South Carolina opening opponent Virginia Tech hires veteran playcaller
Virginia Tech will feature a new-look offense when South Carolina opens its 2025 season against the Hokies this August.
Virginia Tech on Monday announced the hire of former Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery as its new offensive coordinator.
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Montgomery will provide a veteran playcaller for returning dual-threat quarterback Kyron Drones, who completed 136 of 224 passes for 1,562 yards and 10 passing touchdowns while rushing for 336 yards and six scores this past season.
A head coach at Tulsa from 2015-22, Montgomery spent time as offensive coordinator at Auburn, Baylor, and Houston and has worked with elite college quarterbacks Robert Griffin III, Bryce Petty, and Case Keenum.
“Philip Montgomery is one of the most respected offensive minds in college football,” VT head coach Brent Pry said. “His ability to develop quarterbacks and build explosive offenses will be instrumental in our continued growth as a program. Philip’s experience as both a head coach and a coordinator will help us maximize our talent and put our players in the best position to succeed.”
Montgomery’s offense should provide a unique test for Clayton White’s South Carolina defense in the opener.
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While the Hokies will be breaking in a scheme that’s new to the players, the Gamecocks will have to replace key defenders Nick Emmanwori, Kyle Kennard, Demetrius Knight Jr., Debo Williams, and T.J. Sanders, among others in what will be somewhat of a rebuild for the Carolina defense.
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Montgomery replaces Tyler Bowen, who left Virginia Tech this offseason to become the offensive line coach and run-game coordinator at Ohio State.
The Gamecocks and Hokies are set to kick off the 2025 season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Sunday, Aug. 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The game will no doubt have a personal impact on South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer due to his significant ties to the program. Beamer played for and was an assistant coach for the Hokies and grew up around the program as it was led by his father, legendary Hall of Fame coach Frank Beamer.
