Pop Quiz: Who is the winningest, longest-tenured active coach in D1 football?

Here’s a hint. “Put your right foot in, put your right foot out, put your right foot in and shake it all about.”

Here’s some more hints: Blacksburg, Virginia became home to the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1798; all the students were cadets under the direction of James H. Lane, the youngest general of the Army of Virginia.  Later, the school name was changed to Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and then, in 1970, it was lengthened to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.  It wasn’t until the 1990’s that the current moniker was officially sanctioned.  Today, as you walk the campus, you’ll see “VT”, “VPI” or even a “VPI&SU”.  But for generations of fathers and sons and sisters and brothers, the place is simply “Tech”.

Everything about it is refreshingly quaint and idiosyncratic.  The mascot is a turkey, the “Fighting Gobbler.” The VT Corps of Cadets Regimental Band are the “Highty-Tighties”.  And the VT nickname?  That would be a “Hokie,” derived from the “Old Hokie Yell,” winner of an 1896 contest for a new cheer for VPI.  Seriously.  On game day, if you head over to Lane Stadium, you can smell the aroma of roasting turkey legs.  The place roars as fans in the West stands bellow “Let’s Go!” and the East side responds, “Hokies!” And then, the stadium begins to literally bounce, as the throb of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” begins, and the players race onto the field dressed in maroon and burnt orange.

With every major play, the PA blares the sound of an angry, squabbling turkey. With each score, the cadets fire the cannon. And then, between the 3rd and 4th quarters, comes one of the weirdest, most joyous traditions in all of college football. 65,000 self-respecting human beings rise together, and join in as the Highty-Tighties lead them in the world’s largest communal Hokey Pokey.  Seriously.

For the past 29 years, these traditions and this program has been led by just one head coach. But now we’ve reached the end of an era. The guy has decided it’s time to step down.

You probably don’t need any more hints. But there’s one more to come.

Next week’s installment of the quick Sliver: A tribute to Beamer Ball.