Virginia Tech hires OL coach Ron Crook from South Dakota
The Hokies' coaching staff has filled out with a veteran offensive line coach to replace outgoing Joe Rudolph.
South Dakota tight ends coach and run-game coordinator Ron Crook - who has had past stints as offensive line coach at Cincinnati (2017-21), West Virginia (2013-16), Stanford (2011-12), and several small-college programs - will be the newest man in charge of bringing the Orange and Maroon back to rushing glory.
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While the Coyotes finished 84th in yards/rush (3.73) among FCS teams this Fall, the results in recent coaching positions are far more impressive. Cincinnati finished 18th (5.22) among FBS teams in 2021, and earned the first trip to the College Football Playoff from a team outside the power conference structure. The Bearcats were even better the year before, finishing 10th in yards/rush (5.57), and the team didn't finish lower than 48th after his first season. In his final year with UC, Jake Renfro, Dylan O'Quinn, and Lorenz Metz were first-team all-AAC up front. He produced two NFL Draft picks in his five years at UC, an impressive haul for a mid-major program (Cincinnati will join the Big 12 starting next Fall).
A native of Parkersburg, W.Va., Crook played guard at West Liberty University outside of Pittsburgh. He also began his coaching career there, and spent six years at his alma mater across multiple stints.
Crook's work on the recruiting trail will likely not be as notable as that of his fellow new hire, Elijah Brooks, especially given his time outside the region over the past few years, and outside of the Football Bowl Subdivision for the past 12 months. However, VT has been a consistent presence in the Mountain State, and a coach who can identify talent and sell the virtues of small-town college life can be an asset to a program that wants to focus its efforts closer to home.
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