BLACKSBURG – Tech football head coach Brent Pry, along with his coordinators Tyler Bowen, Chris Marve and Stu Holt, met with local media on Tuesday morning to discuss the start of Phase Two for its offseason workout program. The Hokies are scheduled to start spring practices on Friday.
Read below to see what they had to say.
Head coach Brent Pry
On starting Phase Two and transitioning to spring workouts:
"Spring ball is Phase Two. Fundamentals, techniques, base installation of schemes, improve on things that we didn't do well enough. We've identified those through film study, whether it's a technique issue, whether it's a schematic issue, where we need to be better. February, there was a lot of professional growth and development. For instance, the defensive staff from Iowa was in town for a couple of days. You trade ideas, you swap ideas, you grow, you learn. So implementing some of the things in all three phases that we learned through our professional development."
On the recent addition of Director of High School Relations Gunter Brewer:
"Again, like most things in this business, it's through friendships and relationships. I've always had a ton of respect for Coach Gunter Brewer, I have known a lot about him. Cordial relationship with him, him with my dad, but Coach Stu Holt, Coach Derek Jones, and several guys on staff knew him very well. Coach Holt worked with him, and DJ's known him for a lot of years, and again, it made sense from an experience standpoint. At the high school relations position, the thing that James Johnson brought that really opened my eyes was the ability for an additional staff member to recruit at a really high level. That has been in those battles and recruited four and five-star guys, and knows the stones that need unturned, and Coach Brewer has certainly done that. So to compliment JJ with Coach Brew, I think it helps us on the recruiting front. His experience at the wide receiver position, the conversations that he and Coach Mines can have, I value that. He and Coach Bowen, and he's well respected in our footprint, so it just made too much sense."
Offensive Coordinator Tyler Bowen
On evaluating Kyron Drones and other quarterbacks during the spring:
"Yeah, Kyron's going to get the ones reps and continue with the continuity, the development, the operation of what we're doing offensively. But I'm excited of the way William "Pop" Watson III and Dylan Wittke have competed during Phase One. And those guys will get an even split. Some days guys going with the twos, some days that rotating back with the threes to make sure that they're getting reps with the right guys so we can make a true evaluation."
Defensive Coordinator Chris Marve
On development opportunities for CB Dorian Strong to play in the slot:
"I think Dorian will be able to do it, not a doubt in my mind. I think Dorian's one of a few guys who can see at that position. Certainly, I think Dorian has done a pretty good job a year ago, establishing what he can do outside. Again, to continue to grow his skill set and to make him more attractive and more productive for us, and more attractive for the next level, right? I think the next step is seeing what he can do at the nickel position. He's long, athletic, pretty savvy player, and is aggressive around the ball, has no panic to his game. And so, man, we're excited to see what we can do with him to the field, to the boundary, and the slot, him and a few other guys."
Special Team Coordinator Stu Holt
On the benefits of spring practices for special teams units:
"Spring's huge for us in the kicking game. We're going to take a lot of those guys, those younger guys that redshirted last year or played minimal roles, they'll get a ton of reps this spring. We compete throughout the team. We divide the team up into four separate teams. Those guys compete in all the techniques that we're gonna use in a kicking game. So, we get really good evaluation of really top to bottom. Your best players, your guys that are down the line on the depth chart. Guys get a chance to show what they can do on the field and how they're gonna go against guys. Some of our better guys, we have great matchups. I mean it is a huge time, in the kicking game for spring ball."
