You read that headline correctly. In one of the most bizarre coaching carousel moves that I can remember, Brent Pry is being hired by Virginia Tech as the schools next defensive coordinator under new head coach James Franklin.
Why is this bizarre? Brent Pry was relieved of his duties at Virginia Tech as their head coach in September of this season… meaning he will be returning to the same facilities he was in charge of 3 months ago, as an assistant. The players he recruited to play for him will still be the ones he is coaching now, but not as their leader. The same athletics department members who fired him 3 months ago are still in charge.
Prior to his tenure at Virginia Tech as the head coach, Pry was defensive coordinator under Franklin at both Vanderbilt and Penn State, and now his replacement at Va Tech is once again his boss.
This isn’t the first “awkward” situation hiring, but it is by far the quickest turn around time. The facility probably still has pictures of Pry around it, and Franklin just moved into his old office a few weeks ago.
Other notable coaching rehires:
Bobby Petrinos’ return to Arkansas as offensive coordinator in 2023, 11 years after his dismissal as head coach for his involvement in a controversial motorcycle accident.
Petrino isn’t a stranger to the awkwardness – he also left the Louisville Cardinals 6-months after signing a 10-year extension to make the NFL jump to the Atlanta Falcons. He would return to Louisville 8 years later as head coach once again.
Zack Arnett is expected to return to Mississippi State this year as the new defensive coordinator just two seasons after being fired as the schools head coach. He only held the position for one season, having been named interim head coach when Mike Leach died during the 2022 season and returned for the 2023 season before being let go.
Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia, his alma mater, in 2008 to become the head coach at Michigan. Leaving at arguably the highest point in program history left a sour taste in Mountaineer fans mouths, so much so that in a 2013 Public Polling, 47% of voters had a distaste for him and only 11% looked at him in a favorable manor. The school and coach would even go on to spend time in court after lawsuits over the breaching of contract accusations from both parties.
Rich Rod returned to West Virginia this season, going 4-8 in his first season back in charge… a long way away from the 10-2, top-10 ranked season in 2007 before his departure.
I can’t imagine the awkwardness that Pry is going to face this week returning to the facilities, but hey – his choice not mine!
Till Next Time,
Trevor
