Hokie ClubBy Bill Roth
Two decades ago, in his first term as Rector of Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors, John Rocovich stood at a podium in front of sports writers and television cameras at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C. In a historic moment, Rocovich was the man who officially accepted Virginia Tech’s invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“I was filling-in for President Charles Stegar who was stuck in Europe trying to fly home,” Rocovich recalled. “So, I had to give this speech, officially accepting the ACC’s invitation. I talked about our academics and our institutional mission, and I think some of the sports writers nodded off,” Rocovich joked.
Virginia Tech Board of Visitors Rector John Rocovich speaks at the press conference introducing James Franklin.
Decades later, now serving as Rector of Tech’s BOV once again, the 1966 Tech alum found himself standing behind another podium at yet another major press event. This time, at a roaring Cassell Coliseum when Tech officially introduced James Franklin as the school’s new football coach.
The presser culminated a months-long process that began when Director of Athletics Whit Babcock presented the board with some startling financial numbers that showed how far Tech was behind its ACC peers in athletic funding. The board responded by increasing institutional funding for athletics, promising an infusion of over $200 million over the next four years. It culminated with Franklin’s hiring.
“You might recall that in my previous time as rector of the board, was the time when we got into the ACC. I thought that was a hundred-year decision right there, and it was mammoth for advancing our cause forward, particularly in sports. I believe James Franklin today, this is a hundred-year decision,” Rocovich said.
“This will set the course of Virginia Tech Sports way beyond our lifetimes and have us on an upward trajectory to make sure we can compete at the highest levels.”
Rocovich has great perspective. As chairman of the law firm Moss & Rocovich in Roanoke, he’s made Virginia Tech the central focus of his life, with much of his work in support of the university often occurring quietly out of the spotlight.
In 1986, Rocovich orchestrated a $4.7 million gift for the benefit of Virginia Tech's Chemistry Department. In 1987, two departments in the College of Engineering were endowed, each with a $5 million gift. He founded the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg and is the Chairman of its board of directors.
His behind-the-scenes style has had a monumental impact on Tech. But when he does step in front of cameras to speak to the media, you can be sure it’s a big deal.
He was the first person quoted in the University’s release announcing Franklin’s hiring. And he was the first person to speak to the media on Wednesday noting the impact Franklin’s arrival can have on Tech.
“I think he saw the opportunity here,” Rocovich said of Franklin. “He was very methodical and careful in his process. I mean, he called Frank Beamer. He called the president. He wanted to talk to me. He wanted to talk to everybody important so he could feel this was a good, secure location.
“I know Florida wanted him. Arkansas. There are a lot of other places that would want and need him, but I believe he saw us as the place where he could flourish and I really believe he'll end his career here”
“And if he can make a record anywhere close to his previous record, we have a lot of really enthusiastic Hokie fans out there. We'll go to bowl games every year, fill the stadium and have great media and I think be in the right place in the long run for our program.”
Babcock’s initial presentation to the BOV was the first domino in this process. He laid out the road map that showed where investment was needed. And it allowed the search committee to fish in a completely different pond than ever before.
Members of the search committee with Frank Beamer with new Head Coach James Franklin.
“The committee was really talented,” Babcock said. Our three ‘football guys’ with Bruce Arians, Eddie Royal, and Bud Foster were a great asset. And then three CEO executive thinkers, Brad Hobbs, Lynn Dowdy, and Bridgette Ryan-Burman.
“And then the two Board of Visitors members, J. Pearson and Ryan McCarthy, leaders in business and military in their own right. So, it was nice to have more sets of eyes, more sets of ears.”
It was a different approach to hiring a coach for Virgina Tech. And it came at a volatile time in the college athletics.
“This is such a unique coaching cycle because there are a lot of really big jobs open, and they're open early. And some of the biggest schools in America are looking for coaches,” Babcock said.
Franklin used the word ‘alignment’ several times this past week. From the BOV to the President to athletic administration, Tech had a plan that showed Franklin, for lack of better words, that when it came to football, Virginia Tech is ‘all in.”
“I believe we've always had alignment,” Babcock said. “The funding was a huge step in that level of commitment and alignment. And it's just everybody’s on the same page on the investment to be great and is committed to it.”
“I'm incredibly grateful to the president and the Board of Visitors and all the work that went into helping elevate our budget. And without it, we wouldn't have been able to attract a candidate of Coach Franklin's caliber.
With every coach that we talked with and visited with, that was a key question. And it was nice always to tell the truth. We have alignment and now it's on steroids. So that was a good thing.”
Luring Franklin was going to take a team effort. And it was going to take more than money.
Last Friday, search committee member J. Pearson, who was instrumental in securing the additional funding for athletics and developing a relationship with Franklin over the last month, flew to State College with Bud Foster to meet with Franklin and wife Fumi. It was a relationship that was key in the process, dating back to October when Franklin became available.
“Ryan McCarthy, Brad Hobbs, Bud Foster, Whit and I went and we saw coach early, down at his house in Oconee (Ga.)” Pearson recalled.
”After we left there, we kind of did our after-action review.
“Ryan noticed that Fumi Franklin shook everyone's hand but mine, but she hugged me. No idea why, but somehow, I connected with her.
“So, last Friday, I got a call from Ryan who says ‘hey, the lawyers are just spinning around in circles. And so, I said, Ryan, I've got an idea. I'm going to call coach Foster, and we're going to go up and see him (Franklin). And I said, you keep working on those lawyers.
“You're the bulldog. You're the secretary of the army. You just bust those lawyers’ butts. And I'm going to go connect with the coach and get this thing done.”
Pearson and Foster flew to State College, had a spaghetti dinner with James and Fumi Franklin. They left confident they had assuaged any reservations the Franklins had about Virginia Tech and the institution’s commitment to athletics.
“We're going to take care of James Franklin, because we know what he can do,” Pearson said.
For Foster, the visit to Franklin’s house turned out to be perhaps the biggest ‘recruiting visit’ he made in his career.
“I was like telling somebody I can still recruit,” Foster said. “We targeted James right away. And I kind of took it personally myself to how can we get this guy? He wants this place to look, smell and feel like a big-time football program.
“I think, in my opinion, we can improve upon that can create a little bit of a wow factor for young men to showcase our tradition here. You know, we've been to 27 straight bowls and there's not one picture up of any of our bowl teams or ACC championship teams.
“We've got some kiosks in there. But in my opinion, those guys that are setting in those seats in that team room, in that locker room, they need to walk down that hall and see, boy, there are some great teams that played. I'm involved in something bigger than myself. There's something special about this place and I need to live up to that standard.”
Franklin has won at the highest level. He’s won in the SEC and Big Ten. He understands what it takes to build and sustain a program at the highest level. He can make an impact in the ACC.
“From an ACC standpoint, (Franklin’s arrival at Tech) continues to raise the momentum relative to our investment across our 18 schools, Virginia Tech being the latest. And another premier coach that comes to the sidelines of one of our ACC institutions,” Commissioner Jim Phillips said.
“When Virginia Tech is good, it's better for the league. So, it's really a great day for Virginia Tech and this proud university, but also a terrific day for the ACC.”
It’s a new day for Virginia Tech athletics, which began with Babcock’s August presentation and culminated with Franklin’s November arrival.
“It started with Whit coming to the Board of Visitors and saying ‘guys, we're not competitive.’ Then we lost that third game, and it was just the bottom of the bottom. And we had to go act,” Pearson said.
“And that's what we did because, hey, it's my school, and I love this place.
“It's a big change. And we proved to the country today we're all in. We are all in.”
For more reaction from committee members and ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, please listen to this week’s edition of Level Seven.