Four potential Virginia Tech coaching candidates for Hokies to consider with football recruiting in mind

There was a time when Virginia Tech football carried significant weight nationally. The Hokies won big games. They won ACC championships. They competed for national titles. It's been quite some time since that was realistic.

Look, it's never easy replacing a legend. That's exactly who Frank Beamer is and was in Blacksburg. Following his retirement, the Hokies turned to Justin Fuente in 2016. After a 43-31 record, including 10-11 down the stretch, the job opened up yet again.

Brent Pry was hired in November 2021, and things weren't going to be easy upon arrival. This was not the Virginia Tech football program that people had become accustomed to.

If a team saw a road test inside Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, you knew that you were going to get the Hokies' best shot. It's among college football's best atmospheres and toughest tests. However, there wasn't much juice around this program following Beamer's departure.

That said, there was buzz and excitement around Pry. There weren't too many skeptics about his arrival in Blacksburg. Pry was an outstanding defensive coordinator at Penn State and was a high-level recruiter.

"He's a damn-good ball coach," a source said of Pry at the time of his Virginia Tech arrival. "He's well-liked, very respected. With players and recruits, he's got weight."

In his first year with the Hokies, the team finished 3-8, including 1-6 against ACC play.

On the recruiting front, Pry's first full class finished No. 46 nationally. Only two of the 30 enrollees were four-star prospects.

In 2023, things improved on the field. Virginia Tech finished the regular season at 6-6, but Pry took the Hokies to the Military Bowl against Tulane, a game they won, 41-20. That 2024 recruiting class finished No. 47 nationally. The class included 16 enrollees, including one four-star recruit, Top247 linebacker Gabe Williams.

Ahead to 2024, the Hokies didn't drop-off but didn't improve either. They finished the regular season at 6-6 once again, but lost the Duke's Mayo Bowl to Minnesota, 24-10. That 2025 recruiting class finished No. 44 overall nationally, and the staff secured three four-star recruits.

That brings us to today. Virginia Tech's 2025 football season is not going well.

The Hokies opened with a 24-11 loss to a strong South Carolina team. Virginia Tech then lost to Vanderbilt, 44-20. This past weekend, Old Dominion defeated the Hokies, 45-26.

The 0-3 start with not much to get excited for on the field, as well as average recruiting finishes over the past few cycles, was enough for Pry to get fired.

Virginia Tech has so much potential. In this day and age, when you look at how talented and Day 1-ready high school prospects are compared to years past, and when you add the transfer portal, the Hokies can right the ship quicker than most realize.

However, it's all about making the right hire this time. So, which potential recruiting-focused candidates would be most logical?

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