Three years into his tenure at Virginia Tech, things have not gone as planned for Hokies head coach Brent Pry. Entering the 2024 season, expectations were high—this was supposed to be his best year in Blacksburg, with the program’s rebuild in full swing. Some even viewed Virginia Tech as a dark-horse contender for the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
But things took a turn immediately in Week 1, when the Hokies suffered an overtime upset against Vanderbilt. That loss set the tone for a disappointing season, where Virginia Tech struggled enough that they needed a win over Virginia on Thanksgiving Weekend just to secure bowl eligibility—a far cry from preseason hopes.
A 6-6 regular season forced the former Penn State defensive coordinator to make major staff changes, parting ways with defensive coordinator Chris Marve, offensive line coach Ron Crook, and senior director of strength and conditioning Dwight Galt IV. Adding to the pressure, Virginia Tech’s newly released 2025 schedule looks even tougher than last season’s, and the roster has undergone significant turnover.
Considering everything that has transpired over the past five months, next season is shaping up to be a pivotal one for Pry. Many national analysts agree—it’s now or never for his tenure in Blacksburg.
Brent Pry listed on 2025 college football hot seat
Andy Staples of On3 released his college football hot seat for coaches, and Pry is at the top of the list. It’s not surprising given that in three years in Blacksburg, he’s only 16-21, and the season finished with a Duke’s Mayo Bowl loss to Minnesota.
Even worse than his overall record is Pry’s record in one-score games, when he has lost 12 of 13 games. To be honest, if he is coaching in the SEC, he has probably already been fired. However, if Pry’s situation does not improve by 2025, Virginia Tech will be left with. This is a difficult and costly decision.
Pry’s buyout is $7 million, which is a high price for the school to pay after being forced to move on from Justin Fuente in November 2021. Now Pry must approach the 2025 season trying to coach for his job, and if they get out to a terrible start, which is a real possibility given their early-season schedule, things will become interesting.
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