The Virginia football program announced Wednesday afternoon that Vic So’oto, a defensive graduate assistant in 2016, will be promoted to defensive line coach.
So’oto replaces Ruffin McNeill, who resigned at Virginia last week to take the assistant head coach/defensive tackles job at Oklahoma under Lincoln Riley. So’oto was McNeill’s protege last year, making for what UVa head coach Bronco Mendenhall called a “seamless transition”.
Happy to announce Vic So’oto as DL coach. Great young coach & man. Ruff’s understudy last year. Seamless transition. #RisingStar #HoosRising pic.twitter.com/wPyxVh7ynS
— Bronco Mendenhall (@UVACoachBronco) June 21, 2017
So’oto’s promotion looks like a solid decision by Mendenhall. He allows for staff continuity and projects to be a solid recruiter. So’oto’s NFL experience should allow him to enjoy a certain cachet among high school recruits. So’oto played for or was on the practice squad for six NFL teams from 2011-14.
“Vic will be a tremendous coach and mentor for the young men in our program. He’s a passionate father and husband and espouses the values and principles that are the foundation for our program,” Mendenhall said in a release announcing the hire.
So’oto will have his work cut out for him as both a coach and recruiter. Virginia’s defensive line must find a nose tackle replacement for Donte Wilkins, who graduated in May. And UVA has yet to land a defensive tackle in the 2018 recruiting class. A slew of Cavalier targets have chosen other schools in recent weeks.
With So’oto leaving a void in the graduate assistant role, UVa also named Drew Meyer as the team’s newest GA. Meyer was a punter at Wisconsin from 2012-15, where he averaged 39 yards over 256 career punts.