more time to visit other people."

So for the moment, Tech's coaching staff will once again pack their bags, organize their notes, gather their videotapes and head for a place they're all too familiar with as coaches.

The road.

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Jimmy Robertson is the editor of the Hokie Huddler at Virginia Tech. The Hokie Huddler is the athletics department newspaper that is printed 33 times a year - weekly during football and basketball seasons and bi-monthly during the spring.

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