Virginia Tech is hiring Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry as the program’s next coach, according to multiple reports. Pry, 51, has been with the Nittany Lions for the past eight seasons and worked as a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech in the 1990s under legendary former coach Frank Beamer. He will replace Justin Fuente, who was fired in mid-November with a 43-31 record over six seasons on the job.
This will be Pry’s first head coaching gig, but he’s long been regarded as one of the sport’s better defensive minds. He will have his work cut out for him at Virginia Tech, which finished the regular season with a 6-6 record and ranked No. 73 nationally in total defense after finishing 103rd in total defense last season. By contrast, Penn State has finished in the top-40 nationally in total defense during each of Pry’s six seasons as defensive coordinator.
Pry has worked under Penn State head coach James Franklin for the past 11 seasons in total after spending 14 seasons at the FCS and Group of Five levels in various assistant coaching roles. He was an integral part of Vanderbilt’s back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2012 and 2013 under Franklin.
Pry is an Altoona, Pennsylvania, native who played at Buffalo before beginning his coaching career there as a student assistant. After a stint on staff at Division II East Stroudsburg, he worked from 1995 to 1997 as a graduate assistant under Beamer with the Hokies. The program had two 10-win seasons during that span and went 27-9 overall. In that role, he also worked under legendary former Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, who retired after the 2019 season.
