Virginia Tech fired coach Brent Pry following his team’s 0-3 start, the program announced Sunday. The decision comes after the Hokies’ 45-26 home loss to Old Dominion, which was the third straight by double digits.
After surrendering 34 unanswered points at home during a loss to Vanderbilt in Week 2, Virginia Tech dropped to 16-24 under Pry and have been disastrous on defense.
“Unfortunately, the results on the field were not acceptable and a change in leadership is necessary,” Virginia Tech president Tim Sands released in a statement. “Philip Montgomery will serve as interim head coach. We will continue to fully support our team and student-athletes for the remaining games as we strive together to significantly improve the trajectory of our football program this season.”
Boos rang throughout Lane Stadium during Old Dominion’s three-touchdown blitz in the first half.
“Obviously, we’re incredibly disappointed,” Pry said after his team lost as a 5.5-point favorite to Old Dominion. “Not the direction I saw the team going tonight. We couldn’t get stops. Coaches, players, everybody is accountable here. We’ve got to get back to the basics and find a way to be closer to the team we can be.”
Pry came into this season with some pressure to show signs of progress after a second straight 6-6 record in the regular season in 2024.
The loss to ODU now serves as a new rock bottom for the Hokies in recent years. The winless start is the worst for a Virginia Tech team since 1987, which was the first season with legendary coach Frank Beamer.
The Hokies were never ranked in the three-plus years of Pry’s tenure as coach. Pry’s predecessor, Justin Fuente, went 43-31 at Virginia Tech, but was fired after going 10-11 in his final two seasons at the helm.
Pry signed a six-year, $27.5 million contract in 2021 that runs through 2027. His base salary for this year is $4.75 million, with a raise pushing him to $5 million per year for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
The buyout provision in Pry’s contract states that he’s owed 70% of the base salary remaining on his contract, except for the final year of his deal, where Virginia Tech would only owe him 50% of his base salary.
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