Grimes’ departure a lesson in financial reality

Jeff Grimes’ reported departure puts into perspective for Hokie fans where VT stands in college football’s financial pecking order.

Per Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times, Virginia Tech was set to pay Grimes $280,900 this year. (Auburn wasn’t paying any of that; his compensation from Auburn ended July 1st, 2013.) That’s good money, and a lot of schools can’t afford that.

But the problem is, a lot of schools can afford more than that.  A lot more. And there’s the rub.

Historically, Virginia Tech’s assistant coaches haven’t been hot properties outside of Blacksburg, so there hasn’t been a lot of competition for their services. Guys like Danny Pearman (TE coach, 1998-2005) and Kevin Sherman (2006-2012) have found work once they left Tech, but in general, other programs don’t heavily pursue Virginia Tech assistant coaches. (Think: Billy Hite, Curt Newsome, Bryan Stinespring, and even well-regarded coaches like Charley Wiles and Torrian Gray.)

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