Where does Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry rank among power conference head coaches?

When Brent Pry took over for Justin Fuente, he was left to pick up the pieces left by the former Virginia Tech coach. In his first season, he went 3-8 and things didn’t get off to a good start last season, with the Hokies starting 1-3 in their four non-conference games. Then things changed.

When ACC play began, Virginia Tech had won five of eight conference games and finished the regular season with a 55-17 rout of Virginia Thanksgiving Weekend en route to becoming bowl eligible. The Hokies finished the season with a 41-20 Military Bowl win over Tulane to finish 7-6. After that strong finish to the season, where does Pry rank among power conference coaches after the spring?

Pry ranked 50th among power conference coaches entering the 2024 season, according to CBS Sports.

“Brent Pry: One of the biggest climbers this season and it’s easy to see why. After a slow start in Blacksburg, the Hokies finished the 2023 season strong and are viewed by some as a dark horse in the ACC this season. I don’t know how much improvement we’ll realistically see from last year’s 7-6, but Pry already feels right at Tech 2023: 67 (+17).”

If there’s one big takeaway from what’s happened since the Hokies swept the Cavaliers in late November, it’s that Pry has had plenty of holdovers for the 2024 season from several key players while getting some major additions from transfer portal. If there’s one thing that’s been evident over the past five months, it’s that Pry and his staff are building a strong culture in Blacksburg, and that’s been the message from both returning players and transfers.

Expectations are high for the Hokies entering 2024, and if they have the kind of season they can, then Pry should move up the rankings pretty quickly sooner rather than later.