Coaching Tops Cavalier Fans’ Concerns for 2025 Season

Coaching Tops Cavalier Fans’ Concerns for 2025 Season

We recently asked our followers on X: What is your biggest concern heading into the 2025 season for UVA Football? Out of 139 votes, the answer was decisive — 69% of you said coaching, with the offensive line (19%), defensive backs (6%), and other concerns (6%) well behind.

So why did coaching dominate this poll?

For one, this is now year four for Tony Elliott and his staff, and the honeymoon period is long over. After three seasons of mixed results and frustrating inconsistency, many of you are looking for proof that this staff can get Virginia back to being competitive in the ACC. There’s a growing demand for sharper in-game adjustments, more offensive creativity, and a clearer overall direction for the program. Simply put, this is a critical year, and fans want to see the needle move.

Interestingly, concerns about the offensive line and defensive backfield — two areas that have been problematic in recent years — should be somewhat eased on paper. The staff was aggressive in the transfer portal this offseason, bringing in multiple experienced linemen to shore up the front and add depth, including players with starting experience at the Power Four level. In the secondary, a wave of veteran defensive backs has arrived, giving Virginia a mix of size, speed, and versatility that this defense has lacked in recent seasons. These additions should go a long way toward stabilizing two key position groups.

And yet, nearly 70% of fans still pointed to coaching as their top concern. That tells us something important: Cavalier fans believe the talent is there. They see the roster improvements, they know the transfers can make an impact, and they’re ready to see it all come together. What they want now is to see that talent translated into wins — through better game plans, development, and execution.

The takeaway from this poll is clear: this team has pieces. But as we head into the 2025 schedule, the pressure — and expectations — for this coaching staff are higher than ever.

We hear you, Hoos fans. Year four has to be different. We believe it will!

Go Hoos.