Super Bowl Winning HC Named Favorite for Virginia Tech Job, Weeks After Confirming SEC Interest

After their third straight loss and the program’s worst start since 1987, the Hokies fired Brent Pry from his coaching role. While Virginia Tech does have offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery as its interim head coach, the program is officially on the hunt for a new head coach. With the regular season already in motion, the Hokies do not have too many choices, but a former NFL coach, who has long desired to coach a college football team, has emerged as the top contender.

According to 104.5 ESPN, Jon Gruden, who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003, is the leading candidate to replace Pry at the Hokies. Yes, it has been some time since Gruden last coached, but the possibility of him taking charge of the Hokies cannot be ruled out.

Following his 15-year head coaching stint with the Buccaneers and LV-Oakland Raiders, the veteran coach also worked as an analyst for the New Orleans Saints in 2023. By November of last year, he had signed a multiyear deal with Barstool Sports. Still, the former NFL head coach has been clear about his goal: a return to coaching, specifically at the college level.

“The only reason I really came here is I want to coach again,” Gruden said during a speaking engagement with the Georgia Bulldogs last month. “I’m being honest with you, I do not (BS), either. I want to coach again. I’d die to coach in the SEC. I would love it.” Interestingly, just last month, the 62-year-old also received a package from the Hokies that included team gear.

Gruden even thanked the then-HC Brent Pry and the program’s athletic director, Whit Babcock, for the gesture. “Some absolute greats wore the Maroon and Orange and now I have the honor of wearing it myself… Go Hokies!” Gruden wrote on X. It is to be noted that this gesture had nothing to do with a future role in Blacksburg. And Babcock is not in a rush to get a permanent head coach.

During his Sunday presser post Brent Pry firing, Whit Babcock clarified that the search for a new head coach is still in its early stages. And the decision will be made by a committee of people with extensive football knowledge. The Hokies’ athletics director will also assist in the decision-making process.

He also urged the players and coaches to stick together while the top brass figures out their next head coach. “I encourage them to continue sticking together and taking pride in their performance. Sports teaches life lessons and sometimes those lessons can be hard. They’re resilient, however, and they are Hokies,” Babcock added.

While some analysts see Gruden as a fit in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is not the only program in the mix for the Super Bowl-winning coach. The UCLA Bruins also parted ways with their second-year head coach DeShaun Foster on Sunday. Andrew Holleran of The Spun noted that Los Angeles is another strong contender for Gruden. According to BetOnline.ag, he leads the odds for the Bruins’ next full-time head coach at 4-1.

Only time will reveal whether Jon can achieve his goal of coaching college football this season. Could the Hokies be the ones to bring in the NFL veteran?