🚨Deshaun Foster & Brent Pry Fired | Coaching Carousel | Cover 3 College Football Podcast

Summary

Cover 3 College Football Podcast — Emergency Episode Summary

Episode Title: 🚨Deshaun Foster & Brent Pry Fired | Coaching Carousel
Date: September 14, 2025
Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell, Bud Elliott

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Overview

This emergency episode of the Cover 3 podcast responds to the rare mid-season firing of two Power Conference head football coaches: Deshaun Foster at UCLA and Brent Pry at Virginia Tech. The hosts break down why the moves were made, the state of each program, the attractiveness of both jobs, immediate and long-term coaching candidates, and implications for college football’s ever-evolving landscape—especially as programs prepare for conference realignment and the shifting realities of NIL and revenue sharing.

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1. Double Firing: The Rare Mid-September Shakeup

Timestamps: 00:47-01:34

• Two Power 5 coaches (Foster at UCLA, Pry at Virginia Tech) were fired just a few weeks into the season.
• Chip Patterson: “It is not the middle of September and we have two midseason power conference coach firings. We're not waiting any longer… cut and bait...”
• Tim Skipper (UCLA) and Philip Montgomery (Virginia Tech) named interim head coaches.

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2. Why Now? Breaking Down the Firings

Timestamps: 02:59–05:23

Virginia Tech & Brent Pry

• Lack of on-field competitiveness, fan disconnection, and a trend of embarrassing performances.
• Chip Patterson: “If Virginia Tech allowed Brent Pry to continue just an embarrassing, like an outright embarrassing football production, then I think that you would really risk losing some of the supporters that were still hanging on.” (03:59)
• Tom Fornelli: “That team did not give a crap about playing against Old Dominion. They were… completely checked out.” (05:02)

UCLA & Deshaun Foster

• Hasty hire amid a shallow coaching pool; Foster seemed overwhelmed and unprepared.
• Danny Kanell: “[Foster] just looked a little bit overwhelmed... it just felt kind of off. It felt like somebody was a little bit overwhelmed being a head coach of a major, major program.” (05:23)

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3. Job Attractiveness & Program Outlook

Timestamps: 02:13–07:16

Virginia Tech vs. UCLA

Pros & Cons Discussed:

• Virginia Tech: Stronger football culture, but limited by ACC uncertainty and budget concerns.
• UCLA: Big Ten money is coming—eventually—but has a smaller fanbase, financial struggles, less tradition.
• Danny Kanell: “I think Virginia Tech is the better job of the two… you have a better chance of winning quickly.” (05:23)
• Tom Fornelli: “Both schools currently have big time problems… UCLA has a ton of problems too… no real fan interest.” (03:08)

Recruiting & Roster

• Pry recruited better than Fuente, but still below historic VT levels.
• Foster: Poor cultural fit, late hire, never had a fighting chance.

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4. Interim Coaches & Potential Turnaround

Timestamps: 08:18–12:19

• Philip Montgomery (Virginia Tech):
  • Not seen as a season-saver; primarily there to stabilize roster and prevent mass transfers.
  • Tom Fornelli: “It's not like there was anything that [Montgomery] did there that made you think that he's going to be the guy who can turn this season around and save it.” (08:18)
• Tim Skipper (UCLA):
  • Brief prior interim experience, but inherits a roster in free fall after chronic underachievement.

Transfer Portal & Player Uncertainty

• Athletes like UCLA’s Nico considered likely to transfer or redshirt.
• Danny Kanell: “[Nico] would be the least surprising thing of all if he hopped in the portal or red shirted and shut this thing down. I think it actually be the smart thing for him to do.” (12:19)

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5. Did Foster or Pry Ever Have a Real Chance?

Timestamps: 14:53–16:07

• Both programs struggling with mismatched expectations and resource issues.
• Tom Fornelli: “Deshaun Foster probably never had a chance because you think of the circumstances in which he was hired to begin with.” (15:37)
• Chip Patterson: “Virginia Tech having that, the sobering conversations… where their athletic director is telling the university administrators our expectations don't match our investment.” (14:03)

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6. The Coaching Carousel: Candidates & Dreaming Big

Timestamps: 17:20–30:03

Big Names Pondered (Realistically and Not)

• Shane Beamer (South Carolina): Hosts debate the likelihood—and sense—of his return to VT.
  • Tom Fornelli: “Virginia Tech still thinks it can be what it was under Frank Beamer. And it hasn't been because it doesn't have the money to invest… then you go and hire Shane Beamer, who immediately is going to be expected to be his father.” (19:07)
• Pat Fitzgerald: Ex-Northwestern, recently cleared; considered a strong fit for either school.
  • Tom Fornelli: “I think Fitz would be a good fit at UCLA because… it's another school with higher academic… requirements.” (21:09)
• Dan Mullen: Fits both, maybe lighter fit at UCLA.
• Jamie Chadwell (Liberty): “Makes a lot of sense” (Danny Kanell at 22:11)
• Jimbo Fisher: West Virginia roots, Virginia Tech discussed as possible “reset job.”
• Other Group of Five/Lesser Tier: Ricky Rahne (ODU), Kalen DeBoer (Washington—unlikely), Will Stein (Oregon OC, considered more of a next-cycle name).

Unique or Unlikely Options

• Mike Vick: Discussed as a last-resort fan-nostalgia choice.
  • Tom Fornelli: “If Mike Vick ends up the coach at Virginia Tech, it's because the search went terribly.” (31:45)
• Glenn Schumann, Jim Knowles: Young top coordinators—SEC likely to grab them first.
• Dan Lanning, Tony White, Jeff Monken, John Summerall: Other coordinators or mid-major head coaches named as possible fits.

Resources Limiting Searches

• Tom Fornelli: “I don’t know how much money [UCLA] has to go get a coach. That athletic department’s been in financial trouble for a while… they just named [Foster] the full-time coach and never really conducted an actual coaching search.” (26:20)

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7. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Tom Fornelli, on Foster and Pry: “It brings us no pleasure to announce that B.C. might stand for booty cheeks once again.” (09:24)
• Danny Kanell, on coaching volatility: “That shows you how fickle coaching is. I mean, they were in the game with South Carolina… if they win those two games, they're probably playing a little bit harder against ODU.” (14:53)
• Tom Fornelli, on Beamer: “The problem is Virginia Tech still thinks it can be what it was under Frank Beamer… you go and hire Shane Beamer, who immediately is going to be expected to be his father.” (19:07)
• Chip Patterson, on nostalgia hires like Vick: “Why, you just ride the wave of euphoria and nostalgia for everything that you can get.” (32:39)

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8. Forward-Looking Insights

Timestamps: 26:45–35:41

• Both schools must contend with a challenging landscape—financially and competitively—with new revenue distribution and continued realignment.
• Programs like Indiana now more attractive for coaches than fading “names” like Virginia Tech due to better financial backing (25:36–25:59).
• Uncertainty for prominent players at both schools, with the transfer portal and redshirt rules in play.
• The coaching searches are shaping up to be a mix of desperation and wishful thinking, as timing, resources, and the upcoming hiring cycle will all limit options.

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9. Final Thoughts

Timestamps: 32:39–35:41

• Fanbases are irate at their athletic directors.
• Both interim coaches face tough, short-term schedules, with more “winnable” games possible at Virginia Tech.
• Hires like Mike Vick or a splashy retread could happen if the searches go sideways, but don’t count on it.
• Other coaches on the hot seat (Billy Napier, Florida) are quietly hoping attention remains elsewhere, as more Power 5 dominoes are likely to fall.

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Listen for:

• Deep dives into Power 5 program health and finances.
• Blunt takes on coaching carousel realities in 2025.
• Candid speculation, college football culture banter, and plenty of laughter amid the chaos.

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Summary prepared for fans and analysts needing all the key takeaways, context, and color from a wild emergency episode—without having to listen.

Transcript

[Danny Cannell]

Welcome Back to the COVID 3 podcast.

[Tom Fornelli]

With your hosts, Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli.

[Danny Cannell]

Danny Cannell and Bud Elliott.

[Tom Fornelli]

It's your call for the best college football coverage from national signing day to.

[Danny Cannell]

The national championship and everything in between. CBS Sports presents the COVID 3 podcast.

[Chip Patterson]

And welcome back to the COVID 3 podcast here on CBS Sports. That's Tom Fenelli, that's Danny Cannell. I'm Chip Patterson coming to you [e-mail] cover3 and everywhere you get your podcast on demand. Thanks for hanging out. Smash that. Subscribe. Smash that like and you see those sirens in your feed, you know exactly what that means.

[Tom Fornelli]

Whoa.

[Chip Patterson]

It is not the middle of September and we have two mid season power conference coach firings. We're not waiting any longer. 03 cut and bait UCLA makes it official. Early reporting started in the mid morning. Matt Zenitz was on it but ucla, yeah, we're not even going to drag this out. Here's the official release. Tim Skipper is going to be the interim. Let's go Virginia Tech, same thing. Zenitz was on it, saw a lot of reporting and very quickly the university comes out. Brent Pry that you are going to be out. So now you Virginia Tech, ucla. We've got to see what went wrong, where they move forward. Obviously the immediate future. You have to still play nine football games.

[Tom Fornelli]

Oh and also, you know, watch nine football games too.

[Chip Patterson]

Eventually you know, there will be a proper coaching search. Dk, do either one of these jobs look to you like something where we are going to be able to go through the the list of candidates seriously until later in the season. Do you have any, have anybody who's not working who you think could step in and maybe be an early November or mid November hire?

[Danny Cannell]

I mean I'm. Do you want Jon Gruden or Jimbo Fisher? You want either of those guys?

[Chip Patterson]

I mean does Matt Brown said he wanted, he said he wanted to keep coaching.

[Danny Cannell]

Oh gosh, I don't know if he would. I mean Jimbo has ties to West Virginia. I know it's not there in Blacksburg, Virginia but I think it actually would maybe be enticing to him. I think Virginia Tech is the better job of the two. I think both of them are more attractive in the coming years than they are currently because of the rev share. Like I think it's going to help things and you only had one year really to experience it. And we've talked a lot about other schools loading up in the nil market before the rev share rules went into place. So there's still a little Bit of disparity, but as things do start to level out a little bit, I think these jobs get more attractive for the next coach that's going to come in there.

[Tom Fornelli]

Is this job that attractive?

[Chip Patterson]

Which one?

[Tom Fornelli]

Virginia Tech, I think.

[Chip Patterson]

I think Virginia Tech is more attractive than ucla. Even though UCLA is a Big Ten school.

[Tom Fornelli]

I would, I would argue that immediately, yes. But both schools currently have big time problems. And when Virginia Tech opened, when Brent Pry was hired, there wasn't exactly a ton of people interested in taking the gig. And I don't think the situation has improved since they hired Brent Pry. UCLA has a ton of problems, too. Like they, they don't have any money, they don't have any real fan interest. And you're in the Big Ten, but you're in the Big Ten. You, you know there's going to be money coming when the ACC blows up in five years if Virginia Tech keeps heading down this path where the program's downsliding and going the wrong direction. When Florida State and Clemson jump ship and North Carolina jump ship and the ACC scrambling for boats, how attractive is Virginia Tech going to be?

[Chip Patterson]

I mean, the reason why I'm, I'm, I'm pointing because of fan interest and overall football culture. That's why, as a matter of personal preference, I think that Virginia Tech would be more attractive because while your annual media rights payout check is not the same, man, you're just going to get a little bit of a better response. Even if that hat is not heavy when you're trying to pass it around and drum up support and, you know, get the local community going, you, you still got something. And the problem is, and this is why I do think Virginia Tech moved, is that you are really risking losing it. That the fans that have continued to show up, the fans that still, you know, they might not love inflation, right? They might not love that the cost of everything is going up. They thought they could still pay the Frank Beamer prices and get Frank Beamer results, but at least they still are connected to this. And I think if, I think if Virginia Tech allowed Brent Pryor to continue just an embarrassing, like an outright embarrassing football production, then I think that you would really risk losing some of the supporters that were still hanging on.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, you, you couldn't let him keep going after what happened yesterday. Like that team did not give a crap about playing against Old Dominion. They were that team so completely checked out on him on that staff. If you didn't fire him today, you risked losing to Wofford next week. If they Showed up with that same level of effort.

[Danny Cannell]

For both these teams. I mean, I think it was fairly obvious and easy for both of these programs to make the decision. Now, I know desean Foster was quicker, but considering the bumpy start, like, he just looked a little bit overwhelmed. And I think we all love the storyline because he played there. I don't know how many great options they had in the coaching cycle, so they took one of their own. It. But it did just feel like he was overwhelmed. And even this year at Big Ten media days, while I liked him a lot, I didn't really see that much difference, you know, like, I still felt somebody who wasn't as comfortable being in the spotlight, being the face of the university. It just felt a little bit off. You know, I just. It just felt kind of off. It felt like somebody was a little bit overwhelmed being a head coach of a major, major program. You know, the thing that's interesting about Virginia Tech and why, I would say, you know, why I think this is a better job. I think you've got a better chance of winning quickly. And if you do and the ACC does blow up, you can evaluate your options. Your options being, where are we? If you go to the group of five, what is the playoff picture like? Like, are you still going to get access? If you're deemed a group of five school, which we don't even know how works like, what remains after the exodus of schools from the accident, and if it doesn't and you've won there, you might be an attractive hire for somebody else in the new power schools.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

And the one thing that is going Virginia Tech's way is that while the coaching on game day led to losses and the players seem to be completely checked out on the staff, Brent Pry was recruiting better at Virginia Tech. As it went on, the talent level of that roster, which had been slipping under Justin Fuente considerably, had been improving. The problem is it's still below where.

[Chip Patterson]

It once was for this year's team. The problem is that I gave Virginia Tech so many bonus points for South Carolina, and then evidence afterwards suggests that South Carolina also maybe wasn't a top 15 team. So how, how much can we even take away? But I agree with you in general, when, when Brent Price showed up, he inherited a little bit of a mess from Justin Fuente, our new director of football for the College Football Playoff. Congratulations, Justin. But man, he was three and eight year one. He's slowly building that thing up and never, never was able to fully break through even when he had everything going in the right direction. The hire of Philip Montgomery was supposed to lead to this big offensive turnaround and it's just not there. Philip Montgomery is going to be the interim coach here for Virginia Tech. Do anything for you for the rest the way.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, no, no. I mean, Philip Montgomery was in a very tough spot at his previous head coaching job, but it's not like there was anything that he did there that made you think that he's going to be the guy who can turn this season around and save it. Yeah, like he's going to be there. His job will be to convince some of these kids not to enter the portal and just stick it out through the rest of the season.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah. Just to. Not because. Do you know what we unfortunately are in right now?

[Tom Fornelli]

The window.

[Chip Patterson]

No, we haven't played four games.

[Danny Cannell]

Oh, red shirt.

[Chip Patterson]

Why don't you. I mean, maybe you should have waited two more weeks. I don't know. You know, like, I don't know how you play that, but I think we mentioned last night when we were talking about this. Oh, Danny, did you listen to us on the. On a run this morning?

[Danny Cannell]

No, I did happen to catch that. I just was really mad that you assumed I wasn't watching my lock of the week. I thought I found my duck. And then Stanford just shocks. Shocks the world with the win over bc. I'm surprised. Didn't think I was up watching that and running this morning.

[Chip Patterson]

That's it.

[Tom Fornelli]

We.

[Chip Patterson]

We. It brings us no pleasure to announce that B.C. might stand for booty cheeks once again.

[Danny Cannell]

Stanford, though, last year they beat Louisville, like out of nowhere. Like they're just the season killer for. That's. Maybe that's all they're going to be is just like somebody that pops out of nowhere and just destroys somebody's season.

[Chip Patterson]

That's. And with. With the trip all the way out to Palo Alto, that is a perfectly fine role for Stanford to play. Like every ACC team that travels out there, you don't know, you know what it is. It's like Russian roulette. Like Stanford roulette. They're going to have four ACC home games against teams that are coming in. One of them is going to lose. We'll see.

[Tom Fornelli]

Not including Hawaii, just mainland schools like Boston College to Stanford has to be one of the longest road trips in the country. Right. Like, there's how many teams are further east than Boston College and then how many are further west than Stanford?

[Chip Patterson]

UCLA to Rutgers is up there.

[Tom Fornelli]

I would say Boston College to lose. Ucla. Yeah. Yeah.

[Chip Patterson]

Yep. Wait. Boston College to Boston College To Palo Alto.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah. But I'm just saying it's like not just in conferences. I'm just feeling like that might be like top 3 most distance traveled for a road game.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

Mainland.

[Danny Cannell]

Of these moves that are made, I do think, I mean, which. Which interim coach has a better chance to turn this thing around or potentially play his way into the next head coach? Because Virginia Tech, I mean they both have. I mean, who knows what you would describe as winnable games with these programs. But I do feel like you've seen better football out of Virginia Tech. They have Wofford this week. NC State wake before Georgia Tech. Like, is there a chance you could get hot and win three in a row? I don't think it's that crazy.

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't know. I mean, I, I think you can argue Virginia Tech has the more manageable schedule, but even if you like, if you want to make the argument it's ucla, you have to remember UCLA has now lost to UNLV in New Mexico.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah, I know. Right. I was going to say Tim Skipper, who's the interim at ucla. He was previously an interim coach at Fresno when Jeff Tedford had some health issues. He's been there, he can you. Philip Montgomery, as you mentioned earlier, Tom has been a head coach himself. But I was thinking one of these guys has Nico, who I. I still think does he. Oh, do you think Nico checks out or has that already been.

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't know. I'm just saying the transfer portal window is open for everybody on these teams. If you're Nico and you feel like this thing is clearly not working out like you hoped it would, this could be. I'm not saying he's going to, but this could be an opportunity to maybe jump ship.

[Danny Cannell]

I mean, it wouldn't be the most. It would not surprise me at all. I also wonder, I mean that that move had so many ripple effects that we're just discovering because I don't even know how bad UCLA wanted Nico. I bet there was some pressure of, well, we have to take him. He's a five star and he wants to play for us and he's from here. It just. And then you've seen a head coach fired because it. You've seen Nico's career derailed because of it. You know, and it depends, we'll see how it goes. But that would be the least surprising thing of all if he hopped in the portal or red shirted and shut this thing down. I think it actually be the smart thing for him to do.

[Chip Patterson]

Danny. Danny giving advice to A player to shut it down. What. What in the world is 2025 giving us? Somebody mentioned in the tailgate? Correct me if I'm wrong, gentlemen, but I, I am almost certain that a player could not transfer from UCLA to another team and play during this semester.

[Tom Fornelli]

I believe that's the rule. But you can transfer.

[Chip Patterson]

But they could, they could transfer in red shirt. They could not compete.

[Danny Cannell]

Could they practice? Because that could be really valuable practice to just go red shirt and get used to a new system and new teammates and then get ramped up next season. I don't know if that's legal. Like what happens with school? You know, like you're already enrolled. Can you just enroll some? I mean, I never hear about school anymore, so I just assume that they can work around it.

[Tom Fornelli]

And Nico's already taken a red shirt year, so I don't think he could red shirt again. Or maybe he could, who knows? The way the things are going in court, he could probably just, you know, extenuating circumstances, get a red shirt.

[Chip Patterson]

He's about to have a Chandler Morris season. Chandler Morris career playing at four different schools. We'll see. Before we get any final thoughts on if desean Foster or Brent Pry had an opportunity for success. You know, we're talking about how both are very difficult positions. Ucla, we've mentioned the investment. We've seen the crowd shots out there at the Rose Bowl. Virginia Tech having that, the sobering conversations very publicly recently where their athletic director is telling the university administrators our expectations don't match our investment, pointing out that they're 11th in terms of football spending. Did either one of these coaches really have a chance or do you think that we were probably headed that way because of the circumstances?

[Danny Cannell]

I mean, Brent Pryor was pretty competitive and teams, you know, like they were. And that shows you the, the how fickle coaching is. I mean, they were in the game with South Carolina in the third quarter going into the fourth quarter and a punt return. They were leading 20 to 10 against Vanderbilt. Completely blew it. Like there is a scenario. And if they win those two games, they're probably playing a little bit harder against odu. Like so, yeah, I do think that there was an opportunity for Brent Pryor to play himself out of this and still be there yet, you know, is it his fault that there's, you know, Kyron Drones throws interceptions. I mean, it's your job to develop.

[Chip Patterson]

Them 1 in 12 in 1 score games.

[Tom Fornelli]

And a lot of that was due to coaching decisions too. It wasn't just player decisions. I would argue that desean Foster probably never had a chance because you think of the circumstances in which he was hired to begin with.

[Danny Cannell]

Yeah.

[Chip Patterson]

And then he leaves, you know, and isn't that a late in the cycle exit?

[Tom Fornelli]

Oh, yeah. That's why he got the job. Because, remember, like Deshaun Foster had never been a head coach anywhere. He'd been a grad assistant, a running backs coach. Now all of a sudden, you're the head coach of a Big Ten program without an off season to prepare.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah, never had a chance. All right, coming up on the other side, we look at the potential candidates, some of the options and where these schools maybe should be looking for their replacements and their next head football coach. And more nukes.

[Tom Fornelli]

I'm Christian McCaffrey, pro running back, and Abercrombie is an official fashion partner of the NFL. I'm not kidding when I say NFL by Abercrombie broke the Internet last year, and I think this season's lineup is even cooler. And so does my wife, who keeps stealing all my hoodies. Stay fit for the season. And Abercrombie's newest arrivals. Shop NFL by Abercrombie in the app, online and in store. When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end and encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone.

[Chip Patterson]

Learn [e-mail] back here on the COVID 3 podcast. Continuing to react here. Emergency podcast for the double firing ucla. Moving on to Sean Foster. Virginia Tech parting ways with Brent Pride. Now. Now the. The fun conversations that fill group chats and message boards. Where. Who. Where are they gonna go? Where are they gonna look?

[Danny Cannell]

I'm just reading a list, and it's just kind of funny because I think no one has any idea, but I'm looking at a list of UCLA's potential hires, and I see Kaylin DeBoer on this list.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah.

[Danny Cannell]

And I'm just kind of like, what do you think he's gonna get fired? Like, I mean, unless he gets fired, then, yeah, I think it's a great option. Jed Fish at Washington. I don't know. I don't think that's very realistic. Like, I. Yeah, it's a better job right now. They've made the playoffs a couple of times, you know, in the past 10, 15 years. They've got Jonathan Smith. Would he come back to the West Coast? You know he's got a better job. I know, and that's the thing. I think that was an interesting one. But like, is he that desperate? He's got a pretty good, like, he might be able to be more selective.

[Tom Fornelli]

And on the Virginia Tech side, we need to eliminate Shane Beamer talk right from the start. I understand.

[Danny Cannell]

It's the headline. It's the banner.

[Chip Patterson]

Why in the hell.

[Tom Fornelli]

Why in the hell is Shane Beamer leaving South Carolina for Virginia Tech right now? Listen, he's had a better job.

[Danny Cannell]

You get on six and six.

[Chip Patterson]

You get on that plane, Tom, and you go to Columbia and you don't come back unless you've got Shane Beamer.

[Tom Fornelli]

But who's he immediately compared to when he takes the job?

[Chip Patterson]

That's great.

[Tom Fornelli]

So the problem is, the problem is Virginia Tech still thinks it can be what it was under Frank Beamer. And it hasn't been because it doesn't have the money to invest to make. Make sure they can maintain that level. And then you go and hire Shane Beamer, who immediately is going to be expected to be his father. It's like, no, unless they got money, I can't do that. Nobody can. I don't think it's a very attractive gig. Shane Beamer should get a raise out of it, but he won't get it. He won't be taking the gig.

[Chip Patterson]

I don't know, Danny. I mean, South Carolina goes 6 and 6, 5.

[Danny Cannell]

That's what I was thinking.

[Chip Patterson]

Starts looking around, he starts saying, who's in my corner, who really loves me? And Virginia Tech's calling, you know, no, we'll love you, Shane. We'll love you forever. Maybe he can open up some of the investment. Some. Sometimes you do need to get that heavy hitter to be able to convince people to cut a check.

[Danny Cannell]

Gosh, I got.

[Chip Patterson]

It's got to start with Shane Beamer, Tom. That's where it's got to start.

[Danny Cannell]

I think so too. It's. I mean, did you, you guys watch the Netflix series and the sec when his wife is talking to the camera and she said, well, Shane told me, you know, when I took this job, it's not a matter of if I get fired, it's just when I get fired. Like that was. And they know it. Like that is life in the sec and it's life everywhere in college football. But if it's an opportunity, kind of start fresh, set the bar, lower, you exceed expectations. They love you. I don't think it's that crazy. I think clearly South Carolina is a better job, but I do think there is a unique nature to this one that I think he would listen. I don't know if he goes.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think it'd be a mistake if he left for it. Unless he really feels like he's going to get fired at South Carolina, but even then get fired. Let him pay you to go away and then take a new job.

[Danny Cannell]

You know, both of these coach schools should be calling Pat Fitzgerald now that he's been cleared. You know, I think he's probably the best available on the market.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think Fitz would be a good fit at UCLA because at Northwestern he took over the program. That really wasn't the same kind of investment as the teams he was competing against. It's another private. Well, it's not public. I'm sorry, it's not private, but it's another school with like higher academic, you know, requirements to get in.

[Chip Patterson]

It's a good school. UCLA is a good school.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah. Not to the same level as Northwestern, but I do feel like he's a very good fit there. I also feel like Pat Fitzgerald would probably be a good fit at Virginia Tech too, because, like, if they're going to be the lunch, pale blue collar program, Pat Fitzgerald, that's the kind of program he's running.

[Danny Cannell]

Couple put in the chat Dan Mullen. If Dan Mullen continues to win, I think he'd be a great option for either. I feel like maybe he fits UCLA a little bit better than Virginia Tech. Yeah, I think he'd be a good option at either one.

[Chip Patterson]

Yep. What about Jamie Chadwell for Virginia Tech?

[Danny Cannell]

Makes a lot of sense.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah. I'm sure Jamie would love to get out of Liberty at this point because it's not going the way he'd hoped it would.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah, I'm not ready to sell. I mean it. To your point, Tom. It's not going the way that I expected it would go. Now, two years of this, like, whoa, whoa, whoa. What happened here? I thought you guys had more than everything. More talent, more everything. But it's. It is not looking like they have a decided advantage right now on the football field. And it's not just a cadence alter thing, obviously, but I still think he's a good football coach.

[Tom Fornelli]

So you know who both should consider another coach? The coach that just beat UCLA to get DeShawn Foster fired.

[Chip Patterson]

Oh, E. Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

He's one in Idaho, which was in a very bad spot at the FCS level after having to come down from the fbs. Now he's winning at New Mexico, who's on its SEC or third coach in three years, and he's had to completely overhaul the roster.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

Roster left.

[Chip Patterson]

I'm, I'm with your theory. Let's. I, I would bet the former Wisconsin offensive lineman who seems to be out there doing cool stuff and giving you all the feels about what you can do, that's. He might be in Madison at some point, but you got to give him a call. Well, I was, I thought you were going to say, what about the, the team that just beat you? What about Ricky Ronnie? See, the. And the problem is Virginia Tech has some sensible higher options that in the old days you'd be like, yeah, that's great. But in today's modern era, we want a heavy hitter. We want someone that's going to create a lot of buzz. And I, I don't know if. I mean, that's where it's. It's a Dan Mullen or a Pat Fitzgerald or a Jimbo Fisher before it's a Ricky Ronnie or maybe even a Jamie Chadwell at this point. Jimmy Chadwell and Ricky Ronnie are both in state group of five coaches that seem to be pretty good and can coach some ball. But I don't think either one of those would be the wow factor that Virginia Tech might go for. Might be where the search ends up, you know, after a long set of calls and interviews. But I'd bet it's not where they start. Along the way.

[Tom Fornelli]

There any sitting power four coaches that you think would leave for either of these jobs, like, if.

[Danny Cannell]

You'Re a big, big 12 or ACC co. I mean, or even like.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, but like, if you're, if you. It'd be weird, but like, if you're Jake Dickard at Wake Forest, does Virginia Tech seem like a better option? If you're, if you're Chris Climan and you seem to be getting in some hot water at Kansas State this year, do either of these schools seem like a better option to you right now?

[Chip Patterson]

I don't. I haven't done a good job of diagnosing how bad this is around Kansas State.

[Danny Cannell]

Right.

[Chip Patterson]

But the, the only way that I would see it from if we're going power conference to power conference. I mean, Scott Satterfield reset the clock again.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's what I'm saying. Who are the reset the clock candidates?

[Chip Patterson]

Dave Aranda, maybe. I mean, it was just.

[Danny Cannell]

It feels very similar to what you had, though. I almost feel like they'll go an offensive guy.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah. Not Jonathan Smith.

[Tom Fornelli]

Somebody saying Signetti to Virginia Tech. I know this sounds crazy, but right now I think I'd rather have the Indiana job than Virginia Tech because Indiana has money, they have financial support.

[Chip Patterson]

Indiana's portal halls over the last two years have been way better than Virginia Tech sports.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yes.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah, they're getting like, they, it's not just Curtis Rourke and Fernando Mendoza. They've. They're getting offensive linemen from Notre Dame.

[Tom Fornelli]

You know, like if he's leaving for Indiana, it's for a program that's currently in a much better situation than Virginia Tech.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah, Shane Beamer. Shane Beamer. Shane Beamer. What about anybody? Anybody who else would be in the mix for ucla?

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't know. I don't know how much money they have to go get a coach. That's part of the problem too, because that athletic department's been in financial trouble for a while and that's part of the reason that played in going after Foster and not really even after they hired him immediately. They just named him the full time coach and never really conducted an actual coaching search because I don't feel like they thought they had the money to go get the kind of guy that they were going to need.

[Chip Patterson]

I don't.

[Danny Cannell]

Dan Lynn, you know, USC's defensive coordinator.

[Chip Patterson]

Who they got, who was the defensive coordinator at ucla.

[Danny Cannell]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

But he also is fully aware of how difficult it is to coach at ucla.

[Chip Patterson]

Oh, what about, what about Tony White?

[Danny Cannell]

Yeah, don't, don't. He's not a good candidate. Nah, he needs more time. He needs more time in Florida State.

[Chip Patterson]

You need to see it.

[Tom Fornelli]

We need see him complete a full season before we can rely on him.

[Chip Patterson]

Also, I mean, can you go from former player to former. Tony White played there, right?

[Tom Fornelli]

Yes.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah. Can you go from former player to former player?

[Tom Fornelli]

What about Will Stein? Oh, now I think Will Stein would be wiser to wait because I do think, I mean, we've got two openings here today. We're going to see a lot more over these next couple of months. So I don't think Will Stein is going to rush for either of these jobs. But I think Will Stein is somebody who at ucla, before he's able to bring in premier talent, would at least be able to get the most out of his offense and get you somewhat excited and hell, maybe he'd even be able to get the most out of Nico, Jim Mora back to ucla.

[Chip Patterson]

I, it's not the worst idea.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think, you know, Jim or Virginia Tech's not the worst idea. I don't know if he's going to go back To UCLA though.

[Chip Patterson]

Jeff Monk into Virginia Tech. You want. I mean that's not a, you know, like Jeff. Jeff Road hot. Might be if, if that ends up falling on your plate. Might not be bad. You think Virginia Tech goes coordinator Glenn Schumann, Jim Knowles.

[Tom Fornelli]

Schumann's gonna leave for a head coaching job at some point. I just feel like he's waiting for the right SEC opportunity to do so. He's waiting for like an Arkansas or South Carolina or something like that to open where he thinks he can go do enough damage.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah, but.

[Danny Cannell]

It'S gonna be. If they. Georgia Tech does what they should do and if they're at minimum 10 and 2 and they're on the verge of the playoffs, his name is going to come up for a lot of jobs.

[Chip Patterson]

Bill Belichick.

[Danny Cannell]

No, Steve. Steve Belichick. And you have two Ace, two Belichicks in the ACC. That's what you need one. You need two.

[Tom Fornelli]

I mean did you see Biff Poggy put up 60 on. On Central yesterday? He. He's been a head coach before. He's got, he's got experience in the, in the Atlantic coast area.

[Chip Patterson]

Yep.

[Tom Fornelli]

He's got money too. Virginia Tech needs money. Come on, John.

[Chip Patterson]

John Summerall is going to wait out both of these, right?

[Tom Fornelli]

I imagine so. Especially considering Tulane. I mean USF is still the front runner, but Tulane is right there on their ass for that G6 spot.

[Chip Patterson]

Somebody just got in the stream yard. Somebody must have typed in a wrong stream yard code in ours.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, it's not hard to see anymore.

[Chip Patterson]

Somebody's trying to get in on. Somebody's trying to get in on this. Get in on these candidates right here.

[Danny Cannell]

I do think Jimbo would consider Virginia Tech.

[Tom Fornelli]

I mean, he's a West Virginia boy, so it's close to home.

[Chip Patterson]

Do you know what Jimbo's thinking right now? He's like, well, at least I have Virginia Tech then. Then he spends the rest of the season trying to figure out what the landscape is looking like.

[Danny Cannell]

Right. Problem is money. I mean, he's got money.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah.

[Danny Cannell]

He could help fund his own players for a little bit.

[Tom Fornelli]

Just. I just see Jimbo throwing like a. A 500 play playbook at Chiron Drones. And it not going well. No.

[Chip Patterson]

With the readers on and all the papers spilling out over top.

[Tom Fornelli]

All right, now here's the.

[Chip Patterson]

Y' all never had peanuts and cocoa. It's a West Virginia delicacy. Come on. Right now. Check it out. Yeah, I just it the other piece of this and I'm not qualified to give an in depth analysis, but I can. I can comfortably say both of these fan bases are furious at their respective athletic directors.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah.

[Chip Patterson]

So we might also have that going on that these schools have to navigate here for just a little bit. But yeah, here in the immediate future, Tim Skipper will be the interim coach of UCLA as they begin what is just going to be an absolute gauntlet of the rest of the season. And then for Virginia Tech, I do think, Danny, to your point, there are at least some more winnable opportunities that will be Philip Montgomery taken over as the interim right there. Oh, last one here because I did see his face. Any chance VT goes Vic?

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't. I mean, if Mike Vic ends up the coach at Virginia Tech, it's because the search went terribly. I just don't think he's gotten nearly the. You can't. The program can't be in this perilous position and then you hire somebody with no real experience. Maybe it ignites the fan base for a while, but if the results don't come immediately.

[Danny Cannell]

I know they lost their first game. Are they winning Norfolk State? Yeah, like, I. I think that kind of matters.

[Tom Fornelli]

I mean, they played a couple FBS teams. Gotten killed, I'm pretty sure.

[Danny Cannell]

Right. But I mean, I think that's a. Let it play out, like. But if he took them and had a pretty strong year in his first year, I think it's worth kicking the tires on.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah, they beat. So they lost to Towson, they beat Virginia State, and then they got throttled by Rutgers yesterday.

[Tom Fornelli]

Powerhouse Rutgers.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah, Rutgers overs. That's where we're at. You know, Tom, when you said, when you said that, I. I just. I've got the very, very recent memory of the coaching search that happened in Chapel Hill in December. We're at the beginning of it. We're like, no way. No, absolutely not. And then sure enough, on that Tuesday or Wednesday, I'm. I'm on the phone with a former player and he's just. He's like, I cannot believe that this has actually happened. Like, we have landed in this position. So, yeah, I'm not going to rule in this world. I'm not ruling out Michael Vick, hired with a staff of experience and, you know, huge in promises of investment and great press conference and the whole university is like, how's it going to go? I don't know, but this is awesome. You just. Why, you just ride the wave of euphoria and nostalgia for everything that you can get. But long way to go before. Before we would get to that point, I imagine. All right. Any other Final, final thoughts here.

[Tom Fornelli]

Think Billy Napier is just staying quiet today. Got the phone notifications turned off. He's just in a dark room trying.

[Danny Cannell]

To ride out the storm, that one. Like, who are you going to throw to the wolves with that schedule? Like, why do it now?

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, I know. It's just. It's.

[Danny Cannell]

I know, but it wouldn't be shocking.

[Chip Patterson]

Do you want to set an over under on when it happens?

[Tom Fornelli]

Let's. Who do they got next? Miami.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah.

[Danny Cannell]

I still think it's that crazy that they could win some games. I mean, you know, like, I mean, they were in the game last night. The quarterback threw five picks.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah. That says far more about lsu, which remained at number three in the rankings today. I mean, their next three games are Miami, Texas and then A M. If they get throttled in those games.

[Danny Cannell]

Right. I think the scores matter.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah.

[Danny Cannell]

If they get throttled against Miami, I would. I think that would be an embarrassing, like, oh, we got to do something.

[Chip Patterson]

This is probably better for a pun. Further review. But Danny, I saw it suggested that all of the time and the injury management contributed to regression of just skills. Like, he just hasn't gotten enough work in.

[Danny Cannell]

Totally. That's what it looked like to me. I said then the pregame show yesterday morning, I'm like, it looks to me like a player doesn't have great continuity with his receivers and he didn't get to get many reps at all. And you can study, you can watch film and you can go. Go through walkthroughs. It's not the same as real live reps, either in a spring game or in training camp during scrimmages. He just looks like somebody who's very, very rusty. And who knows? I mean, how do we know?

[Chip Patterson]

He's.

[Danny Cannell]

It's been. He's had a lot of injuries. His shoulder was something they tried to rehab and didn't do surgery. I also wonder how healthy he is. Like, so there's a lot that goes into it.

[Chip Patterson]

Yeah. Not. Not great from the quarterback on whom Florida rested a lot of their hopes for 2025. But that conversation and so much more will be a part of Mondays upon further review. So come and hang out 11am Eastern time. And you can follow him on Twitter at Tom Frinelli. You can follow him at Danny Canal. You follow me at Chip Underscore Patterson. Gentlemen, thank you very much.

[Tom Fornelli]

Bears suck.

[Danny Cannell]

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[Tom Fornelli]

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[Danny Cannell]

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[Tom Fornelli]

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