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Reports: James Franklin to Bring Back Brent Pry as Virginia Tech Defensive Coordinator

The reported move signals a swift reboot built on Franklin's trusted relationships.

Overview

  • Multiple outlets, including ESPN and CBS Sports, report that former Hokies coach Brent Pry is set to rejoin Virginia Tech as defensive coordinator under James Franklin.
  • Pry was dismissed in September after an 0-3 start and a 16-24 record as head coach, making a return to the same program in a lesser role a rare coaching turn.
  • Franklin and Pry spent a decade together at Vanderbilt and Penn State, where Pry coordinated defenses that frequently ranked among the nation’s best.
  • ESPN reports Virginia Tech owed Pry roughly $6 million at his firing, a figure subject to offset if he accepts another coaching job.
  • Since his November hire, Franklin has vaulted the Hokies’ 2026 recruiting class into the national top 25 as the school increases athletics funding by about $229 million over four years.