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James Franklin breaks down discussing Brent Pry during Virginia Tech introductory press conference

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh11/19/25griffin_mcveigh
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Jeremy Drey/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images.

Wednesday morning brought the introduction of James Franklin as the next Virginia Tech head coach. Franklin took the podium and began by thanking a ton of people involved in the process that led to him getting hired. He also spoke about Brent Pry, who previously held the job, while getting emotional.

Franklin and Pry are good friends, going back to their respective playing days. Making sure some credit got handed out to Pry seemed important for Franklin, even shedding a few tears while doing so.

“Brent’s Dad was my offensive coordinator in college,” Franklin said. “I’ve known Brent for over 30 years. Brent’s first year coaching was my senior year… Brent and his family was with me at Vanderbilt, all three years. And then I think our first seven years at Penn State.

“So, I’ve got a ton of respect for Brent and his family. I know he poured his heart and soul into this place. I know this place is better today because of Brent and the commitment he made. So, I just want to show the respect to him. I know coaches pour their hearts and souls into this job. I just want to make sure I gave Brent the respect him and his family deserve.”

Pry got fired early in the season after Virginia Tech started with a 0-3 record. This was his fourth season in charge, finishing better than .500 just once at 7-6 in 2023. In total, Pry put together 16 wins and 24 losses during his time in Blacksburg.

Replacing your friend as a program’s head coach might be a little awkward. But apparently, not in this case. Franklin went on to speak about the role Pry played in him eventually landing at Virginia Tech. He even went on to say without conversations with Pry, this never would have happened.

“Brent has been great throughout this entire process,” Franklin said. “I’ve got a ton of respect for him and his family. I probably would not be sitting here without Brent’s input and thoughts about this place.”

As of now, Pry does not have another job in the coaching world. Whether or not he will get to compete directly against his former school, we will have to wait and see. However, the level of respect between Franklin, Pry, and Virginia Tech appears to be quite high. Enough to get the first of the three emotional.