BLACKSBURG, VA (WTKR)- Virginia Tech's 6-6 season fell well short of expectations, both in the football facility and in the seats at Lane Stadium, and now head coach Brent Pry is hoping some staff changes will lead to better results.
Pry has dismissed three coaches from his staff, headlined by defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Chris Marve. Offensive line coach Ron Crook and senior director of strength and conditioning Dwight Galt IV were also relieved of their duties.
“I appreciate the work Coach Marve, Coach Crook and Coach Galt have put into Virginia Tech football,” said Pry in a Virginia Tech-issued release. “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.”
Marve and Galt were part of Pry's initial coaching staff upon his arriving in 2022, while Crook joined the Hokies in 2023.
Virginia Tech was 5-3 entering the final four weeks of the season before a three-game losing streak put the Hokies' bowl hopes in jeopardy. A 37-17 win over Virginia to cap off the schedule allowed the program to continue its 2024 campaign.
The Hokies ranked fifth in the ACC in scoring defense (22.8 points per game) and sixth in total defense (359.7 yards per game). Their 36 sacks and 14 interceptions were both good enough for fifth in the conference.
Former Indian River standout Antwan Powell-Ryland tallied 16 sacks on the season and Mansoor Delane came away with four interceptions during 2024 to pace the squad. Powell-Ryland announced Wednesday that he will enter the NFL Draft, while Delane is one of 19 players who will enter the transfer portal as of Thursday evening.
Virginia Tech will face Minnesota in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on January 3 in Charlotte.
