Philip Montgomery opens up on conversations with Virginia Tech players about transferring after coaching change

Virginia Tech announced on Sunday that it would be to parting ways with head coach Brent Pry following Saturday night’s disappointing 45-26 loss to Old Dominion. The Hokies opened the season 0-3 and fell to 16-24 under Pry with the loss. Shortly after Pry’s firing was announced, offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery was announced as the interim coach.

Montgomery was brought on this offseason as the Hokies’ new offensive coordinator. He has been coaching since 1994, when he began as a special assistant at Tarleton State. He worked his way up to becoming the head coach at Tulsa in 2015, a role he held for eight seasons before he was fired.

The Eastland, Tex., native led the Golden Hurricane to a 43-53 (28-24) record with wins in the 2016 Miami Beach Bowl and the 2021 Miami Beach Bowl. He now makes his return to head coaching with Virginia Tech for the remainder of the 2025 season.

Montgomery opens up about discussing transferring with players

During a media opportunity on Wednesday, Montgomery opened up on some conversations he had with players about transferring following the change in leadership.

“We have conversations about it,” Montgomery said. “That’s where we are in college football. We have conversations about it and we want to make sure they know what the information is and make sure it’s accurate because there’s so much stuff out there that is not accurate. As we sit down and have those conversations, whether its as a group or one-on-one, we dive into all of that and make sure we’re all on the same page when we leave that room.”

So far, junior defensive back Dante Lovett Jr. is the lone Virginia Tech player to have entered the Transfer Portal after Fry’s firing. Lovett Jr. played in two of three games this season for the Hokies, where he recorded three tackles. Last season, he totaled 20 tackles, four pass deflections and one interception.

The Hokies will now owe their former head coach $6 million. Virginia Tech will pay Pry in equal quarterly installments over the remainder of his contract, which expires Dec. 31, 2027.  He will receive $750,000 per quarter until the end of 2027, when his six-year agreement expires. Pry was making $4.75 million this season.

A national coaching search has been launched at Virginia Tech. But for now, it is up to Montgomery to lead the program to a respectable finish over the final nine games of the season.