ACC's new coaches at Virginia Tech, California, Stanford get 1st looks at teams in spring drills
James Franklin is eager to replicate success from a long run at Penn State now that he is preparing for his first season at Virginia Tech as one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's three incoming coaches. That included hiring the man he ultimately replaced — Brent Pry, fired last year in his fourth season — to work on his staff, as before with the Nittany Lions. “Probably smoother than I would've thought, really this whole process," Franklin told reporters during spring practices.
“He's handled it unbelievably well. He hasn't skipped a beat. " Pry is defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, roles he held for eight seasons under Franklin at Penn State.
Pry went 16-24 with the Hokies, including 10-13 in ACC play, before being fired in September after the program's first 0-3 start since 1987. Yet Pry is back in Blacksburg for a fifth consecutive season. “Obviously working with (Franklin), it's kind of seamless almost, to be honest,” Pry said.
“It's amazing how you fall right back into it and it feels so familiar. ” Pry's last three seasons under Franklin at Penn State saw the Nittany Lions rank 10th nationally in scoring defense (19. 5) and 21st in total defense (344.
1) from the 2019-21 seasons. Franklin said Pry's presence has allowed him to be more heavily involved with the offense. “Having Brent over on defense makes you feel really good about doing that,” Franklin said.
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