BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech’s coaching staff had a significant but tidy change Wednesday, with linebackers coach Tracy Claeys announcing his retirement and the Hokies promoting Jack Tyler to replace him.
Claeys, 52, spent a little more than a year on the job, joining the Hokies in December of 2019, his connection to the staff back then being Jerry Kill, who’s since moved on to a staffer role at TCU. Though an odd positional fit — despite his vast coordinator experience, Claeys had never coached linebackers specifically — his addition was largely viewed as someone to aid Justin Hamilton’s adjustment to defensive coordinator.
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Tyler, 30, is on the other end of the experience spectrum, his nascent coaching career comprising of four years on Tech’s staff first as a graduate assistant and then in a quality control position, but you’d be hard-pressed to find someone more in tune with how the Hokies’ linebackers operate.
Tyler was a walk-on from Oakton High in Vienna who earned a scholarship as a player at Virginia Tech from 2009-13, a two-plus-year starter who had 286 career tackles and was an All-ACC selection in both 2012 (first team) and ’13 (second team).
Though this is his first full-time assistant job, Tyler has taken on bigger responsibilities on an interim basis before. He’s recruited, temporarily going on the road in early 2019 following Bud Foster’s knee replacement surgery. (His Oakton connection was also important in getting a conversation started with the father of quarterback Braxton Burmeister, who ended up transferring to the Hokies.)
Tyler stepped in during the 2019 Belk Bowl preparation against Kentucky when the Hokies were down several coaches. He had his most significant role last fall, with COVID-19 protocols leaving the coaching roster depleted. When Hamilton and cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith were unavailable, Tyler served as the team’s defensive play-caller in a 38-31 win against Duke on Oct. 3, a game in which the Hokies were missing several pieces in their secondary.
“Jack Tyler has earned this opportunity to take on a larger role with our team as our linebackers coach,” Fuente said in a news release. “Jack is a tireless worker who is passionate about the game and possesses a great love for Virginia Tech. During every step of his career, Jack has soaked up every ounce of knowledge about the game from his coaches and teammates. He’s a very mature individual who has gained the trust and respect of our coaching staff and our players. I couldn’t be more enthusiastic about the positive impact that I believe Jack will make in his new role with the Hokies.”
Congratulations to Jack Tyler @JackInTheBox58 on his promotion. I couldn't be more excited for him or more proud of him. I've had the pleasure of watching him develop and evolve as a man, a player and as a coach. He's a special man and has a bright future in this business. #LPD
— Bud Foster (@coachfostervt) January 13, 2021
Though Foster is retired, Tyler is a pretty good proxy for his former mentor, someone who parroted many of Foster’s sayings even when he was a player. That’s three former Foster players who are on the Hokies’ defensive staff: Tyler, Hamilton and co-defensive line coach Darryl Tapp.
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“I’m beyond grateful to Coach Fuente for placing his faith in me,” Tyler said. “Even while I was still a student-athlete, my dream job was to someday coach the position I played at my alma mater. Virginia Tech has made such an unbelievable impact on my life and I really try to pay that forward every day. I also owe a huge debt of gratitude to Coach Foster, who saw the potential in me to someday become a coach. I can’t thank Coach Fuente, Coach Foster, Coach Hamilton and the members of the current defensive staff, as well as Coach Claeys for entrusting me with more responsibilities over the years and serving as great mentors to me.”
Like Tyrone Nix, a veteran coach who had a one-year stint in charge of Tech’s safeties in 2018, Claeys’ linebackers had mixed results in his one season in Blacksburg, though that was true of the entire defense and is a difficult outcome to judge, given how disjointed the year was due to COVID-19.
In a statement put out on Twitter, Claeys said he isn’t retiring for health reasons, noting that he lost 125 pounds in the past 18 months. He said he plans to spend time with family and friends in his native Kansas while figuring out what he wants to do next, leaving open the door for a “great situation” as a defensive coordinator.
Best of luck VT. GO HOKIES!!! pic.twitter.com/tDqeCaMnTB
— Tracy Claeys (@t_claeys) January 13, 2021
“On behalf of our entire football program, I want to thank Tracy Claeys for his contributions to our team,” Fuente said. “Even though he was only with us for a short time, Tracy made a lasting impact on our players and coaches. Tracy is not only an outstanding football coach, but he’s also one of the finest people I’ve had the pleasure of working with in this profession. I appreciated the way he helped mentor members of our staff, as well as the manner in which he conveyed his knowledge of the game to our players. We all wish Tracy the very best going forward.”
Virginia Tech has not released salary information for Tyler yet, though an entry-level coach like him figures to make in the $175,000 range. Claeys made $500,000 this season, giving the Hokies a good sum to reallocate on the coaching staff.
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Tyler’s promotion makes this an extremely young defensive coaching staff, with four of the five full-time assistants — Hamilton (38), Tapp (36), Smith (30) and Tyler (30) — under 40 years old. Defensive line coach Bill Teerlinck, 42, is the oldest defensive coach.
Tyler is one of seven former Virginia Tech players who are serving on Fuente’s staff. In addition to Hamilton and Tapp, Pierson Prioleau is a director of player development on defense, Corey Fuller and Jeron Gouveia-Winslow are directors of player personnel and Ryan Shuman is director of football strength and conditioning.
(Photo of Jack Tyler: Courtesy of Virginia Tech Athletics)
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