Fighting Gobbler
Fansided

ESPN turns up the heat on Brent Pry & Whit Babcock entering pivotal 2025 season

The Hokies' fourth-year coach and AD are on the hot seat entering 2025.
ByScott Roche|
Oct 5, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Brent Pry walks back to the locker rooms after defeating the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Oct 5, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Brent Pry walks back to the locker rooms after defeating the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Going into the 2025 season, Brent Pry's seat is hot; everyone knows that. The writing has been on the wall for him since last season ended at 6-7 after a lot of hype going into the season. With a large amount of roster turnover and some key coaching staff changes, the Hokies are a bit of an unknown entering a pivotal season.

However, the vibes around the program this summer have been good, and maybe, just maybe, Virginia Tech might surprise people this season, which begins on Sunday in Atlanta against South Carolina. After some college football reporters put Pry on a list of having his seat warm entering the season, ESPN's Pete Thamel joined that group.

ESPN reporter Pete Thamel turns up the heat on Brent Pry and Whit Babcock ahead of the season opener

Thamel listed Pry under "Other jobs worth monitoring" after the "Big buyouts" of Lincoln Riley at USC, Mike Norvell at Florida State, Brent Venables at Oklahoma, and Luke Fickell at Wisconsin. However, Pry isn't the only one who would be on the hot seat if things go south in Blacksburg this fall. Here is what Thamel wrote,

"It's a classic prove-it year for Brent Pry, who has two years remaining on his original contract. He'd be owed $6.2 million if fired on Dec. 1. He's 16-21 over three years and 1-12 in one-score games, and Tech's ambitions are clearly greater than that. Considerable improvement is needed, or Tech will hit reset as the administration appears motivated by the fear of getting left behind in the next iteration of the collegiate landscape. Athletic director Whit Babcock has hired Pry and Justin Fuente, which would mean his future could be in flux if a change comes here. ADs don't often get to hire three coaches."

There is no doubt that this is a prove-it year for Pry, and he is also correct when pointing out that ADs don't often get to hire three coaches. Firing Fuente and having to fire Pry would not be a great look for Babcock, and if he does fire Pry, then things get very interesting for Babcock. Does he get a third opportunity to hire another football coach?

Hopefully Pry can turn things around this year, and this is a moot point, but in college football, anything is possible, and Hokies' fans are begging for the good 'ol days.

Home/Virginia Tech Football