There is no beating around the bush: Virginia Tech is facing a crucial moment for the future of the football program. Last month, the school fired Brent Pry following an underwhelming four seasons in Blacksburg that saw the Hokies get off to a miserable 0-3 start to the season.
You never want to see someone lose their job, but this was a move that had to be made. Pry had enough time to try and turn things around, and after last season's huge swing and a miss with all the preseason hype, maybe he should have been let go after the 2024 season.
Instead, he got one more offseason, and things went from bad to worse. The problem with this coaching cycle is the number of high-profile jobs that are open or could open in the coming weeks and months. It's going to put a major dent into Virginia Tech's effort to find the right coach to lead the program into the future.
ESPN sends dire warning to Virginia Tech fans ahead of coaching search
Since Frank Beamer retired, athletic director Whit Babcock has hired the last two coaches, Justin Fuente and Pry. Now, here we are: a third football coach is needed during Babcock's tenure in Blacksburg, and he can't be involved in any decisions to be made.
It appears that he's not to an extent, as he is not part of the search committee the school has formed. ESPN ranked the current openings in college football, listing Virginia Tech fourth, behind Penn State, Florida, and Oklahoma State. Adam Rittenberg had Virginia Tech fourth with a subtle warning for the fans during this search.
"Whit Babcock has led Virginia Tech's athletic department since 2014 and hired both Fuente and Pry. But his true influence on the next coaching hire -- and the program at large -- is being debated. He has been visible in the campaign for additional athletics department funding, and last month the school's board added $229 million to the department's budget during the next four years,'' Ruttenberg wrote.
"Coaches still should be asking pointed questions about how much longer Babcock remains in Blacksburg. University president Timothy Sands has also been in his role since 2014. He has a hands-on role in athletics and also serves as chair of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors.''
The key phrase there is , "Coaches still should be asking pointed questions about how much longer Babcock remains in Blacksburg.''
That has been a topic for some time now, and there was a thought that Pry and Babcock were a package that if one was fired, the other one would go. Pry was fired, and Babcock is still there. You have to think that he's still there just for the funding aspect, but if that's not it, well then Babcock alone being in Blacksburg could end up being a major roadblock in finding the coach the committee wants.
This is a hire that will have long-lasting effects on the program. Virginia Tech being in the ACC and the expanded College Football Playoff should help attract a coach who sees an easier path to the CFP, especially if it expands, in the ACC than any other conference. Regardless, the longer Whit Babcock is around, the harder it's going to be to get a high-profile coach to Virginia Tech to turn things around.