We are finally just one day away from the Virginia Tech football team playing Minnesota in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte. As we close in on kick-off time, head coach Brent Pry dropped some interesting news that will be gold to Hokies’ fan's ears.
Bud Foster will be part of the program going forward
When Pry fired three coaches last month, one of them was defensive coordinator Chris Marve. For the bowl game, Shawn Quinn will handle the duties, and leading up to the game, former coach Bud Foster has been advising Quinn and Pry in preparation. It appears that Foster will be around the program more going forward and part of the defense.
Pry: "In some way, shape or form, Bud’s going to be part of our defense. ... We’re gonna have some type of plan for him moving forward, X number of days per week. What it looks like, what can he do, where can he help us the most.” #Hokies https://t.co/tCVODAIGdG
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) January 2, 2025
No, he’s not coming back as defensive coordinator, but Pry said Thursday that the legendary coach will be around the program for a certain number of days. This is great news and it makes you wonder what his role will be. Will he be advising or doing something bigger? It will be fascinating to watch going forward.
Pry already filled one of the open spots on his coaching staff with West Virginia offensive line coach Matt Moore being hired to replace Ron Crook. This is a big hire for the Hokies and he has already made an impact with two of his former linemen from Morgantown committing to Tech in the portal.
As for filling the defensive coordinator position, Pry said that the process is moving along, but it has been hampered by coaches being tied up in bowl games, including Virginia Tech. It feels like there will be a conclusion to this search sooner rather than later.
It’s not surprising that Foster isn’t coming back to be the DC, but you can bet that he’ll have some say in who will be hired, albeit very quietly and off the record from a safe distance from the decision-makers. Regardless, Foster being around the program is a no-brainer for Pry who is facing what feels like a make-or-break 2025 season.