Brent Pry reflects on what he's accomplished at Virginia Tech, what's left to do

After an up-and-down first two seasons, Brent Pry is charging into year three with high hopes and a team full of players and coaches committed to the bigger picture at Virginia Tech.

Through those first two years, Pry amassed just a 10-14 record. However, the back half of the 2023 season and their performance in ACC play (5-3 record) inspired hope that Pry could be in the early stages of actually rebuilding the sleeping giant in Blacksburg.

At ACC Media Days ahead of 2024, Pry was asked to reflect back on his two years and explain what he thinks VT has accomplished under him vs. where they’re headed. Pry, not wanting to get too ahead of himself, noted the developments in team culture as his greatest success to date over anything accomplished on the field just yet.

“I think first of all, it speaks volumes to the culture in our locker room, in our building,” said Pry. “We’ve got great people that want to be at Tech for the right reasons, players and coaches.”

He went on, noting how many coaches and players said no to other opportunities to return to Virginia Tech.

“We’ve got players that decided to return and spurn the NFL, spurn other opportunities, maybe to make more money. We have coaches that turned down opportunities to stay at Virginia Tech,” Pry revealed.

“There’s a belief in our team. There’s a belief in our process. The culture is strong. To me, that’s where it starts.”

Brent Pry knows greater success must lie ahead for Virginia Tech to get where they want to go as a program. But in these early years, that instillation of the culture is so important.

“I think first of all for me it’s about doing things the right way, at a high level. We’re doing that,” adds Pry. He says the current group is very committed to those long-term goals.

“We have great kids that are committed in the right places, that understand accountability, that aren’t afraid of hard conversations, that love and understand what great competition does for you. They pay attention to details, and they work and are receptive to coaching mentality each and every day.”

They’re going to work down in Blacksburg, and the result could be the best VT football season in some time. Tech did only win three games in Pry’s first season but were able to win seven and five ACC games in ’23. They’ll look to build on those numbers this fall.