The first domino of what figures to be a more robust coaching cycle has fallen, as the Virginia Tech Hokies fired coach Brent Pry on Sunday, after an 0-3 start to the season.

Pry was supposed to represent a return to the Frank Beamer glory years in Blacksburg, as he had spent three years there as a graduate assistant in the mid-1990s. Pry reached a bowl game in 2023 and had the roster in a good place. But a lukewarm 2024 and a faceplant to start this season closed the curtain for Pry, who finished his run at 16-24.

A big subplot of the coaching search is: Who will lead it? Athletics director Whit Babcock hired both Justin Fuente to succeed Beamer, and Pry. There are larger post-Beamer problems in the athletic department. Babcock’s status seems tenuous at best.

Candidates | Transfers | Recruits

Five candidates for the job

Virginia Tech surely will prioritize previous head-coaching experience after going with a first-timer in Pry. Connections to the program and region might not matter as much this time around, although Blacksburg is a unique place and the next Hokies coach must know what he’s walking into.

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer: The search likely has to start with Beamer, Frank’s son and a former Virginia Tech player who grew up around the program and witnessed the Hokies reach incredible heights. He has proven himself at South Carolina, beating rival Clemson in two of the past three years and recording other notable victories in SEC play. Beamer, 48, loves South Carolina and sees it as more of a destination than most coaches do. But sustaining success there isn’t easy, and the chance to restore Virginia Tech — in a league with an easier CFP path — could tempt him. Virginia Tech has to make him say no.

South Florida coach Alex Golesh: He would give Virginia Tech a jolt both in recruiting and play style, and brings some knowledge of the region after spending the 2021 and 2022 seasons as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator. Golesh molded his offensive philosophy under Josh Heupel at Tennessee and UCF, after working for Matt Campbell at Iowa State. The 41-year-old began this season with signature wins against Boise State and Florida, and has his team positioned to contend in the American.

Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield: He’s quietly doing exceptional work at a program he has shaped into his own, and could apply the same approach at Virginia Tech. Silverfield is 24-5 since the start of the 2023 season, and has held his own against some of the other top coaches from the American in Tulane’s Jon Sumrall and South Florida’s Alex Golesh. He has been on the Memphis staff since 2016 but also would bring some NFL experience to Virginia Tech. While some might not get past the idea of hiring another Memphis coach — Fuente made the same move in late 2015 — Silverfield deserves a close look.

James Madison coach Bob Chesney: Power 4 programs soon will be coming after Chesney, who has been a head coach since 2010 and has built up programs at various levels. He’s already in the state at James Madison, which he led to a 9-4 record and a win at North Carolina in his debut season. Chesney, 48, is 121-51 as a college coach. The Pennsylvania native is a bit more connected to the Northeast but has familiarity with the areas Virginia Tech primarily recruits.

Southern Miss coach Charles Huff: His knowledge of the area is undeniable as a former player at Hampton who has worked at multiple programs in Tennessee and landed his first head-coaching job at Marshall, which he led to a Sun Belt championship last fall. The 42-year-old Huff made an unusual move to Southern Miss but is already 2-1 there and 34-21 overall as an FBS coach. He has recruited the state of Virginia and the region throughout his career and has made stops in the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and NFL. — Adam Rittenberg

Three important players to retain

The Hokies already endured a bunch of tough hits to their depth chart this offseason with Mansoor Delane (LSU), Braelin Moore (LSU), Xavier Chaplin (Auburn), Jalen Stroman (Notre Dame) and 10 more players transferring to other Power 4 programs. An 0-3 start and an early coaching change could have some players contemplating whether to take a four-game redshirt and start planning their next move. Recruiting departments are going to start evaluating this roster – if they haven’t already – and identifying who to target. Here’s a trio of juniors the new staff will have to prioritize keeping for 2026.

DL Kemari Copeland: The 6-foot-3, 283-pound big man is a freak athlete who broke the program’s squat record soon after he arrived with 10 reps of 605 pounds. He has squatted 685 pounds since, benched 455 pounds and has clocked more than 20 mph on the GPS according to The Athletic. Copeland, a former junior college transfer, missed most of last season with a triceps tear but would still be highly coveted if he opts to enter the portal, especially if he can stay healthy and produce this season, and will have one more season of eligibility in 2026.

WR Ayden Greene: A 6-foot-2, 190-pound wideout, Greene has flashed his athleticism with highlight plays early on this season, including a leaping one-handed grab against Vanderbilt. He has stepped up as the Hokies’ second-leading receiver during his junior season, catching eight passes for 148 yards through three games. He’ll have one more season of eligibility and hasn’t used his redshirt yet.

Ayoo Ayden 😮‍💨#ThisIsHome | #TeamOverMe pic.twitter.com/3DtqkTCEmi

— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) September 7, 2025

LB Caleb Woodson: Woodson was named a team captain entering his second season as a starter for the Hokies, but he was stripped of those duties after a DWI arrest in late August. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior has still played in all three games with a team-high 24 tackles and had a good year in 2024 with 72 tackles, 7.5 TFLs and two sacks last season. — Max Olson

Three key recruits

OT Thomas Wilder, No. 207 in ESPN 300: One of the highlights of Pry’s last summer in charge came on July 3 when the Hokies beat Maryland and Penn State for Wilder, ESPN’s No. 24 offensive tackle and No. 7 recruit in Virginia. Wilder remains the lone ESPN 300 pledge in Virginia Tech’s incoming class, and he currently leads a key collection of 2026 commits from Virginia Beach, Virginia, alongside three-star cornerback Zaevion Cleveland and offensive tackle Buddy Wegdam, Wilder’s teammate at Green Run High School. Maryland and Penn State likely won’t be the only programs to circle back to Wilder, the lynchpin of a Hokies’ class.

QB Cole Bergeron, No. 34 pocket passer: A summer riser in the quarterback market, Bergeron picked Virginia Tech over Colorado and Georgia Tech a little more than five weeks ago. With Oklahoma State transfer Garret Rangel, redshirt sophomore Pop Watson and 2025 quarterback signee Kelden Ryan on the roster, the Hokies don’t necessarily need to add a passer in 2026. But Bergeron’s departure would deliver a heavy blow to the program’s incoming class. August finalists Colorado and Georgia Tech are each still without a quarterback pledge for 2026, and LSU — in Bergeron’s home state of Louisiana — is still searching for a 2026 passer, as well. With QB-needy programs on the prowl, Bergeron’s recruitment is now one to watch.

DE Andrew Rogers, No. 37 defensive end: Rogers reclassified into the 2026 cycle in July, then followed Bergeron as one of two high-profile August commits ahead of Pry’s fourth season in charge. It was perhaps telling that Rogers opted out of a visit to Virginia Tech in Week 3, choosing instead to visit Tennessee for the program’s SEC opener against Georgia. The Vols are expected to be among the most active programs in the flip market this fall, and with interest from the likes of Auburn, Florida State, Georgia and South Carolina at the time of his pledge last month, Rogers will have no shortage of options if he chooses to look elsewhere before signing day. — Eli Lederman