When the Virginia Tech Hokies were on the verge of hiring former Penn State coach James Franklin in the fall, many wondered who he would hire as his defensive coordinator. A logical choice would’ve been former Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry. However, the Hokies fired Pry in September.
Franklin and Pry go back a long time. They first met when Pry was a young assistant at East Stroudsburg in the 1990s, when Franklin was a quarterback. Franklin’s offensive coordinator: Pry’s father, Jim. When Franklin landed his first head-coaching job at Vanderbilt in 2011, Pry was among his first hires, serving as his co-defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for three seasons.
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When Franklin moved to Penn State in 2014, Pry came with him. After two seasons as co-defensive coordinator with the assistant head coach title, Pry became the sole defensive coordinator for the next six seasons before landing the Virginia Tech head-coaching job in 2022.
Virginia Tech was Pry’s dream job. After graduating from high school in nearby Lexington, Virginia, Pry often said he wanted to play at Virginia Tech, but joked he wasn’t good enough. However, his big coaching break came in 1995, when he served as a graduate assistant under legendary head coach Frank Beamer and defensive coordinator Bud Foster.
Unfortunately, Pry’s tenure as head wasn’t successful. He finished with a 16-24 record and was fired after three games in the 2025 season.
On Wednesday, Virginia Tech held a press conference for the new coordinators, where we heard from Pry for the first time since his return. Well, technically, he never left.
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Pry came to the podium with a big smile on his face and told the assembled media, “It’s good to be back. Feel refreshed, excited, great group of young men to work with. Great staff, working with Coach [Franklin] again, it took not even a full day to be back.”
Pry discussed whether there were any hurdles to returning, given the unique situation. However, for Pry, for his family, it was an easy decision. For one, his bond with Franklin. Secondly, his love of Virginia Tech and the Blacksburg community. Finally, his family — they love the area.
Pry was popular with his Virginia Tech players, despite the team’s struggles in recent seasons. Franklin told a cool story about how the players gave Pry a standing ovation in a team meeting.
It’s good to see Pry back. It’s refreshing to see him happy and healthy. As Franklin has said more than once, it takes incredible humility for Pry to return to the same building, only months after being dismissed as head coach.
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Pry said it best:
“I love Virginia Tech,” he said. “I think everybody knows that. So, a chance to continue, there was no bitterness for me. A chance to continue to help Virginia Tech turn the corner and be proud again. I want that. and this was an opportunity to continue to do that. And then, my family and I love this community. My kids love Blackburg High. We love being here in Blackburg and and representing Tech.”
There is a lot of excitement surrounding Virginia Tech football again, thanks to James Franklin and the program’s financial commitment to the program. But one of the best feel-good moments for 2026 will be Pry’s return. There aren’t many fired coaches who can come back to a place they coached, especially with a losing record, and receive a hero’s welcome.
While it’s easy to dismiss Pry’s tenure as unsuccessful, he did reopen a lot of doors to high school coaches across the state after Justin Fuente’s six seasons. And, most importantly, Virginia Tech doesn’t land James Franklin without Brent Pry.
