There's no denying the fact that offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring has come under heavy fire from the media and fans in recent years for, what some consider, questionable play calling and lack of offensive production.
But Stinespring has kept his position throughout all the condemnation and has remained in good standing with head coach Frank Beamer, who has stuck by his offensive coordinator since Stinespring was promoted to the position in December of 2001.
Beamer even successfully lobbied for a five-year contract for Stinespring several years ago.
"If anybody can come into my office Friday afternoon and convince me he's more knowledgeable than Bryan Stinespring, I'll listen to him," Beamer said in a press conference earlier this season. "Until then, I'm going to continue to listen to Bryan."
Stinespring joined the Tech coaching staff in 1990 as a graduate student after coaching four years of high school football.
"I came to Tech to get my master's degree and try to get some collegiate coaching experience," Stinespring said. "I did that for two years in hopes to make an impression on coach Beamer. After the 1992 season, I was hired onto the staff. It was one of the best days in my life."
Since Stinespring's first season as offensive coordinator in 2002, Tech's total offensive numbers have slowly declined. The Hokies have only had a top-40 offense once in the last seven years and ranked 99th and 100th nationally in total offensive yards in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Because the Hokies' offense featured several NFL-caliber players such as wide receivers David Clowney and Eddie Royal and running back Branden Ore in the past two seasons, much of the blame was placed on Stinespring for poor statistics.
"A lot of people pay attention to stats and where you are in comparison to other teams," Stinespring said. "All I really get caught up in, though, is how we're doing record-wise. If you're doing a nice job on offensive, defense and special teams, then the only stat that really matters is the final outcome of the game."
This season, however, the offensive numbers have been even lower than the average under Stinespring. Currently, Tech is ranked 113th out of 119 Division I-A teams in the country with 280 yards per game of total offense. The Hokies have also averaged 120 passing yards, good for 112th in the country.
"I think the reason for the poor statistics from the offense is that we're not getting yardage in chunks," Stinespring said. "We've had a tough time coming by the big plays -- whether it's running the ball, throwing the ball or yards after catch. We've only had a few plays this season that have gone for 20 or more yards. I think some of it is due to inexperience and injuries, and some of it is due to our inability to explode. When you're not capitalizing on those big time plays, I think those absence of yards adds up."
Amidst the decline in production from his offense, Stinespring's coaching philosophy remains simple.
"My goal is to put our players in a position to be successful on and off the field," Stinespring said. "I try to do the best I can preparing the players that I've been put in charge of. I try to make sure I've placed them in a fundamental situation in which they're going to be successful come Saturday."
Stinespring claims that he focuses solely on this objective. He has repeatedly insisted that he does not pay attention to the assessments from the media or fans.
"I don't know how you pay attention to negative criticism," Stinespring said. "It is just part of this game. I'm not going to get on 'www.' and see what everybody else is saying. I don't have time for that. If I did, I would probably play with my kids instead. When you start paying attention to criticism, I think you are taking away your attention from what your responsibilities are. My responsibilities are to prepare my players for success."
One of the most influential sources of criticism toward Stinespring has been a Web site bluntly titled "Fire Bryan Stinespring" (firebryanstinespring.blogspot.com). The site has been dedicated to critiquing the weekly performance of Stinespring, while suggesting more suitable coaches for the job of offensive coordinator.
The "Hokie Guru," a Tech alum and football season ticket holder, is the site's creator.
"If we want to get beyond a 50-50 shot of getting into the ACC title game (much less win the title), Bowl Championship Series (BCS) games, and potentially the national championship game, we have no choice but to replace our offensive coordinator, Bryan Stinespring," said the Hokie Guru, who wished to keep his identity concealed.
The site was created in January on the night the Hokies lost to the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2007 FedEx Orange Bowl. It has since gained exposure from several sources of media, especially from those who wish to cite an example of the pulsating support for Stinespring's resignation or termination of his contract.
"I honestly don't even keep track of how many hits the site gets," the Hokie Guru said. "I do know that my site is the first one that comes up when one searches on 'Fire Bryan Stinespring.' It was also mentioned in the Lincoln Star Journal."
The site has strongly grown in popularity since the 2008 season started, with the Hokie Guru posting more because of what he considers to be unacceptable offensive performances.
"In our game against Western Kentucky University this year, we managed only 243 yards total offense," the Hokie Guru said. "Western Kentucky University is a team in its first year in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Also, in our losses to Boston College and Florida State, Tech's offense managed only 240 and 243 yards, respectively. Tech has also not had a wide receiver catch a touchdown pass this year."
Stinespring's most dedicated critic did, however, commend the offensive coordinator on his recruiting skills. Prior to becoming the team's offensive coordinator, Stinespring was the Hokies' recruiting coordinator for eight years.
"If the Hokies replace Bryan Stinespring, the offensive coordinator, they also have to replace his ability to recruit," the Hokie Guru said.
But the Hokie Guru believes the burden that Stinespring bears as the team's offensive coordinator outweighs the success he's had as a recruiter.
"Tech has the single most predictable offense in the country," the Hokie Guru said. "Stinespring clearly does not change schemes from week to week. The misdirection in the Florida State game was one of the rare changes I have seen this year. Tech's offense is the easiest offense to prepare for in the country. It seems that it is based on a mobile QB running for his life.
"When something is working, however, like the running game did against Kansas in the second quarter of the 2008 Orange Bowl, Stinespring abandons it."
Stinespring's peers are aware of the media and public's view and do not endorse it.
"People are on him all the time," said associate head coach and running backs coach Billy Hite. "It's wrong. I think the people who are on him don't know if the ball is a balloon or stuffed. He's everything you're looking for in a football coach. What he means to this football team is immeasurable."
The Hokies currently rank first in the nation in turnover differential, having the best ratio of turnovers on offense to turnovers created on defense in the country.
Tech has remained at the top of this category for most of the season. This stat, however, is continually disregarded, as the Hokies have not reached the end zone on many of the turnovers that they have created, scoring 20 offensive touchdowns this season -- good for 100th in the country.
Perhaps the best rationale for lack of offensive production and an explanation that could justify Stinespring's performance as the team's offensive coordinator this season could be the fact that he has had to work with only four returning starters on this year's offense. In addition, three of the Hokies' four top receivers this season are freshmen.
"In our last six games last year, when we started to protect up front better, we threw the ball pretty well," Hite said. "We have a young group of receivers right now. Everything is not going to be perfect. But a year from now, we're going to be a heck of a lot better. Some of those people complaining right now will stop soon because it's not going to be this way next year."
Stinespring was the offensive coordinator during quarterback Bryan Randall's 2001-04 tenure. Randall is Tech's all-time leading passer, and holds school records with 6,508 career yards passing and 48 career touchdowns. Stinespring was also the offensive coordinator with Tech's top two career receiving leaders, Ernest Wilford (2000-03) and Eddie Royal (2004-07), who caught 126 and 122 passes, respectively. during their collegiate careers.
"He understands the game of football," Hite said. "Not only does he do a great job coaching, he does a great job calling plays and recruiting. The kids that he's signed in this program have been absolutely unbelievable. He's a loyal and dedicated guy. ... This game means so much to him and he does everything he possibly can to make sure the Hokies win on game day. He spends 90-plus hours a week preparing our team to win."
Even though some criticize his play calling as at times predictable -- including Tech linebacker Purnell Sturdivant, according to a Roanoke Times article printed on Wednesday -- Stinespring continues to see potential for success in every play he calls.
"Of course I wish I had some plays I've called back sometimes," Stinespring said. "That's just part of coaching, though. You always want to be in a perfect scenario and part of the game plan week-to-week is preparing plays that have opportunities for success. There's always opportunity for success after the play has been designed and after the defense aligns itself, though. I'm never going to call a play that doesn't have a chance for success."