Edit: Joe Kendall actually writes for the Virginia Tech Student Newspaper along with Andrew from Turkey Talk.
Q) What kind of coach/person is Tony Ball?
A) Congrats landing Tony Ball...this guy is truly a class act and a great coach, in response to your questions...Tony Ball is a very thorough very results oriented coach. You can see that in our receiver play this year (last year Josh Hyman was our top option at wr but this year Clowney and a host of others stepped up)
Josh Hyman, one of Ball's WRs, in action
Q) What kind of recruiter is he?
A) Ball recruited mainly out of Maryland and does extremely well in that state. He should be a great addition to what is already an amazing recruiting program
Q) How well was he thought of by the fans? By Beamer? Is this considered a big loss for VT or a non-event?
A) Tony Ball is extremely well thought of in Blacksburg. As you know, Beamer has done all he can to keep his assistants in place. He worked as hard as he could to keep his top assistants with him. Unfortunately for VT and fortunately for UGA, Ball's heart was with the Bulldogs. You all got a fierce competitor; don't let anyone tell you different.
Q) What was his recruiting region?
A) Like I said earlier, we used Ball mainly in Maryland, and he did a great job there. He also helped recruit Luckett out of New Jersey, and he should help tremendously in your northern pursuits.
Q) What role if any did he play in coaching Virginia Tech’s legendary special teams?
A) I’m not sure of the role he played in special teams coaching. That’s usually Beamer’s field of expertise, but Ball trains receivers to be tough. Just look at Hyman/Morgan's pass blocking. Even Eddie Royal for a small guy can block his weight in gold so if nothing else you'll have tough guys on the offensive side of the ball. That can never hurt on special teams.
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A) Well hopefully Ball's departure will have minimal effect. But to be totally realistic, you can't lose a guy of his tenacity and vigor and not be hurt. We have a great receiving corps in tact and hopefully whoever steps in his place can do just a good a job, but guys like TB are one in a hundred.
[Photo: Coach Ball]
Q) Lastly, what sort of year are you expecting from Virginia Tech next year?
A) To be wholly honest, we aren't looking at a top fifteen team this year. God only knows who's gonna take the snaps [at QB], but I think that’s the kind of position VT flourishes upon. Just look at how we've performed when we're ranked outside the top-15 the last few years. We've underperformed when expectations are high, and we’ve excelled when not much is expected from us. Right now I think of us as Minnesota from last year, on the cusp of big things but still a year away, definitely a bowl team and probably a 10-win team (given the relative easiness of our schedule). But, not an elite team that’s going to contend for titles. Look for us to be overrated come midseason and suffer a big-time loss...
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From PWD: Thanks so much to Joe Kendall for the info! Georgia Sports Blog readers should check out Turkey Talk if you get a chance. Very solid content. Andrew over there arranged this interview for me.
For an alternative/more cautious take on Ball's hiring, Kyle on Football has had several articles and comments on the topic.
pwd
