It has been almost three weeks since Virginia Tech fired football coach Brent Pry. Since moving on from the former Penn State defensive coordinator, the school Board of Visitors has approved more athletic funding, which should benefit the new coach and staff greatly.
Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock, who has hired and fired the last two coaches, Justin Fuente and Pry, is not going to be part of the committee. The school has formed an eight-panel committee to conduct the next search with some former names on it that should excite Hokies' fans.
Virginia Tech releases football hiring committee
On Friday, Virginia Tech revealed the eight-member committee that will conduct the coaching search, and it includes some former members of the program. Former Hokies' quarterback Bruce Arians is on the committee, as will be former defensive coordinator Bud Foster and wide receiver Eddie Royal. Also on the committee are Bridget Ryan Berman, J. Pearson, Ryan McCarthy, Brad Hobbs, and Lynne Doughtie.
According to Babcock, the plan is to hire a coach before a general manager and allow the next head coach to bring in his assistants or retain any current ones. Then hire the additional staff and fill in the gaps.
First and foremost, this is a very important hire that Virginia Tech needs to get right. They have swung and missed with the last two hires, and given the pivotal moment in college football with the transfer portal and NIL, this is a hire that needs to be corrected and a big one.
There is no other way to put it. Finding the next coach and getting someone to commit is going to take some time, with potential candidates not even halfway through their current season with their current team, whether it be a head coach or assistant. The next hire must be a head coach, preferably from a Power 4 school, but someone with a background in the portal and NIL. This is a big decision for the future of the program.