Virginia Tech football fired off the Sunday morning warning it was planning to dismiss Brent Pry. The embarrassing loss to Old Dominion officially sealed his fate, with the Hokies parting ways with their head coach.
Pry leaves Blacksburg with a 16-24 mark including the 0-3 start. He joins DeShaun Foster at UCLA as head coaches relieved of their duties on the same day.
Virginia Tech rises as the biggest current head coaching opening on the east coast. But how attractive is this gig?
The school looks behind in NIL revenue, with Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reporting athletic director Whit Babcock requested financial help. The Hokies AD hoped for an annual budget of $200 million just to compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference back in August.
Pry lagged on the college football recruiting trail too, with his school last among ACC teams for the 2026 class per 247Sports. This job is either for a current head coach with proven success, or ones with past revered ties to the university. Here are the list of names to monitor.
Will Michael Vick return to Virginia Tech?
Time to address this big elephant in the room: If the most beloved player in program history opts to become a one-and-done at Norfolk State.
Vick is listed as a “wildcard” for the opening already, per Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. There’s no doubt Vick’s name alone will appeal strongly for this floundering program. Especially with Vick’s ties to the Hampton Roads — arguably one of the top recruiting regions for the Hokies.
Vick still faces dilemmas in getting this gig. He’s only three games into his head coaching career at the Historic Black College and University (HBCU) program.
He’ll likely need to go the Deion Sanders route and build himself up for three or four seasons, then make the power conference leap.
Another past beloved Virginia Tech name surfaces
The Hokies haven’t been an annual top 25 program since the days of Frank Beamer. The university can turn to his son.
Shane Beamer is a respectable 31-23 at South Carolina, recruiting strongly against Southeastern Conference heavyweights.
But the allure of the SEC makes it hard for this Beamer to bolt. He holds a $5 million contract buyout, but only if he leaves after the 2025 season. The buyout decreases from there by $1 million each season.
He’s a Charleston native but grew up in Blacksburg. Hokies fans will embrace him off his surname alone and introduce Beamer Ball 2.0.
Charles Huff is another to watch
Huff has coached only three games at his new spot of Southern Miss. Except he’s well known in the surrounding community the Hokies’ campus is nestled in.
He played his college football at nearby Hampton University. He recruited the area while leading Marshall University to a 32-20 record.
Oh, Huff has ties to Nick Saban as a former Alabama assistant. Saban’s attachment makes Huff attractive for any gig, including this one.
One more in-state option for Virginia Tech
James Madison head coach Bob Chesney is a rising name across the profession. But Liberty’s Jamey Chadwell is the in-state option we’re thinking of here.
He’s in the third year of his seven-year contract he signed in Dec. 2022. His buyout is unknown, but he earns $4 million annually.
Chadwell hasn’t endured a losing campaign since 2019 at Coastal Carolina, which was a 5-7 season. He’s compiled a 61-29 record at two G5 programs, leading the Flames to the 2023 season Fiesta Bowl. Chadwell is worth calling here.
Former NFL head coach is nearby for Virginia Tech
Time to drop a big dark horse, but one four hours in proximity to the Blacksburg campus: Kliff Kingsbury.
He’s in his second season leading the Washington Commanders offense and is turning Jayden Daniels into an NFL household name. But many fans know about his head coaching credentials.
He took the Arizona Cardinals to the 2021 season postseason. Texas Tech earned three bowl appearances with him leading the Red Raiders from 2013 to 2018 — when he coached a young Patrick Mahomes. Kingsbury likely will hear from teams needing a head coach, including collegiately.
