Virginia and Virginia Tech have had vastly different results over the last two decades. But this spring, the rival schools have something in common: They both feature new coaching staffs for the first time since 1974.
The similarities end there.
While Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente seeks to build on the foundation Frank Beamer set, Bronco Mendenhall has taken a sledgehammer to the establishment, seeking to reinvent Virginia football.
“It’s a new culture,” defensive tackle Donte Wilkins says. “A new society.”
The cosmetic changes in Charlottesville are obvious: Mendenhall has stripped numbers from jerseys this spring, along with all Virginia logos as a way to make his players earn them all back.