Right from the get-go, James Franklin has wasted no time. Be it bringing experienced staff or flipping recruitments. But rolling into 2025, Virginia Tech Hokies fans had no clue they were watching Brent Pry’s farewell tour. By September 14, the plug was pulled, and four years in, he was shown the door. However, the head coach with a ‘former’ tag is vibing with gratitude. Same with the fanbase, which is still giving him his flowers.

On the eve of Thanksgiving, Pry posted a picture of himself along with his wife, Amy. It showed a picturesque beach setting, with the ex-head coach looking comfy in a tee and a pair of shorts — complete relaxation vibes.

The caption read, “🍁🦃😎 #thankful.”

Despite a tough year for the Pry family, the HC remained grateful. Once seen as the heir to Frank Beamer’s legacy, Pry showed early promise with a bowl game in 2023. But a mediocre 2024 and a shaky 0-3 start this year, capped by a demoralizing loss to Old Dominion, led the administration to make a change. Thus, his run in Blacksburg ended with a 16-24 finish.

There have been names doing the rounds to fill Pry’s shoes, such as Shane Beamer, Alex Golesh, Ryan Silverfield, among others. However, Virginia Tech saw James Franklin as the best-suited option. Finally, on November 17, the wait was over as the Hokies crowned Franklin. He was introduced as the head coach during the Virginia Tech Hokies’ basketball game at Cassell Coliseum. There, he placed his request for the fans.

“Let’s have this place rocking tonight to help our basketball team. Let’s make sure Lane Stadium is rocking on Saturday,” said Franklin We can’t do this by ourselves. It’s going to take an entire community pulling the rope in the same direction.”

While he had jumped straightway into business, he still had a soft spot for Pry.

“I’d like to acknowledge Brent Pry, sorry, I always say I’m not going to get emotional, and then I get emotional. Brent Pry’s a good friend,” Franklin said in his opening statement.

Having coached side by side at Vanderbilt for over a decade, Franklin thanked Pry and couldn’t hide his emotions speaking on his influence at Virginia Tech. The duo have known each other for 30 years now. Meanwhile, hopping on the Hokies’ wagon, Franklin has already taken prominent strides. 

As reported by Rivals, he has already flipped four Penn State commits in three days- Marlen Bright, Pierce Petersohn, Messiah Mickens, and Roseby Lubintus. Despite all his early wins, fans still made sure to swing by and leave Pry a special note on Thanksgiving.

Heartfelt messages pour in for Brent Pry on Thanksgiving eve

Pry’s stint at Virginia Tech wasn’t all smooth sailing. But at least we can say fans were happy with him. As one of them wrote, “I STILL LOVE YOU, COACH PRY.” Since Beamer’s 2015 retirement, the Hokies have wrestled with consistency, leaving Pry to inherit a program still searching for its identity.

A 16-24 mark highlights the obstacles at Virginia Tech, yet also the slow, measured gains Pry brought to the program. Under Pry, the Hokies earned their second consecutive bowl appearance in 2024, taking on Minnesota in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. A fan made sure to celebrate the HC for those results. “Happy Thanksgiving, Coach! You are a class act!”

It was Virginia Tech’s first back-to-back bowl run since 2018-19 and the 36th bowl in program history. Pry’s influence also helped Virginia Tech strengthen its foothold in the NFL. Six of Pry’s players from the 2024 roster received NFL Combine invites, including Bhayshul Tuten, Jaylin Lane, and Da’Quan Felton, among others. A netizen showed gratitude to the former coach for cultivating this culture. “Thankful for all your efforts at VT, takes a ton of character and love of the school for you to put in a good word for us too.”

Moreover, under Pry in 2023, the Hokies notched a 5-3 ACC mark, their best conference record since 2019. Tech joined a select group of eight Power Five teams with five conference wins by 17 or more points. The fan wrote, “Thankful for your time at VT!!  We appreciate your love and compassion for Hokie Nation!!!  Happy Thanksgiving!”

Not just for the recent results, Pry also landed a huge praise from a fan whose dad was on the 1995 Virginia Tech coaching staff. He wrote, “Coach Pry. Was there in 95 (my dad on staff), and I just wanted to say that we, The Hokie Nation, are THANKFUL to you. HAPPY Thanksgiving Sir.”  A fan thus left a heartfelt note.

Despite the underwhelming record, Brent Pry has a place in VT fans’ hearts. Now, James Franklin is hoping for the same, with his aggressive recruitment strategy to take the Hokies to the promised land once again.