Brent Pry's first major collegiate coaching job hasn't gone the way he wanted so far. After bouncing around the collegiate ranks as an assistant starting in 1992 at Buffalo, Pry was hired in 2022 to take over for Justin Fuente. Pry's first season as head coach went as expected, a 3-8 finish. In his second year, the Hokies saw a four-win jump. Virginia Tech also won the Military Bowl over Tulane.
It was the program's first bowl win since 2016. Things were looking up, and expectations were rising for the 2024 season. Then, the Virginia Tech faithful saw their team regress by a loss as the Hokies went 6-7. They also lost the Duke's Mayo Bowl to Minnesota. It's safe to say that Pry hasn't been able to lead the program out of mediocrity just yet.
2025 will be his fourth year at the helm in Blacksburg. Once again, there is some excitement heading into the new season. The transfer portal class was ranked highly by On3, being the 25th best in the country. The recruiting class has also brought in some much-needed talent for the roster, although their impact might not be seen much this season.
Several of the school's best acquisitions through the portal were landing offensive lineman Tomas Rimac from West Virginia, edge rusher Ben Bell from Texas State, linebacker James Djonkam from Eastern Michigan, and running back Terion Stewart from Bowling Green. All are four-star transfers. There's a lot of veteran talent that's slated to start for the team next season.
The Hokies need to have a good season this year. Not an okay season, but a good one. Eight victories would be beneficial for the growth of the program and for Pry. He can't afford another 6-win season or worse. That's not a good sign for a coach in his fourth year.