No coach is safe the Sunday after college football games, but a coach that is 0-3 to start the season and just lost to Old Dominion certainly isn't safe. Virginia Tech decided to move on from head coach Brent Pry after starting 0-3 on the season, and it could be for all sorts of reasons.
The biggest reason for Pry's firing this early on in the season is because of how bad the Hokies have performed, but there are other reasons out there as well. Firing a head coach before the fourth week of the season allows guys to still preserve their redshirt going forward. It also means Virginia Tech knows exactly how much they are paying to Pry for his buyout, and honestly, the number isn't all that high.
Pry spent three seasons at Virginia Tech before this season and went 16-21, and with three losses this season, it brings his overall record to 16-24. Now, Pry did lead the Hokies to two bowl games in the last season, going 1-1 in those games, but clearly, everyone had had enough after this embarrassing start.
So how much of a financial hit did Virginia Tech take with Pry's buyout?
Virginia Tech gets off pretty easy with Brent Pry's buyout
Back in 2021, Pry signed a six-year $27.5 million deal at Virginia Tech that went through the 2027 season. That meant his base salary for this season was $4.75 million, with a bit of an increase in 2026 and 2027 to $5 million.
When looking at Pry's buyout, there is a clause in his contract that says he is owed 70% of the base salary remaining on his contract if he is to be fired before the contract is up, but it does not include the final year of his deal, where it would only be 50% of the base salary.
So, that means that Virginia Tech is only on the hook for $6 million for firing Pry in the 2025 season. That money comes from $3.5 million for the 2026 season and $2.5 million for the 2027 season, which will be paid in equal monthly installments until the end of 2027.