Virginia Tech Fires Scot Thomas as Head Softball Coach

Virginia Tech softball coach Scot Thomas has been fired, according to a release from the Virginia Tech athletic department.

Thomas is the only coach in the history of the Tech softball program.  He spent 23 years in his position, and won 794 games, with one appearance in the 2008 Women’s College World Series.

However, results in recent years have not been ideal, and in fact have been sliding downhill…

2015: 34-23
2016: 29-28
2017: 19-34
2018: 23-30

Whit Babcock indicated in the press release that he will conduct a national search for Virginia Tech’s new head coach.

“Coach Thomas and his student-athletes provided many historic moments for the Hokies over 23 seasons,” Babcock continued. “We will work diligently to find the right individual to serve as the leader of our program going forward. We will make no further comments regarding our softball search until we announce our new head coach.”

Senior associate athletic director Chris Helms will lead Virginia Tech’s search.

“I accept the decision by Whit Babcock to move in a new direction with our softball program,” Thomas said. “It has been with tremendous pride and pleasure that I was able to lead this program for 23 years. I am proud to say that we made history and we were able to take the program to levels that were difficult to imagine given where we began. We did it anyway. I want to thank all of my former staff, players, alumni, and supporters of our program for their dedication over the years.”

39 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. 134121Hokie
    Five years ago I sent Scott a message that he should take a look at Abbe Morrow. As far as I know he never contacted her. She went to Radford and excelled. I understand he commented that she had been a thorn is his side for four years. Her father is a Tech grad. He missed the boat big time…

  2. Good luck Coach Thomas….one door closes and another opens….

    ….to others posting here….some respectable and some totally classless….My experience with him was positive when I alerted VT to a strong recruit from my geography… I found him humble (took me years to learn he was a friend and college frat brother of Kenny Chesney…)… he was not big ego but just the opposite… perhaps he offended someone and sometimes that’s just the way the ball bounces….for you people to make this a forum to blab your personal insecurities and personal vendettas makes you pretty low….and for the record … I don’t even think you’re good enough to be even a HOO fan!!! That is all, weasels!

    1. Think Hard Hoo! Your sympathy, may just lie in the wrong place. Sure, it’s sad to lose your job, but their may also be a whole lot of facts you don’t know! There may be a lot of softball players that have suffered because a coach was kept far too long? Possible careers lost? There may have been some “game playing” that wasn’t on the field, which stirred some of those comments? The “needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few”! And what did graduating with Kenny Chesney mean to any of this, is that what made him Humble or Big Egoed? And since you want to be down in the weeds also, just think, those Weasels may just know something you don’t!

      1. Ok, I’ll let you get the last word in after this, but you just proved my point. But, ha, I’m no Hoo….so please…. don’t be ridiculous. Calling me a Hoo…. very funny! I also know many former players of the Coach, some benched more than they would like, some not … yet none had bad thoughts re the Coach…. clearly his record, as of late, was reason enough for the eventual outcome…as for us all in life, when paid to win, whether sports or otherwise, that’s the determining factor more often than not… I am certain that others know more than me and it’s how I’ve always approached life, and learned… as for me, my cackle is over, and I wish the Coach well, and I hope you too can sometimes have no shirt, no shoes and also no problems…

  3. Hope we take the oportunity to make a fresh start. Great players (and Great Hokies) don’t always make great coaches. With all due respect, pitching hasn’t been where it should have been with the talent that has gone through the program in the past several years imho

    1. Go look at their ACC pitching stats this year with two freshmen and a sophomore that were Tincher’s first recruits. I’d say she’s doing a pretty good job. Specially with the development of Eberle.

  4. I was not impressed with him even when he had Tincher. Mediocre at best. I believe there were personality issues as well. Time to move on with a real coach.

    1. He should have been fired years ago ! Poor recruiting + poor decisions + over his head in most situations + poor staff (=s) poor results. Amazing he was allow to hang around that long !

  5. Clean Out the Dug out.. I have been waiting on this to happen for over three years. Ego is Gone , Now time for a VT Softball Coach .. Thank You Whit Babcock ..

  6. Great news, long past due. I wish I was there to see his “Sour Puss” face when he got the news. Maybe the next Coach won’t “Lie” to future Student Athletes about how bad they are needed at VT, just to have them sit on the bench behind under preforming upper class favorites that never lived up to Thomas’ expectations. He was so full of his own Ego, he would never make the necessary changes to put a winning team on the field or play the Players in the position they were recruited for.

    Future Hokie parents won’t have to worry about talking in the stands during the game. Thomas’ Mother won’t be there to run back and tell the little “Moma’s Boy” what was being said in the stands. I wonder if he will now have to move out of the Basement?

    Good Luck to the Hokies! You will be better off without.

      1. JR…I’m glad you and freddyt are happy. You got the outcome you wanted and from your posts it’s obvious you both know Scot and his Mom really, really well. I just wonder, who was your choice to coach the VT club team Scot started back in 95? He may have been “a handy hire” but I don’t exactly remember folks standing in line to hit ground balls, figure out a way to fill a staff or struggle to schedule ANY opponents up on the intramural field back then. Bet you were proud VT had a “ball team” back then though? Your comments just shine a light on the sad social media culture of anonymity we all live in. It may have been time for Scot to go, but some courtesy and restraint would be appreciated as family, local followers and friends aren’t nearly as joyful about someone losing their job of 23 years as you are today.

        1. Must Have hit a Nerve with you. YOU Local ? I am,very local and have kept up with a lot VT Softball over the years. You take Care of Your restraint and Get Your Facts in front of Your Local Favorite Coach. And You try to remember That when you Call people OUT. My Grand daughter met him but for the first time Last Year, What she said is WHAT Recruits See. She was disappointed , That’s All I needed to know. Plus What I had already knew. And Being Local, Be more than Glad to express my feelings in person. I hope she goes somewhere else and She will. Maybe while you are out, ask Tincher’s Dad , Who recruited Who ? Sad To see such Pompous People Like you and anytime you get Facts,Key it up.. I will quit this site over The Local “fans” like you that put a person in front of a VT sports program. That should have been fired several years ago over … Carry On Blacksburg Local Fan..

          1. Scott Got that Job Because of His Mom, You know anyone else they asked ?? You must be kin to dodge Facts !!

          2. JR- Are you for real? Yes… I’m probably about as local as a person could possibly be, but I really don’t see what that has to do with anything? I’m sorry your 16 year old granddaughter had a bad experience meeting Scot last year, and it’s unfortunate she didn’t receive an offer to play for Tech. I’m usually not referred to as pompous and I’m definitely not sure what “Facts” you’re referring too?
            The bottom line is Scot’s been fired and I was surprised and took issue with you for running him and his Mother down on the way out. To each their own I guess. Best of luck with your granddaughter’s softball career and your Hokie softball program moving forward. Hopefully with Scot gone, VT Softball can finally return to the Glory Days you’ve kept up with all these years.

    1. Do you enjoy kicking a guy when he’s down? Sounds like a lot of hate FreddyCruegar.

        1. You are 105% Right.. Plenty of things could be said. I would love to share things BUT Whit has Made the Move and I’m happy for VT and VT’s Program to move Forward. My Grand daughter will be happy. She has so far 3-4 Offers to play softball..NONE from VT. She came to camp last year. What she said after the first day really woke me up. She will play College ball But VT with Scott was Out after her camp.. 2 ACC schools, One SEC schools looking at her and Not a Word from VT (she is turning 16 this summer).. Good day For Blacksburg !

          1. She said he Never Spoke to the players or even showed interest. she has been to the camps of two teams in NC. And the head Coaches went out of their way to speak to each kid in the camp. I didn’t ask her anything, just listened. He left the camp with a day and half still in progress. Tincher and one other lady coach , she said was good to the kids that was in camp. My Grand Daughter Made all First Team as a True Freshman this year. out of 250+ players, Only Freshman. College teams can contact her this fall when she turns 16 and is a 10th grader. She Loves VT but this soured her last summer. But she will be playing at the next level.. I showed up in the morning, dropped her off, came back with about 20 minutes left . By the way I played a lot of Ball in my time, he has Never showed what is needed in the College Level. He filled the spot at VT and was
            “handy” when hired. Momma had some pull. enough from me.

          2. No offense but if the next coach doesn’t offer your grand daughter should they be fired as well?

            I understand that there were issues with the coach beyond the team that I don’t know about but some of the comments here about living in the basement, etc. are pretty uncalled for. Just let it go and know that Whit will make a good hire for the future.

    2. Wow, I hope you feel better now! What a well written post…especially the classy part where you call out and make accusations of a long time coach AND his mother on an anonymous message board. Bet you boo our own at games as well, right? Come on…a very sad and poor representation of what a true Hokie should be.

    3. Shame on you – freddyt59 and JRHokie. We can only hope that the both of you get fired and then have someone talk about your mother. Enough is enough. Go now and cheer on UVA. You are not worthy of being Hokies. The statement by Coach Thomas was professional and he accepted Whit’s decision. His attitude towards the decision was a true Hokie and certainly wished the team and the school the very best. Now go and wear your blue & orange and hope that Whit can make a professional hire. You would not have a clue about who to hire or what the facts were behind the decision as expressed by you to bring one’s relatives into your opinion. We would like to see you guys as coaches and see how you would do – good riddance and go to Hooville stay away from the Tech softball program. They don’t need your negative attitudes towards people.

  7. I know he has been there a long when I realize he was there when I was an undergrad. Godspeed, Coach!

  8. By all accounts a good guy, but it was time for a change. I wish him the best, and many thanks for his contributions.

    1. Not so much “by all accounts” based on a few of the accounts above…

      1. Eh, a bitter softball dad who’s kid didn’t play as much as dad would have liked.

        1. I’ve heard similar comments from many other people (and their children don’t play softball)

        2. No Softball Dad here, I have never have had a Child on this team. I just call it like it is. Maybe if you had been to a couple of games and saw what was going on (obviously not just my account based on a few other posts) you would realize this Clown had no business being there 23 years. 1 appearance in the College World Series, with the talent that has gone through those doors, shows me he had no clue what was going on between the lines.

      1. Wonder if the new HC will consider keeping her as pitching coach, and if he/she were inclined to keep her, if Tincher would consider staying.

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