By james art 
After seven weeks, Virginia football coach Tech Brent Pray found his replacement for Chris Marv as the next school’s defense coordinator. It seemed to be a long process that probably has more ups and falls that we would ever understand.
In the end, Pry hired the coach of linear players in Arizona Cardinal Sam Sifkes as the next school’s defense coordinator, and he really brings some experience as DC, but at the FCS level. He has five years of experience in NFL between the Cardinals and the Minnesota Vikings, and he has a great task for him in Blexburg, trying to improve Hokis’ protection. Here are three thoughts about hiring Pry.
1. Patience required
Who knows how this hiring will eventually be played, but one thing is for sure, time will show if PRY is fine. In the end, he must have hit gold with the hiring when he enters what he feels like a makeup season or breaking for him in the 4th year.
Siefkes enters with more experience, which he calls protection than Marv when he was hired, and in the end, it can be a change. The problem is that he has a great deal of work ahead of turning the defense that was loaded with talent but fights a powerful delay in games. Patience will be necessary and will let the season play.
2. Siefkes is probably not the first choice
Seven weeks? It took seven weeks to find Siefkes, which makes me believe that he is not the only choice that Virginia Tech is considering. I will actually go out to the limb and say that the work was offered to someone else or multiple candidates and Pry received “Thank you, but no thank you.”
Virginia Tech is a historical program and I’m sure PRY had a long list of candidates who were interested in work, but it feels like a big gambling game from PRY. It might be easier to promote Sean Quinn at work after he held him in the loss of the Duke Mayo Cup of Minnesota. Whatever the case, seven weeks to hire Siefkes raises eyebrows for sure.
3. A press release from Virginia Tech was interesting
When the rent was official, Virginia Tech sent a press message and it was quite interesting, the least. They had quotes in the release of Minnesota coach Viking Kevin O’Connell, former Viking coach Mike Zimmer and Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon, all who worked for them. This may be the norm, but it certainly felt a little to press the fans hiring.
As for Pry, he made it clear that it was a “long and thorough search” for Marv’s change. I am sure he was who knows, and may have received the right to hire. But the seven -week search feels like a long search for DC and makes you wonder what the opinion of the program is.