After a 16-24 record over the past three seasons and three games, Virginia Tech decided to move on from head coach Brent Pry on Sunday afternoon. The move that seemed inevitable after their 44-20 loss to Vanderbilt became almost a necessity after their stunning 45-26 loss to Old Dominion that was never even that close.
Now, the Hokies are back on the market with a decent Power 4 job but one that does have questions associated with it about whether the Hokies can provide the proper level of support to match the high expectations of a diehard fan base. It also comes at a time where the Hokies are trying to make sure they are on the right side of a potential schism should it happen within the Power 4 ranks.
Given the struggles of Brent Pry as a first-time head coach, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Hokies look for head coaching experience this time which is understandable though hopefully that isn't to the detriment of strong coordinator options worthy of consideration.
So if VT does indeed go for a sitting head coach, who are the potential coaches to watch? Here's my list of seven potential candidates that are worth considering at this time.
South Carolina Head Coach Shane Beamer
Let's start with the obvious call that the Hokies have to make, one to the son of Hokie legend Frank Beamer, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer.
Shane Beamer has spoken previously about how he's content at South Carolina and doesn't have that much interest in Virginia Tech, referencing calls that he received from people connected in VT in 2020. While some of that may be genuine, I'm not sure if I fully buy that case given how the push was by donors and not by VT administration, with Whit Babcock staving off that push from donors while rebuilding the war chest and then firing Justin Fuente the following year.
Beamer has done well at South Carolina as is well-known with a 31-23 record through four seasons and three games including two finishes inside the final top 25. The Gamecocks are off to a 2-1 start this year though they suffered a 31-7 loss to Vanderbilt in part because LaNorris Sellers suffered an injury early in that game.
Beamer's tenure has included some big upset victories including wins over top 10 Clemson and Tennessee back in 2022 plus a second half surge in 2024 that included three ranked wins and almost put the Gamecocks in the CFB Playoff.
As a recruiter, Beamer has proven himself again and again with the Gamecocks having a top 25 recruiting class each of the past five cycles. He's also proven an ability to evaluate talent in Virginia and land top prospects from the Commonwealth whether that's landing five-star OL Darius Gray this cycle or scouting standout linebacker Fred Johnson out of the 757 and swooping in to land his commitment over the Hokies.
He's proven that he can win in the SEC at a mid-tier job that probably is a better job than VT right now, but the pull of coming home to where you were born and raised, and where your father built a powerhouse certainly has appeal.
There's also no one who is among the qualified potential candidates who could get the big donors and university to get in alignment behind his program as the son of the greatest coach in Virginia Tech Football history.
Personally, I would be very surprised if Shane Beamer did end up leaving South Carolina for Virginia Tech, but it's a call that VT should absolutely mistake. Regardless, Beamer seems in line to get a nice pay bump from someone for the 2026 season.
JMU Head Coach Bob Chesney
Get ready to here a lot about JMU's Bob Chesney, especially if the Dukes continue their strong trajectory in his second year at the helm.
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South Carolina fanbase is chomping at the bit to win, now. After last year, the expectations will be difficult to meet. Vanderbilt is a lot better than anyone knew, but don’t tell that to Gamecocks fans if Cocks lose 4 games.