Andre Ware unloaded on “free agency in the middle of the season” during Friday night’s ESPN broadcast of the Cal-Virginia Tech college football game.
After an injury to Virginia Tech safety Isaiah Cash, ESPN play-by-play announcer Anish Shroff said, “You think about how hard this Virginia Tech secondary has been hit. Injuries, opt-outs.”
“Once a team fires its coach, players have a 30-day window to transfer, to opt out,” Shroff explained. “And about a half-dozen Virginia Tech players did so after Brent Pry was let go following that 0-3 start.”
It’s worth noting that the rule recently changed, with the NCAA announcing on Oct. 8 that the 30-day window is now a window of 15 days, beginning five days after a new coach is hired or announced. But that rule was not in place when Pry was fired on Sept. 14. Five Virginia Tech players entered the transfer portal from Sept. 15 to Oct. 14.
“So, we have free agency in the middle of the season?” Ware, the 1989 Heisman Trophy winner, responded. “I mean, tell me what’s right about that? 30 days after a coach is fired, you can just pack it up and take off? I mean, come on, NCAA. We gotta do better than that. In the middle of the season, a guy can take off.”
“You want to add that to the list?” Shroff quipped.
“Yeah, you can put that on the list too,” Ware said. “Definitely.”
Ware wasn’t done.
“It’s hard enough to coach this game,” Ware said. “You mess around and get fired, and the next guy has just an empty cupboard. He has nothing to work with.”
“To me, it sends the wrong message,” Ware continued. “For the player transferring, and those that are allowing it to happen.”
Philip Montgomery is the “next guy” in this case, serving as the Virginia Tech interim head coach after Pry’s departure. He’s led the Hokies to a 3-2 record in his time as head coach, capped off by a wild double-overtime victory over Cal on Friday night.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.