When Virginia Tech fired football coach Brent Pry on Sept. 14, it was just the first step in many moves that are needed to turn things around. Given the current times of college football and NIL, Virginia Tech needs to catch up in a number of ways.
A program overhaul and some changes in the athletic department are one way to begin it, but a committee to hire the next head coach is a decision that needs to be the correct hire. No matter who is hired, one of their priorities is to recruit better in the state of Virginia. Pry was making strides into that, but not enough. One former Virginia Tech legend knows that turning things around in Blacksburg begins with keeping the talent home.
Former Virginia Tech legend DeAngelo Hall explains one area that the next coach must excel in
Former Virginia Tech star DeAngelo Hall spoke to betway insider and spoke on several topics, including Pry's firing and what the new coach needs to focus more on.
"I think everybody wants to see the Hokies get back to the brand of football that they’re used to,'' DeAngelo said. "That always starts with recruiting. It’s easier to be a better coach when you have better players and they need to keep more players in the state of Virginia.
"I’m from Virginia, the 757 area, and there’s legends like Michael Vick, Bruce Smith and countless other guys who came from the state too. Virginia is so talented when it comes to producing NFL level talent, so we have to keep kids here.
"That’s how Coach Frank Beamer built the program back in the day. That’s still the right way to go about things. The NIL element has changed the game but there’s way too many talented kids in Virginia going to other places to play their football."
Again, Pry was starting to make strides in that area, but there were not enough big ones. Programs from other states were still coming and plucking some of the talent that Virginia Tech wanted to keep. Now they are starting to lose some of those battles to Virginia, of all schools.
Virginia Tech needs to become the brand they were under Frank Beamer. Fans know that one step to turning things around starts with recruiting in the Commonwealth. If you build it, they will come.