When Virginia Tech hired Brent Pry to replace Justin Fuente as football coach in November of 2021, they were hoping the former Penn State defensive coordinator could turn things around. There were some signs there that it was beginning to happen going into the 2024 season.
A year that began with so much hope, and the fanbase was thinking that the Hokies were back. However, a season-opening overtime loss at Vanderbilt began a season that spiraled out of control quickly and ended with another win needed over Virginia for the second straight year to just become bowl-eligible.
After that win, the roster was gutted between a mass exodus out of Blacksburg through the Transfer Portal and players heading to the NFL Draft. Three assistant coaches were fired, and the Hokies showed up undermanned and overmatched in the Duke's Mayo Bowl against Minnesota. Pry was given another offseason at the helm, but it didn't last long.
Virginia Tech firing Brent Pry causes major changes, quickly around program
After a 0-3 start and two embarrassing home losses to Vanderbilt and Old Dominion, Virginia Tech fired Pry on Sept. 14, naming first-year offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery interim coach. Since Pry was fired 11 days ago, a lot has happened and been said, but in the overall picture, it's creating changes quickly.
Virginia Tech is forming a committee to find the next coach, Bruce Arians is going to consult, and they are hiring a general manager to run the football program. That is needed and has been needed for the last couple of years to compete with the current times with NIL.
Now we don't want to kick someone when they're down after losing their job, but things were pointing to it needing to happen. If you paid attention to the first three games, the writing was on the wall that Pry had lost the team. Change was needed.
Following Pry's 16-24 tenure that included a 1-12 record in one-score games, it forced changes, and now it's forcing Virginia Tech to get caught up with the current times in college, a bigger budget for athletics, and the ability to make Blacksburg a destination for some better coaches and players.
A move had to be made, and in the long run, it'll be better for the program. Unfortunately, it cost someone their job, but in the current state of college football and athletics, Virginia Tech was too far behind the times, and now this move allows them to turn things around quicker. It's too bad that it took four years for everyone to open their eyes and see the light.