Everything From Virginia Tech Associate Linebackers Coach Xavier Adibi After Practice on Wednesday

Adibi played his full college career with the Hokies.

Dec 1, 2007; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies linebacker Xavier Adibi (11) and linebacker Vince Hall (9) before the start of the ACC Championship against the Boston College Eagles at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports / James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

After a historic career at Virginia Tech, and a stint in the NFL, Adibi has made his way up the coaching ranks and found himself back in Blacksburg. Adibi was a defensive analyst, but due to a new NCAA rule, he can now coach as well and found his new role as the associate linebackers coach for Virginia Tech.

Here’s everything he had to say:

Question: Was the camp moving up to the Virginia field up there hotter today?

Xavier Adibi: Maybe a little bit, but at the end of the day, you just put the football down and get ready to play.

Question: Did you ever do that when you were a player here—move to different locations to get a sense of field conditions or elements prior to a game?

Xavier Adibi: I do not remember ever doing that. I know, uh, Coach B... No, I can't remember ever doing that with Coach Beamer, Coach Foster, and those guys. No, I do not.

Question: What's that experience like, doing it with this staff, and trying to get to the turf, sun, and knowing how hot it's going to be in Nashville?

Xavier Adibi: I mean, it was good. It was good just to get the guys over there in a different environment, just like it's going to be when we go to Nashville. But at the end of the day, the guys responded well. We had a good practice and did a lot of good work.

Question: How is this linebacker corps coming along? It sounds like there's a lot of rotating, mixing, and matching, trying to find the best spots for guys.

Xavier Adibi: Right, I mean, there's a lot of experience right now. We’ve got some older guys and a lot of guys with experience. The guys are working hard; they’re taking the coaching. Like you said, we’re mix-matching some guys, and some are playing multiple spots. They’re doing a good job.

Question: At what point in this camp, or heading into the game, do you sort of settle on where you want guys to play predominantly during the season?

Xavier Adibi: You never know. It's always going to be moving pieces. It's about who complements whom well, and who steps up at a certain time. Right now, we’re still moving guys around. There are no set starters anywhere, so we’re still trying to figure some things out. But we do have a lot of depth at that position right now, which is a very good thing. We’re working hard and building depth.

Question: What’s it like coaching with Marve?

Xavier Adibi: It’s excellent. Marve is an awesome guy, an excellent leader of men. He’s someone the kids can really look up to, just as an overall man, in how he carries himself. He’s very intelligent, articulates himself very well, and gets his messages across to the kids extremely well.

Question: When you were looking to get into coaching, did you hope to come back through Blacksburg at some point?

Xavier Adibi: The thought did cross my mind, but I never knew. I always kept my options open. Blacksburg and Virginia Tech have always been home for me; this is where my heart has always been. So when I got the opportunity, and the new staff came here, I really jumped at it. I reached out to Coach Foster, who obviously had a good relationship with Coach Pry, and we got together, talked, and it happened. I’m happy to be here.

Question: Do you talk much with Bud these days? Do you still see him around?

Xavier Adibi: I still see him around when he’s in the building. He still has the itch to be around the game a little bit, but you always see him at practice. I saw him at practice today. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him, but I would say I talk to him probably every week.

Question: What is your best Bud Foster story from the day that you can tell us?

Xavier Adibi: I’ll keep that to myself, man. But just so you know, he’s a very intense guy, very passionate about the game and the people he loves. It’s always good seeing him around the building.

Question: You were obviously the defensive coordinator, if I’m not mistaken, at Commerce before you came here. How much did that experience, working there and being a coordinator, impact your development as a coach?

Xavier Adibi: Oh man, it was amazing. That was actually my first on-the-field coaching job, so it kind of put my development in fast forward. Coming here and being able to coach under Coach Marve and learning a lot from Coach Pry has really helped my development as a coach.

Question: I see the “Count on Me” hoodie. Coach Pry alluded to that earlier in the spring, saying whichever position group had the most accountability points through spring and summer would get it. Did the linebacker group win that?

Xavier Adibi: The linebackers did a good job at that point, yes sir.

Question: What does that mean to you and Coach Marve, leading that group and knowing that they’re leaders not only on the field at the mic and leaders of the defense but also in the community?

Xavier Adibi: Absolutely. It’s amazing seeing the development of the young guys and how they step up in a leadership role. Seeing them develop as the years go on—that’s the reason I started coaching. Just so I can instill certain lessons in these kids, certain mistakes that I made, so they won’t make the same mistakes I did.

Question: Is there a competition that’s going to carry through the season for maybe a different type of “Count on Me” hoodie?

Xavier Adibi: Not that I know of. I’m not sure—I don’t make those rules.

Question: What’s been the change in being able to do on-field instruction now, and how is that going to work? Have you guys figured out how you’re going to do that in-game since Marv is on the field calling plays?

Xavier Adibi: That’s still an ongoing conversation. Right now, all I know is I’m allowed to coach the guys on the field, which I’m having a ball doing.

Question: Did you know Jack Tyler at all?

Xavier Adibi: I’ve never met Jack Tyler.

Question: You guys kind of crossed paths?

Xavier Adibi: We did actually cross paths, but I’ve never met him before.