In one of the wildest stories of the year, recently fired Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry could remain in Blacksburg as the defensive coordinator for new head coach James Franklin. According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Franklin is targeting Pry as his defensive coordinator.
Pry went 16-24 in his three-plus seasons as Virginia Tech head coach before he was fired in September after an 0-3 start. After Pry’s firing, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors approved a new financial plan, adding approximately $229 million to the athletic department’s budget over the next four years. The added finances would put the Hokies among the top three schools in the ACC in terms of financial support.
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Virginia Tech’s fortunes changed in October when Penn State fired Franklin after a 3-3 start, only nine months after he had almost led the Nittany Lions to the national championship game. The Hokies immediately targeted Franklin and one month later, signed him as the program’s new head coach.
Franklin went to work immediately, taking Virginia Tech’s 2026 recruiting class from the 120s into the top 25 — without a coaching staff in place.
Pry and Franklin are close, dating back to Franklin’s time as a quarterback at East Stroudsburg in the 1990s. Pry’s father, Jim, was his offensive coordinator. Brent Pry’s first full-time coaching job was on that staff, serving as the outside linebackers/defensive backs coach. Pry and Franklin developed a close friendship, and when Franklin landed his first head coaching job with Vanderbilt, Pry was on his staff for all three seasons as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
Pry followed Franklin to Penn State, serving as his defensive coordinator for the majority of his tenure there, before accepting the Virginia Tech head coaching position in late 2021. Pry played a significant role in Franklin’s decision to accept the Virginia Tech position. In his introductory press conference, Franklin became emotional when discussing Pry.
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It’s no surprise that Pry will serve in a role under Franklin. Despite his firing, Pry is well-liked in Blacksburg, including among the program’s most significant donors.
If the move becomes official, Pry would be the first coach named to Franklin’s new coaching staff. Franklin already brought several personnel/recruiting staffers with him from Penn State.
