Every single season, there are a handful of college football coaches who enter the season in a make-or-break season. Some coaches survive those seasons, and some don’t. When the ball is kicked off on Aug. 31 for Virginia Tech in Atlanta against South Carolina, one college football analyst thinks what all Hokies are thinking: the 2025 season is make or break for Brent Pry.
On Josh Pate’s College Football Show, the analyst listed some coaches who are entering a make-or-break 2025 season, and he mentioned Pry. In all honesty, Pate isn’t breaking any news here, and Virginia Tech fans won’t be happy if there is another .500 season on tap, but if history tells us anything, it’s a road that the Hokies have traveled well the last three seasons.
Numbers support Brent Pry facing make-or-break 2025 campaign
This will be Pry’s fourth year in Blacksburg, and if there is a season where results must be had on and off the field, it’s this season. After going 3-8 in his first season and then a pair of 6-6 regular seasons before splitting two bowl games, 2024 was supposed to be the year where the next step was taken under the former Penn State defensive coordinator.
Josh Pate lists Brent Pry as a coach facing a potential make-or-break year
— Kolby Crawford (@kolby_crawford) May 28, 2025
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Retention and transfer portal additions, along with a strong finish to the 2023 season, had expectations high for the Hokies going into 2024, but it ended up being a disappointing season, from a Week 1 overtime loss at Vanderbilt. Chatter around the new 12-team College Football Playoff was a bit much; however, an eight, nine, or maybe even a 10-win season was expected, but expectations fell well short.
Now, Pry enters a season with a roster that has had a ton of turnover and is facing a more difficult schedule with South Carolina and Vanderbilt right out of the gate. The ACC slate is more difficult this season, and finding six wins on their schedule is difficult to do right now, but games are won on the field and not on paper. Regardless, 2025 is without a doubt make-or-break for Pry.