After the Virginia Tech football team walked off a nearly empty Lane Stadium following a 45-26 loss to Old Dominion on Sept. 13, it felt like the season was over and the program was spiraling out of control in the wrong direction.
The next day, the school fired Brent Pry and named Philip Montgomery the interim coach. He led them to a win over FCS foe Wofford before beginning ACC play on Saturday night in Raleigh against North Carolina State. Nobody knew what was going to happen, including the Hokies or Wolfpack, but what happened sent shock waves around the ACC. Virginia Tech walked into Carter-Finley Stadium and left with a 23-21 upset of NC State. Following the game, a postgame video of Montgomery in the locker room was a sight that Tech fans have been waiting for.
Virginia Tech interim coach Philip Montgomery's video was such a whole moment for the Hokies
After the win, the Hokies celebrated in the locker room, and video on Kemari Copeland's account shows Montgomery dancing and everyone having fun with a smile on their face, something rarely seen in Brent Pry's tenure.
Interim HC Philip Montgomery cutting up after the win pic.twitter.com/j6B9Asr7Jl
— Kolby Crawford (@kolby_crawford) September 28, 2025
"Hey, the good Lord has blessed us, and when you have joy and when you have enthusiasm, when you have passion about it, wins are hard to come by,'' Montgomery said. "Conference wins on the road are hard to come by, and you'd better enjoy them. You better celebrate them, and we're going to do that. So, if an old man getting out there dancing looks silly, that's okay. I don't mind looking silly because we're going to enjoy those wins that we get."
Look, are the Hokies going to go bowling this year after improving to 2-3? Who knows, but unlikely, however, that video of Montgomery celebrating with the team in the locker room is just what this team and program need right now. Not many people outside the locker room gave them a chance, but that's all they needed was a chance. Regardless of what happens the rest of this year, one thing is for sure: this team will show up and play hard for Montgomery.