After a season that saw the Virginia Tech football team fall completely short of expectations going into the 2024 season with a 6-6 finish, third-year head coach Brent Pry had to make some changes. Last week, he fired three assistant coaches, including defensive coordinator Chris Marve after a season that saw the Hokies defense struggle in many areas.
Pry didn’t want to make changes with his staff, but you get the feeling that he had his hands forced by the people above him. He did receive a vote of confidence from AD Whit Babcock a couple of weeks ago, but did you expect anything less? Since the transfer portal opened, the Hokies have had several starters who have eligibility to return in 2025 and leave and find new homes. Of course, it could have nothing to do with what happened this past season with the current state of college sports and NIL but also could have had a lot to do with the disappointing season. We’ll never know.
There is no question that Pry is entering a key period of his tenure in Blacksburg as he has some areas to address through the transfer portal, as well as assistant coaches to hire. It feels like this is a make-or-break season for the former Penn State defensive coordinator and if it’s a break, does a former Virginia Tech legend replace him?
Michael Vick being hired at Norfolk State is bad news for Brent Pry
On Monday, it was reported that former Virginia Tech legend Michael Vick was in talks to become the next coach at Norfolk State and it became reality Tuesday. Vick has never been a coach but who knows how things will work out at Norfolk State. This is a perfect landing spot for a first-time head coach as there is nowhere to go but up. It’s going to be interesting to see how he goes about putting together a roster and hiring assistant coaches.
Why is this bad news for Pry? Well, if he is unable to put together a season up to standards, he might not be around for 2026. If he is going to have a season that could save his job, he needs to hit it out of the park in terms of hiring coaches and getting players through the transfer portal. If he doesn’t, could you imagine the Michael Vick to Virginia Tech chatter? If Vick has success quickly in Norfolk, that talk would be real.
Is Vick going to have success? Time will tell, however, if he can prove he can make the transition into coaching, could he be the future coach in Blacksburg? Pry has a lot of geat on him right now and rightfully so, but Vick getting a job only turns the heat up higher if the former NFL All-Pro quarterback has success in his first stop.