TRIUMPH IN TURKEY TOWN: Brent Pry Crowned Coach of the Year After Orchestrating Virginia Tech’s Stunning Gridiron Revival
Blacksburg hadn’t pulsed like this in years. The old maroon and orange banners rippled in the Appalachian wind, echoing memories of the Beamer glory days. But this time, it wasn’t nostalgia fueling the fire—it was the rebirth of Virginia Tech football under the steely vision of one man: Brent Pry.
Pry, once the quiet tactician in college football’s background, stormed the national spotlight in 2025. In a year that will be spoken of in reverent tones from Cassell Coliseum to Lane Stadium’s north end zone, he turned a fractured program into a fearless juggernaut. The Hokies didn’t just win—they announced themselves with every bone-rattling tackle, every sideline eruption, every note of “Enter Sandman.”
When Pry took the reins in 2022, the cupboard looked bare. Recruiting had wilted, fan morale had plummeted, and the defense—once Tech’s trademark—had become a sieve. The whispers started early: Is Pry in over his head? But where others saw a rebuild, Pry saw resurrection.
This season, it all came to fruition. Tech opened the campaign unranked, underestimated, and unbothered. By midseason, they’d racked up upsets over Clemson and North Carolina, both on the road. Lane Stadium, long a house of horrors for visitors, turned into a fortress again. The defense—Pry’s pride—ranked top-5 nationally in sacks and third-down stops. The offense, led by dual-threat phenom Malik Brooks, stunned pundits with its explosiveness.
Pry’s secret? Discipline, trust, and an unshakable belief in culture. He reinstated traditions. Thursday film rooms became sacred ground. Walk-ons were treated with the same respect as 5-star recruits. And he poured himself into the program, his hoodie as iconic on the sideline as Frank Beamer’s windbreaker once was.
“Brent didn’t just coach us,” linebacker KJ Atwater said. “He revived us. He made us believe again.”
By the time the Hokies clinched the ACC title against a stunned Florida State squad, the conversation had shifted. No longer was Pry “building.” He had built. And the nation noticed. On a crisp December evening, amidst a cascade of confetti and accolades, Brent Pry was named NCAA Coach of the Year.
But if you ask him, he’ll deflect. “This is about the kids,” he told the roaring crowd on Beamer Way. “They bought in when no one else did. This town—this family—deserves it.”
Still, even in his humility, the truth is plain: Brent Pry didn’t just win games—he rekindled a spirit. Turkey Town is back on the map, and it’s crowing louder than ever.
