Virginia Tech Football defensive coordinator Brent Pry spoke to the media on Feb. 4, marking his return to Blacksburg and his first appearance since rejoining the program. Pry opened by saying, “It’s good to be back,” highlighting both his enthusiasm for returning and his commitment to the university.
Pry’s return is significant for Virginia Tech fans and the football program, given his history with the team and extensive coaching experience. He made clear that he feels refreshed and ready to contribute: “I feel refreshed, excited…[it’s] a great group of young men to work with, great staff,” said Pry. He also described working with Head Coach James Franklin: “Coach [Head Coach James Franklin] and I work very well together.”
Reflecting on his decision-making process, Pry said it took soul searching before he was comfortable returning in a new role: “It took a little bit of soul searching…to find peace with it,” stated Pry. Franklin acknowledged the humility required for such a move: “The humility that you have to have to walk back into this building as not the head coach…I think it’s significant.” After getting approval from athletic leadership, Franklin brought Pry into a team meeting where he received a standing ovation.
Pry’s coaching journey began in 1993 at East Stroudsburg University alongside Franklin—then quarterback—and continued through successful stints at Vanderbilt and Penn State. At Penn State, their defense led national statistics in several categories under Pry’s leadership.
Looking ahead, Pry emphasized continuity in defensive philosophy while integrating new ideas: “The package itself will be in the neighborhood of 75% of what and who we were at Penn State…there’s some good things that…we’re pulling into the package that can allow us to be better as a scheme.” With an experienced staff including Nick Perry, Anthony Midget, and Sean Spencer joining him at Virginia Tech, expectations are high for further success.
Pry expressed satisfaction about focusing solely on coaching again: “Absolutely,” said Pry when asked if it’s refreshing to be in a pure coaching role for the first time since 2021. “Diving into a playbook, and these individual meetings about fundamentals and techniques…it was exciting.”
Virginia Tech fans will have an opportunity to see how these changes take shape during the Spring Game scheduled for April 18.
