News With Commentary by TSL Staff

Thursday, December 13, 2001
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com

Bustle Accepts LA-Lafayette Job
Stinespring Will be Tech Off. Coordinator

Tech Offensive Coordinator
and Quarterbacks Coach
Rickey Bustle is now eyeing
a new future as the head
coach at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Virginia Tech offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Rickey Bustle will be announced as the new head coach for the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns, in a press conference to be held at 3 pm eastern time at the school. Bustle is reportedly going to stay through the Gator Bowl as Virginia Tech's offensive coordinator before departing for LA-Lafayette.

It was announced by Tech Coach Frank Beamer that offensive line coach and assistant head coach Bryan Stinespring will be promoted to offensive coordinator upon Bustle's departure. Tech will hire a new quarterbacks coach to take over that portion of Bustle's duties.

Bustle's departure ends 14 years as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech. He came to Virginia Tech with head coach Frank Beamer in 1987 and has been serving continuously here since then, with the exception of 1994, when he left for one season to serve as offensive coordinator at South Carolina.

Bustle has been the quarterbacks coach at Tech for all 14 of his seasons with the Hokies. He added offensive coordinator to his list of duties in 1993, and resumed that position from 1995-2001.

The 8 teams Bustle coached as offensive coordinator all rank in the top 9 Virginia Tech scoring offenses of all time. His teams never averaged less than 29 points a game, with 41.4 points per game (in 1999) ranking as the all-time high.

As quarterbacks coach, he developed two NFL first-rounders (Jim Druckenmiller in 1997 and Michael Vick in 2001), including a number one pick (Vick). Another of his quarterbacks, Will Furrer, was drafted in the fourth round in 1992.

Stinespring, one of Tech's best recruiters and coaches, is a rising star in the Hokie coaching ranks and has been with Virginia Tech since 1990, when he started as a graduate assistant coach. He coached the tight ends and was an assistant offensive line coach from 1993-1997, and he was elevated to offensive line coach in 1998. He was promoted to assistant head coach for the 2001 season while still retaining his OL coach duties.

Speculation on who the new QB coach will be centers around Frank Beamer's longtime friend and current Clemson quarterbacks coach Mike O'Cain and Notre Dame offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers.

O'Cain and Beamer first coached together as assistants at The Citadel in 1978, and O'Cain was the assistant head coach at Murray State from 1981-1984, during the first four seasons of Beamer's tenure as head coach at Murray State. O'Cain, a Clemson graduate, has been a college coach since 1977 and has held assistant coaching positions with Clemson, The Citadel, Murray State, ECU, NC State, North Carolina, and now Clemson. He served as head coach at NC State from 1993-1999 and compiled a 41-40 record.

Rogers has a distinguished assistant coaching career as well. Like O'Cain, he has been in college coaching since 1977, and has served at Ohio State, William and Mary, Navy, and Syracuse before spending the last three seasons at Notre Dame. Rogers has been a quarterbacks coach since 1989 and an offensive coordinator since 1997. He is credited with developing Donovan McNabb at Syracuse from 1995-1998.

The TechSideline.com staff join TSL posters and other Hokie fans in wishing Rickey Bustle and Bryan Stinespring good luck in their new positions. Congratulations, coaches!

Taylor, Whitaker Make AP All-America

The prestigious AP All-America team was announced Tuesday, and Tech linebacker Ben Taylor made second team made the second team, with defensive back Ronyell Whitaker making the third team.

It's Taylor's second year in a row being named by the AP. He was third-team last season. This is Whitaker's first AP honor.

Pugh, Taylor, Jones and Hall Make Sporting News A-A Teams

Defensive tackle David Pugh and linebacker Ben Taylor were named third-team All-Americans by The Sporting News. Tailback Kevin Jones and cornerback DeAngelo Hall were named Freshman All-Americans by the publication. Jones made the second team while Hall was tabbed for the fourth team.

          

TSL News and Notes Archives

TSL Home