New look burgundy uniforms for Virginia Tech this football season.
Marty Gordon
The Virginia Tech football team will a new look when they take the field in less than 50 days.
This past week, the school unveiled uniforms that spin back to an earlier time in Hokie history.
The word “Tech” is prominent on the front bumper of both helmets. The jersey numbers feature the double outline, which began in the early 80s and debuted in Frank Beamer’s first year in Blacksburg and further made famous by Hokie teams in the 1990s.
The orange sleeve numbers on the burgundy unis pay tribute to the teams from 1995 to 2003, considered to be one of the most successful in school’s history.
Hokie stone adorns the inside of the numbers on both the burgundy and white, according to the university, connecting the past, present and future Virginia Tech.
The white helmet blends the past and present look with the stripe being updated to match the primary VT logo. “Ut Prosim” is stitched to the inside of both collars, defined of course by the school, “that I may serve.”
Both pants have been updated to include the wordmark “Hokies.”
Watts new soccer assistant
Virginia Tech head soccer coach Mike Brizendine announced the hiring of assistant coach Matt Watts on Tuesday.
Watts comes to Blacksburg following eight years in charge of Nova Southeastern (DII), posting a 64-44-14 record with the Sharks. His tenure was highlighted by a Final Four run in 2021, while his program claimed its first Sunshine State Conference (SSC) title in the same year.
Having headlined the 2021 NCAA Division II South Region Staff of the Year, Watts guided Nova Southeastern to its first NCAA Tournament victories in program history during the Final Four run, which ended in penalties to the eventual national champions (Cal State).
Glenvar coach to Roanoke College
The Roanoke College football team announced two new assistant coaches Friday, Tony Spradlin as the recruiting coordinator/wide receiver coach, and Gerard Johnson as the special teams/cornerbacks coach.
Spradlin is a Salem High School graduate where he was a two-time state champion, and earned all-state honors as a wide receiver and punt returner. Spradlin played football at Concord University and Christopher Newport University where he was an all-conference wide receiver. He earned his Bachelor’s degree (History) from Concord University and his Master’s degree (Education) from Radford University.
Prior to coming to Roanoke, Spradlin spent the last four years as the offensive coordinator at Glenvar High School in Salem, and as the passing game coordinator and co-special teams coordinator for two years prior to that,
Johnson previously served as the head coach and offensive coordinator for the Caroline High School Cavaliers for two seasons.
Former RU coach at Roanoke
Roanoke College has hired Nathan “Nate” Stewart as its vice president for advancement.
Stewart is a Roanoke College alumnus who currently serves as associate vice president and chief operating officer for development and alumni engagement at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, according to a news release from Roanoke College.
Stewart earned his Bachelor of Science degree in health and human performance from Roanoke College, where he was also a member of the men’s basketball team.
After graduate school, Stewart was an assistant men’s basketball coach at Radford University and at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He went on to serve as assistant athletic director for advancement and director of athletics and athletic development at Eastern University and as director of athletics at Carthage College.
Appy honors River Turtle
The Appalachian League announced that Pulaski’s Noah Rabin Hitter of the Week for the period of July 8-14.
Rabin, 23, earned Hitter of the Week honors after batting .421 (8-for-19) with 10 runs scored, two home runs, two triples, one double and seven RBI in six games for the River Turtles. He led all Appy League hitters during the period in OPS (1.577), runs, triples and total bases (19), and finished second in the circuit in home runs (tied) and slugging (1.000).
Rabin hit safely in five games for Pulaski, posting three multi-hit efforts and multi-RBI games apiece during his award-winning week. A Sebastopol, Calif., native, Rabin is hitting .280 (28-for-100) with a .402 OBP and .510 slugging through 27 games this season between Johnson City (14 games) and Pulaski (13).
Highlander transfers to UNC
The reigning Big South Player of the Year, Lexie Roberts, is the newest member of the Carolina softball team, head coach Megan Smith Lyon announced on Tuesday. Roberts, a Mebane, N.C., native, is joining the Tar Heels after two seasons at Radford University as a rising junior.
A two-time All-Big South selection in the outfield, Roberts led the conference this season in batting average (.413), on-base percentage (.436), hits (62) and triples (5) and was second in runs scored (38) and stolen bases (29). She was also one of just two Highlanders to start all 47 games.
