College football insider reveals how Brent Pry turns around Virginia Tech

The Virginia Tech Hokies haven’t found a way to remain consistently relevant since Frank Beamer was in his prime. And while casual outsiders may not understand, there’s a certain feeling and culture, built by Beamer over decades that has set the standard of competing with the top teams in the country.

Earlier this week, ESPN college football insider Heather Dinich joined Paul Finebaum to talk about a variety of programs heading into 2022, but she was asked specifically about Brent Pry in his first year as the Hokies’ new coach.

“Heather, you’re currently at Virginia Tech and I am curious though, because I think all of us would have bet incorrectly on Justin Fuente who followed Beamer,” Finebaum said. “Now with new leadership in charge, what’s your sense on that campus which loves college football?”

Without hesitation, Dinich had an immediate answer of the plan Pry and the new staff have implemented.

Recruiting close to campus is the clear focus and it’s one of the main reasons Fuente failed and lost the trust of the fan base. Much of the elite talent from the Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads areas became standouts for the Hokies during the Beamer years. But that strategy vanished under Fuente, who targeted Texas and prospects from other states that likely couldn’t find Blacksburg on a map.

“He has a lot of work to do, he knows that,” Dinich said about Pry and the task ahead.

The biggest key to the turnaround has been obvious, but Hokies fans will be thrilled to hear the new head man admit it.

“It’s just the fact that they have to recruit within a five-hour radius and I think that started to fall off the radar a little bit here at Virginia Tech and he wants to bring it back,” the ESPN analyst added. “This is a guy, Brent Pry, who really cut his teeth here in Blacksburg. He worked under former defensive coordinator Bud Foster, he knows the school, he’s passionate about it and he knows what it can be.”

Pry understands Virginia Tech must get back to roots, tradition that built success in past

Many believed Justin Fuente was the clear choice to reignite the program that had gone stale in Beamer’s last few years — and while the former TCU offensive coordinator and Memphis head coach found success at times — there was a constant disconnect.

The fit never felt right, and ultimately, he wasn’t the answer and was let go before the 2021 campaign even came to an end after a roller-coaster campaign that divided the fan base in the end.

Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock has a solid reputation and has had success finding diamonds in the ruff for other programs in Blacksburg and at previous stops. And while the hire wasn’t flashy at the time, former Penn State DC who has been James Franklin’s right-hand man is the coach tasked with revamping a culture of winning, while maintaining the tradition and local ties that make the program so unique.

It’s not an easy job, but the Hokies can’t get left behind with so many other programs emerging on a yearly basis. They have ground to make up, and while it may not happen immediately in 2022, the progress has to be clear to give VT fans hope and optimism.

Dinich closed out her segment on Pry and Virginia Tech with a stunning realization she learned from new head coach himself.

“You know he told me they hadn’t been to Michael Vick’s high school in a long time,” the ESPN college football reporter said with a surprising tone. “Those are the kinds of bonds they are working to re-establish in the area and so, it’s a lot of work, a rebuilding process but his expectations are high that ultimately they will get there.”

Michael Vick is one of the most memorable, eelectifying players in college football history. He changed the way the quarterback position could be played and paved the way for Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson. That was a stunning admission, but Hokies’ fans were well aware of the disconnect between the Fuente regime and the most influential Hokies.

LSU is the shining example. Every single former player seems to rave about that program — and just this week while the NFL superstar is fielding calls and navigating free agency — Tyrann Mathieu hopped on a plane to his old school to meet the new coach, Brian Kelly.

That is pivotal in today’s landscape and Pry seems to know it.

Ultimately, the first-year head coach feels like the perfect fit for the culture — which matters more at Virginia Tech than many places. Hokies fans can only hope he is the answer, but make no mistake, Pry has the College Football Playoff at the top of his list.

“I mean when you turn in here, you turn on Beamer way. There’s a lot of history and tradition — and quite frankly one of the reasons I haven’t been here in a while is because they haven’t been in not only the national picture, but the playoff picture. So he wants to get this back to where that was and re-establish its prominence. “