Will be curious when the fall roster comes out. We seem to have added quite a few after signing day. Also curious to see did not come back.
Valpo just added a bunch of new coaches. A couple with NFL experience! Looks like great hires! https://www.valpoathletics.com/football/news/2024-25/22967/valpo-football-welcomes-additions-to-coaching-staff/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3_3lHmZ1N7HHT7YLmfNikS_vR6-2IJ65csEt7sWVX3aVe5BzN25nMIyPE_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw
Valpo just added a bunch of new coaches. A couple with NFL experience! Looks like great hires! https://www.valpoathletics.com/football/news/2024-25/22967/valpo-football-welcomes-additions-to-coaching-staff/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3_3lHmZ1N7HHT7YLmfNikS_vR6-2IJ65csEt7sWVX3aVe5BzN25nMIyPE_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw
Holy crap! This is now a mature, skilled/talented all-star staff. The backgrounds are incredible for little old Valpo to sign. Somehow, I sense that a staff salary budget bump was put in place to retain Coach Fox. If I’m right, yay Athletic Department! If I’m mistaken, yay coach Fox for pulling this off.
This is very good news. However, on the downside, it might be too little too late to influence the recruiting and composition of the 2024 roster. [But aren’t there still xfers still out there?].
Lets hope these guys can coach the hell out of the guys we have.
Promising hires.
Landon's comments post Davidson game last year, were spot on. paraphrasing NIL/financial aid packages.. assistance needed to compete.
What a PFL title or two and or playoff birth or two would do for the athletic program and PR for the university would be enormous, not to mention. a little extra gate/concession revenue if they ever hosted a playoff game. Students got behind the Volleyball team success, why not the football team?!. The Brown Field in late November sounds awfully cozy!
While it is nice to dream, a home playoff game is a longshot to the extreme.
That staff looks pretty good. Hopefully they can coach.
I have roster right at 120. Was around this number this time last season. Some guys gray shirted, others came after camp. With players reporting in June some quit before the fall when they figured pecking order/work required.
id still expect 3-4 more transfers probably RB / OT / LB / CB
usually the 110 works itself out
How did we get these assistants to come to VU? I don't mean this facetiously. It's just that many of them seem to have backgrounds that would give them an array of options, and I'm wondering what caused them to choose a non-scholarship D1 program that has struggled to compete in its league.
@david81 I can’t climb into their (the new coaches) minds, but I can guess that the FB assistant coach budget line was reconsidered by athletic administration based on the past revolving door pattern, and bumped it up to enable Fox to make reasonable offers to more qualified candidates. Great move, but I hope it’s not too little too late. None of these guys were instrumental in the bulk of the recruiting for 24, and it’s no secret that talented players win games. So our new staff has to uber coach up what we have.
@vulb62 I hope that the new coaches work out well and decide to hang around a bit. VU has come close to advancing to middle-of-the-pack status that can suddenly make contending for a league championship seem viable. A better, more stable assistant coaching situation can make a big difference.
Exactly 👍🏻
New Commit: Michael Mansaray 5’10 205 RB Columbus Ohio / University of South Dakota RSJR
20+ Games Played, 400 yards, 4TDs and a start in the MVC.
RB now has Mann , Manseray, Vercher, Thomas , Larkins (Spring Game MVP), Labus (22 games played as a FR/SO), and Shrader.
safe to say that position is loaded for the PFL
@valpofb16 Looking at the South Dakota roster and his bio in 20-23, he got a lot of snaps even as a freshman, so he was not a bench jockey. Scored against FBS Missouri. Used mainly as a FB/blocking back. Last season USD was second in the MVFC at 7-1 and 10-3 overall and this kid saw decent minutes. Certainly knows what it’s like to play for a winning program. Might be a really good addition.
Correct, he is closer to Aaron Dawson than Orekoya/Jashon Butler. Him and Mann (and I’ll argue Vercher) have a loads of talent.
we have three returning IOL and a returning blocking TE. If we find a solution at tackle we could be back to a functional offense on the ground.
from people in the know. That is a big If
New Commit: Jeremy Taveras 5’10 165 CB, Connecticut State (Juco) , Saint Paul Catholic , JR.
Believe there is a G5 FBS RB on way, just waiting for confirmation