Longtime Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry has been named Virginia Tech’s new head coach, the Hokies announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Pry’s first game as head coach will come next season against Old Dominion, which is coached by former Penn State offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne.
“On behalf of Amy and our family, we are extremely grateful to President Sands and Whit for extending us this opportunity at Virginia Tech,” Pry said. “Working for Coach Beamer and Coach Foster as a graduate assistant in the 1990s, I was privileged to have been a part of this program as the Hokies established themselves as a national power, consistently proving they could beat anyone in the nation.
“Even after I departed Blacksburg, I always continued to appreciate Virginia Tech, its great players, its championship teams, and its wonderful traditions from afar. The resources, facilities, university backing of Athletics, and phenomenal fan support that Virginia Tech enjoys made this a very desirable situation. But just as importantly, the opportunity to raise our children in a community like Blacksburg also has great appeal. We can’t wait to meet the team, the support staff, and Hokie Nation. We will be prepared to hit the ground running in order to attract the type of student-athletes to Virginia Tech who can help us achieve sustained success. Go Hokies!”
Pry, who has been a member of James Franklin’s staff for the entirety of his tenure at Penn State, leaves State College after eights years as the Nittany Lions’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Pry had previously worked for three years in the same role under Franklin while the two were at Vanderbilt.
“I’m truly excited for Brent and his family,” Franklin said in a press release. “He’s a passionate leader who’ll inspire his team to play their best football; but his greatest strengths are his dedication, relatability and humility. It’s those characteristics combined with his deep understanding of X&Os that will serve Virginia Tech and the entire Blacksburg community best.”
Franklin and Pry have a deep history together. Altoona native Pry began his coaching career working as outside linebackers and defensive backs coach for Division II East Stroudsburg while his father, Jim, worked as the offensive coordinator and coached Franklin, who was at the time the Warriors’ quarterback.
Tuesday’s news is not the first time Pry has been linked to a coaching search, but after a long and successful career as an assistant it felt probable that Pry would eventually end up in a head coaching role.
“I tell young coaches all the time, you shouldn’t really feel like you take a job because you need to or you have to,” Pry told StateCollege.com this summer. “When you’re in a good job, and in a good place, you can be very selective. And that’s kind of where my wife and I, where we’re at, at this time. So I’m not going to say never. But, you know, I think when the time is right, and the situation’s right, I’d have James’ support.”
