Penn State's Brent Pry headed to VA Tech as new head coach: BWI Daily
News broke early Tuesday that Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry would be named the next head coach at Virginia Tech. Reporter for Blue White Illustrated, Greg Pickel, and host Thomas Frank Carr discuss the news and how it affects Penn State heading into the 2021-2022 offseason.
Pry’s fit at Virginia Tech
Before getting to the Penn State side of things, Pickel briefly discusses his time covering Pry as a defensive coordinator and gives his opinion on the job he did in Happy Valley. Next, they discuss the situation from Pry’s perspective and how Pickel saw this situation break down for Pry this offseason with so many coaching vacancies open up in the mid-Atlantic region. He also gives his thoughts on how Pry will fit in at Virginia Tech and whether Pry is a good hire for the Hokies. Also, Pickel recalls a moment speaking with Pry back in 2016 that is relevant to the discussion now. Next, Pickel discusses how Pry viewed his coaching opportunities during his time at Penn State. Finally, he shares the timeline of how all of this news came together.
Effect on Penn State
Next, they discuss how Pry’s leaving will affect the recruiting process for Penn State, with only a few weeks left until the early signing period. Pickel says that while Pry is an essential piece of the puzzle at Penn State, he doesn’t think it will affect Penn State’s recruiting in a significant way. First, he tells you why and how Franklin sets up his recruiting process. T-Frank then asks specific players on the defensive side of the ball who might be more affected by this news. Four-star linebacker Abdul Carter is committed to the program, while fellow four-star linebacker Jaishawn Barham is considering doing the same. Are either of them at risk considering that Pry is also the linebackers coach? Pickel weighs in.
Talk about this story in The Lions Den
However, Pry isn’t the only coach on the move for Penn State this offseason. Could he pluck one of his former assistants to join him in Blacksburg? T-Frank and Greg discuss which coaches make the most sense for Pry and might leave for a higher position on the defense. They also consider which coaches Penn State would fight to keep on the staff if there was a conflict. This conversation then spins off into assessing some of the other assistants on defense and how well they’ve performed during their time at Penn State.
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Possible Penn State Hires
With that in mind, they discuss which coaches could fill the role internally for head coach James Franklin, with the two apparent candidates being cornerbacks coach Terry Smith and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter. They weigh the merits of each coach taking a more prominent role on the defensive side of the ball. If no one gets promoted, how does that affect the staff? How would an outside hire shake up the staff anyway? T-Frank and Pickel discuss.
They look at the coaching contact period going on right now and how Pry’s departure affects how the Nittany Lions handles their in-home visits with recruits in the Class of 2022. How will they cover his territory, and how will they deal with the news talking to players in person? Finally, they finish the show considering players who might leave the program to follow Pry to Virginia Tech via the transfer portal.
