Reports: Moorehead leaving for Texas A&M

By: Will Stewart | Founder

Multiple reports have surfaced that Virginia Tech’s wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead is leaving to take the same position at Texas A&M.

The 34-year-old Moorehead has been at Virginia Tech for two seasons as a wide receivers coach. He played college football for Illinois, spent five years in the NFL as a wide receiver, and got his start in college coaching as a graduate assistant at New Mexico in 2009. After assisting with wide receiver coaching at Stanford from 2010-12, Moorehead was hired as a full-time wide receivers coach for Virginia Tech in January 2013.

Moorehead’s tenure at Tech is widely regarded as a successful one. In 2013, under Moorehead’s coaching, Joshua Stanford, Willie Byrn and Demitri Knowles became the first trio in program history to each record 40 or more receptions in a season. This season, he coached true freshman wide receivers Isaiah Ford and Cam Phillips to 96 combined catches and nine touchdowns.

Moorehead has also been an effective recruiter, credited by 247sports.com (see this link) with landing nine signees and commitments in the last two classes: Ford, Phillips, Melvin Keihn, Darius Fullwood, Adonis Williamson, DuWayne Johnson, Kendrick Holland, Myles Wolfolk, and Eric Whitehead.

Moorehead was hired for $150,000 in Jan. 2013, and through a series of raises, had increased to $185,500 for the coming season, per Andy Bitter of The Roanoke Times. But that was still the lowest on Virginia Tech’s staff, by a wide margin.

Bitter reported in his blog post, linked above, that every assistant coach for Texas A&M in the past season made at least $250,000.

There are no early indications as to how Virginia Tech will replace Moorehead.

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23 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. What a bummer. Coach Moorehead and Coach Gray are two up-and-coming young coaches; ones that we really needed to hold on to. PLEASE, Whit, step up to the plate and do what’s necessary to hang on to Torrian.

  2. I love how many of us “know” who should be paid more money and who should be paid less on the coaching staff. I am sure if our companies start giving young guys/ladies immediate salary gratification to rival what we have worked years to get that there won’t be any problems in the workplace.

    2. I agree. I would also say to all those people that think we just need to increase salaries in order to keep up with the market of the highest bidder – there is a way to get this done. I am sure Whit is more than willing to accept your donation to the athletic program.

      There were a number of comments to the effect that if we hire strong, up and coming coaches we need to recognize that some will only be with the program for a few years and we might expect a bit of a revolving door. This should not really be a surprise to anyone.

    1. Hate to say, but Blacksburg is not exactly the most expensive place to live either. Plus it is not full of Texans. Just look what $500k will buy you in B’burg, not slum living. And there insects aren’t the size of VW Beetles, not as hot as College Station and the New River is great for tubing.

      Trust me money ain’t everything, it is some, but not all.

  5. So the sky is falling……………??? Don’t panic yet there is always someone out there who can take his place. I’m remaining calm on this one.

  7. Hate to lose someone who apparently was a good recruiter. Until we can match the salaries of other competitive schools, this will continue to happen. And … until Whit and Frank work out a succession plan, we are not going to be in a good place. A lot is riding on Coach Beamer’s retirement decision. I hope that it comes soon.

    1. It is s stretch to pin this one Beamer’s retirement.

      Be careful what you hope for. When Beamer does retire we could look forward to a lot of upheaval and a lot of uncertainty.

  8. I really hate to see Aaron Moorehead leave. I am so disappointed to see a young guy of Aaron’s energy and talent to this program, not being paid the bucks to retain him. I set back and think of some of the people on Frank’s current staff, and I believe he let one of the best at his position get a way. What would have taken to keep him?

  9. Zohn Burden, ODU WR Coach! Good young guy from the 757 who has produced quality receivers there.

  13. So, given Frank’s short tenure remaining, are we going to have difficulty in hiring a replacement? IIRC, that was the final straw with respect to Coach Greenberg.

  14. and the fact that this was totally foreseeable and therefore preventable underscores my bewilderment at the AD and tech coaching staff.

    There was not even a counter offer because the 11K raise is garbage. 6% ???!!!

    As soon as AM saw the raise, he knew Tech would not counter offer in the first place that is why no one saw it coming. Because the decision was made. Aren’t coaches to be made aware one an outside coach wants to talk to your staff?

    Tech needs to be able to hire coaches other programs want and keep them. Or else we won’t make that next step. we will remain stepping stone.

  15. That sucks but I can’t blame the guy for taking what appears to be a great opportunity. Other than money I suspect he’s looking at his future. He knows Frank’s tenure is closing at Tech and I’m sure he weighed that as well.

  16. Cornell Brown making that much more than AM is ludicrous. The position Brown coaches doesn’t even play 10% of game.

  17. Why the heck would we have paid much less than Cornell Brown even way better results. I wouldn’t blame him for leaving If he indeed did.

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