Brent Pry: Virginia Tech program is 'without a doubt' trending upwards

The Virginia Tech Hokies finished the regular season with a win over rival Virginia. That snapped a three-game losing streak that had many questioning if the team was actually improving under head coach Brent Pry.

Following the regular season, Pry shared his confidence in the program. In particular, he shared that he is confident that this team is trending upwards from last season to this one.

“Without a doubt,” Brent Pry said. “We’re a better team. There’s plenty of growth and development. We have so many first and second-year players that are making strides. That’s why I think this bowl prep is going to be really important for a bunch of them. We’re going to lose some old guys who have certainly made a lot of plays around here, but we’ve got a good group coming.”

In terms of wins and losses, Virginia Tech seems to have stagnated under Brent Pry. The Hokies have gone 6-6 in back-to-back regular seasons after going 3-8 in his first season with the program. That first season for Pry was the first year Virginia Tech didn’t qualify for a bowl game since 1992.

Every season is not necessarily the same as another, even with similar records, though. On the field, the Hokies went 0-5 in one-score games. That includes two overtime games. So, it was very nearly a season where the record could have looked significantly better.

“We’re very competitive in practice against one another, and I think it showed up each and every week. We’re a resilient bunch, a very coachable bunch. They’ve stuck together. They didn’t point fingers,” Pry said. “A lot of good signs, a lot of good things that, to me, are important in building a foundation in a team that can sustain some success and remain humble and hungry and keep growing and pushing the thing forward.”

Despite that, Brent Pry did decide to shake up his staff following the end of the regular season. Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Chris Marve, offensive line coach Ron Crook, and senior director of strength and conditioning Dwight Galt IV will all no longer be a part of the program moving forward, signaling major changes in the future of the program.

Virginia Tech and Brent Pry can end the season on a positive note with a second straight bowl win. The Hokies take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Mayo Bowl on January 3rd.