Virginia Tech is among the most lucrative programs in the market now, looking for a head coach to replace Brent Pry. The Hokies are struggling to regain their long-lost glory, which ended when Frank Beamer stepped down on November 1, 2015, after spending 29 years with them. VT’s athletic director, Whit Babcock, had installed two more coaches since his departure, but they never seemed to click into the mission at Blacksburg. After experimenting with Pry for three years, the search for a new HC is underway. But Pat McAfee sounded an alarm for the Hokies…
Virginia Tech is getting serious about their business, now that the management is taking strong steps. Pry’s removal was followed by Babcock unveiling a new revenue plan for VT, where $190 million will be allocated for the 2026-27 fiscal year, skyrocketing from the current $144 million. It hits $204 million in FY 2027, followed by $207 million and $212 million for FY 2029. It’s a whole lot of money for a program that last saw a commanding finish in 2016. And Pat McAfee is skeptical of VT’s optimistic look for the future.
McAfee brought former Hokies QB legend and 3x Super Bowl-winning coach, Bruce Arians, on his namesake show. He confirmed that he is pitching in to help Virginia Tech find Pry’s replacement. McAfee shared his concerns with the veteran coach. “As you and coach [Nick] Saban have said in the past, ‘You pay the wrong guy, you’re s— outta luck.’ Making this decision’s a big deal,” he said. The Hokies’ success in football hinges on that of the next man to the run show. The financial boost is being added for a reason, which means Babcock will have to pick his head coach with caution.
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“Believing in the vision is obviously a big piece of it. But what if the vision never, you know…” McAfee trailed off, and moved his hands in a cyclic motion to convey the rest of his thoughts. Babcock is already caught in that cycle, and it’s time he breaks out of it. Brent Pry finished at 16-24, while Justin Fuente ended his tenure at 43-31. At least when it came to Pry, VT acted quickly. By that time, he had already earned a sum of $12.7 million, based on details from USA Today. Fuente, on the other hand, earned $22.5 million by the time he was fired. Under these two coaches, NIL became a tough topic to navigate.
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The NIL era will automatically bring in $20.5 million to football players alone. But Virginia Tech is going to need a lot more for the upkeep of the program. They’re willing to be generous despite having fired Brent Pry, which is why the top brass has to make a cautious pick for his successor. VT has already announced that the search will prioritize head coaching experience first, as it sifts through candidates. Arians joining the hunt means that Virginia Tech is gearing up for an era where these hiring errors are kept in the past. He summed up what makes for the ideal Virginia Tech football head coach.
Bruce Arians outlined the criteria for Virginia Tech HC candidates
Bruce Arians began his coaching career at Virginia State. So when his alma mater asked for his help finding a new head coach, he jumped at the chance. Arians knows this program and knows what it takes to lead it. “I want to (find) a guy that can not only coach and make adjustments, but also get the folks out and raise money too. Because that’s a big part of it now. We’ve got to have a charismatic guy that can actually coach ball,” he told McAfee.
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Just knowing the ball is no longer enough to make the cut for the Virginia Tech job. The Hokies are now bringing in a lot of money, which raises the stakes a lot higher. “The whole thing’s changed. It’s all business now, and you’ve got to find a businessman,” Arians also said in his description for the ideal pick, in light of the NIL era. “We’re just on the ground stages now, but the university is making a huge financial commitment so we can compete in the ACC like we should be,” the former coach added.
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