Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – As Virginia Tech football puts the regular season and National Signing Day in the rearview window, the program now shifts its focus to the postseason. Head coach Brent Pry met with the media on Friday morning to discuss changes to his staff and the program's 36th bowl appearance. Read and watch below to see what he had to say:
On the staff change decision-making process:
"Yeah, this has been over several weeks, you know, unhappy with some things through the midpoint of the season. You're evaluating all the time. It just didn't start the way we needed it to. There were some points in the middle that some things were concerning. And down the stretch, there's a lot of positives. But there were things that, to me, when I looked at it, just weren't up to the standards and expectations that I have for this program. It's my responsibility to push the envelope and make sure they're met. So those decisions, I've had multiple meetings with Whit Babcock. And those decisions were ultimately decided here in the last couple of days."
On evaluation metrics for his staff:
"I think it's important to understand that the job description isn't just what you see on the field, right? There's recruiting, there's relationships, there's player development, there's player production, all of it's very important. And when I evaluate coaches and staff members, the entire job description is part of that. Where are we meeting standards, where are we not? And when not enough of those boxes are being checked, that's when there's a concerning issue."
On Drones and Watson returning next season:
"I do want to announce that Kyron Drones will be returning to Virginia Tech, as will William "Pop" Watson III. So, couldn't be happier about both those guys re-upping their commitment to us. I think we have a very good quarterback room moving forward with those guys, with Davi Belfort, and then obviously our two signees that have had impressive high school senior seasons."
On the defensive playcalling during the Bowl Game:
"Shawn Quinn has been a defensive playcaller at a couple of different places. He's been with me multiple stops. He's been a head coach, so he'll kinda coordinate the room and practice preparation planning. He and I will work together. I'm gonna lean into coach Bud Foster a little bit, where he's able to for some bowl prep. But between Shawn and I, we'll lead the charge on that. And we'll decide as we get closer to it where the playcalling actually comes from."
On prospective future staff changes:
"I would say shuffling is the right word. There's some things that I'm considering that I would call adjustments, that I'm working through with Whit Babcock. Just kind of talking about some scenarios that would be best for us to provide the best support, the best development opportunities, the best resources for our players. Again, it's about having all of them reach and play to their potential. That's the goal. If we do that, I believe the wins will take care of themselves. We have to do that. And so what ways can we move the needle to better develop our players?"