Brent Pry, Virginia Tech Parts Ways With Chris Marve, Ron Crook, and Dwight Galt IV

Earlier this evening, head coach Brent Pry and the Virginia Tech Football program announced that they have parted ways with defensive coordinator/LBs coach Chris Marve, offensive line coach Ron Crook, and strength & conditioning coach Dwight Galt IV.

Marve and Galt were part of Brent Pry's first staff in 2022 while Crook was hired to replace Joe Rudolph during the spring of 2023 after Rudolph left to join the staff at Notre Dame.

Brent Pry released the following statement on the decision to let go of Marve, Crook, and Galt.

“I appreciate the work Coach Marve, Coach Crook and Coach Galt have put into Virginia Tech football,” said Pry. “They are great men who, alongside their families, have poured into our university and our student-athletes. However, our on-field results have not met our standards. As head coach, it is my responsibility to make the necessary changes to restore this program to its rightful place among college football’s best and deliver the success Hokie Nation deserves.”

Chris Marve took over as the defensive playcaller late in the 2022 season and had run the defense the past two years. This defense had its moments and was strong in the first halves of games but struggled to adjust or respond to offensive adjustments in the second halves. Additionally, linebacker play has shown some signs of improvement but has been a weakness of this team and likely part of his downfall.

Ron Crook was on the staff for not even two full years, but it was clear that it wasn't working out. The offensive line did not make any significant improvements this season despite returning all five starters while the Hokies had only signed five high school OL recruits the past two cycles, well below where you'd want to be, while missing on both of their portal additional. The icing on the cake may have been the fact that from what I've heard, the portal entries of Xavier Chaplin and Braelin Moore were due in part to coaching concerns.

Dwight Galt's dismissal may be the biggest given the impact that S&C coaches have during the offseason when the head coach and his assistants get limited time around their players. Tech has had some injury issues in recent years while they also struggled to consistently get a good push up front and conditioning seemed to play a role in their fourth quarter struggles. That combination likely all played a factor in this decision. Additionally, feedback about Galt from sources hadn't been great.

After plateauing at .500 this season, Pry is shaking some things up and now has some critical decisions ahead of him that will define his tenure at Virginia Tech.

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