Vance Vice

Coaching Highlights

•    Veteran offensive line coach enters his sixth season at Tech, where he has skillfully recruited and developed a versatile group of offensive linemen for the Hokies since his arrival.  

•    Another longtime associate of head coach Justin Fuente, their relationship dates back to 1999 when Vice served as offensive line coach at Murray State and Fuente was the Racers’ quarterback. The duo later coached together at Illinois State before reuniting at Memphis. 

•    His tenacious blocking unit earned the monicker of the “Vice Squad” in 2020 after paving the way for one of the most productive rushing seasons in Tech history. 

•    VT set a school record, averaging 5.58 yards per carry in 2020, a mark that ranked fourth among Power Five squads. 

•    Tech led the ACC by averaging 240.1 rushing ypg in 2020, the team’s best mark since the 2000 campaign, while VT’s 27 rushing TDs were the school’s most since 2010. 

•    RB Khalil Herbert produced 1,182 rushing yards on the season as the Hokies amassed three games with 300+ team rushing yards in 2020. Tech previously owned a total of three 300-yard rushing games in nine seasons from 2011-19.

•    T Christian Darrisaw, whose only FBS scholarship offer was from Virginia Tech, blossomed into a first-round pick in the NFL Draft under Vice’s watchful guidance in Blacksburg. 

•    Darrisaw started 12 games at left tackle as a true freshman in 2018 and only continued to improve. An All-ACC honorable mention selection in 2019, he developed into a consensus All-America second-team pick in 2020 and was the fourth offensive lineman off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft. 

•    Vice’s blocking unit in 2020 also featured C Brock Hoffman and G Lecitus Smith, who were both named to the All-ACC honorable mention squad. Hoffman was twice named the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week, while Smith earned a spot on the PFF College National Team of the Week after Tech put up 495 yards of total offense at UNC (10/10/20).

•    After starting nine games at right tackle in 2020, T Luke Tenuta is anticipated to move to the left tackle spot and could also draw the eyes of NFL scouts. He was named to the PFF College National Team of the Week after Tech piled up 314 rushing yards in a 45-24 win vs. NC State (9/26/20).  

•    With Vice’s unit providing protection, the Hokies have produced three of the top four seasons for total offense over the past 25 years at Tech. Only the 1999 campaign (451.8 ypg) tops the 2016 (444.4), 2020 (440.7) and 2018 seasons (428.7). 

•    Thanks to Vice’s unit blocking for Tech passers, the top three seasons for passing yardage per game at Tech have come since his arrival: 261.4 ypg in 2016, 253.8 ypg in 2018 and 239.5 ypg in 2017. 

.• Vice led an extremely youthful group in 2019 with 90.8 percent (59 of 65) of the starts made by his unit coming from underclassmen. Redshirt juniors made the other six starts.   

•    Despite assembling a blocking unit with little starting experience, Vice’s offensive front provided ample protection for QB Ryan Willis who threw 24 TDs in 2018, a mark that tied as the second-best in school history. 

•    G Wyatt Teller earned All-ACC First-Team honors under Vice’s tutelage in 2017, while C Eric Gallo was an honorable mention pick. 

•    Under Vice’s direction in 2016, G Augie Conte and T Jon McLaughlin both earned third-team All-ACC honors as Tech’s offense set or tied 10 single-season school records. QB Jerod Evans also enjoyed a prolific campaign, setting single-season VT records for total offense (4,392), passing yards (3,546) and rushing yards by a QB (846).

•    During his final two campaigns at Memphis, the Tigers compiled a 19-7 record and allowed a conference-low 32.0 sacks, cutting that sack total in half compared to the 64.0 sacks Memphis allowed in the two years prior to his arrival in 2010-11. The Tigers also set a school record, scoring 993 points over that two-season period.

•    The Tigers permitted a mere 17.0 sacks in 2015 as only nine teams in the Power Five permitted fewer. Memphis allowed 16.0 sacks in 2014, a total that ranked 15th among FBS squads.  

•    The rapid development of a blocking unit to protect QB Paxton Lynch allowed the Memphis passer to complete 64.8 percent (555 of 856) of his passes for 6,807 yards with 50 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, good for a 147.9 rating during the 2014-15 seasons. By contrast, Memphis registered only 24 TD passes during the 2010 and 2011 seasons combined. 

•    The Memphis ground game also prospered thanks to Vice’s blocking unit. In 2014-15, the Tigers averaged 185.0 rushing ypg and recorded 60 rushing TDs after averaging 87.8 rushing ypg and scoring 15 rushing TDs in 2010-11. 

•    Vice and the offensive staff inherited a squad that averaged 84.0 rushing ypg in 2011. The only FBS program that ran for fewer yards per game was Miami (Ohio) at 73.8 ypg. 

•    Memphis scored 40.2 ppg to rank 11th among FBS squads in 2015, while coming in 18th in passing offense (307.5 ypg) and 19th in total offense (486.9 ypg). 

•    Prior to rejoining Fuente at Memphis, Vice spent three seasons at Louisiana-Monroe (2009-11) where his offensive front paved the way for 21 rushing scores in 2009 and 22 rushing TDs in 2011. The Warhawks amassed 392.3 ypg of total offense in 2009, the program’s highest offensive output since joining the FBS.

•    RB Frank Goodin finished 2009 with 1,126 rushing yards, good for the fourth-highest seasonal total in school history as Louisiana-Monroe averaged 183.9 rushing ypg. 

•    During Vice’s four seasons at Utah State, a quartet of his offensive linemen earned All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) honors including Ryan Tonnemacher who was a two-time Rimington Trophy Watch List nominee at center. 

•    Enjoyed a five-year stint at Illinois State as offensive line coach with additional responsibilities as assistant head coach. 

•    Three of Vice’s linemen earned All-America honors and eight garnered All-Gateway Conference accolades at Illinois State. In 2003, the Redbirds established a school record with 248.1 rushing ypg and allowed just 5.0 sacks on 367 pass attempts, tying as the fifth-lowest tally among FCS squads. 

•    Spent three seasons as tight ends coach at Clemson under head coach Tommy West from 1996-98. 

•    Began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Ray Goff at Georgia before spending four seasons in the Georgia high school coaching ranks. 

Prominent Pupils 

T     CHRISTIAN DARRISAW    D1-2021 – Minnesota
Virginia Tech    Consensus All-America second-team selection, first-team All-ACC pick in 2020. All-ACC honorable mention in 2019. 

G    WYATT TELLER   D5-2018 – Buffalo 
Virginia Tech    2020 PFF All-Pro Team selection for Browns; 2017 Consensus All-ACC First-Team selection

G    AL BOND    FA-2015 – Detroit
Memphis    Started 42 games at Memphis 

G    JORDAN DEVEY    FA-2013 – Baltimore
Memphis    Super Bowl XLIX champion with New England; Patriots (2013-14), 49ers (2015) and Chiefs (2016) 

T    JON McLAUGHLIN    FA-2017 – Arizona    
Virginia Tech    Started 49 career games at Virginia Tech

TE    KEAVON MILTON    FA-2013 – New Orleans    
Louisiana Monroe    Browns, Seahawks and Patriots (2013-16)

G    SHAWN MURPHY    D4-2008 – Miami    
Utah State    Dolphins, Bucaneers, Panthers and Broncos (2008-11) 

T    YOSUAH NIJMAN    FA-2018 – Green Bay
Virginia Tech    Started 32 career games at right and left tackle for Tech.

T    DONALD PENN   FA-2006 – Minnesota    
Utah State    144 career games with Buccaneers (2006-13), Raiders (2014-15). 2011 Pro Bowler  

C    RYAN TONNEMACHER    
Utah State    All-Western Athletic Conference

Playing Highlights

•    Two-year starter at Oklahoma State who saw duty at both defensive tackle and tight end. 

•    Blocked for a pair of Pro Football Hall of Fame running backs in Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders. 

•    Was also a teammate of current Oklahoma State head coach, Mike Gundy (1986-89).