Andrea Adelson Oct 2, 2026, 06:15 AM ET Close ACC reporter. Joined ESPN.com in 2010. Graduate of the University of Florida. BRENT PRY SAW the familiar number on his phone screen and answered. Two Virginia Tech boosters were on the line. They wanted guidance on who to hire as his replacement. What did he think of James Franklin? "It was pretty strange, to be honest," Pry told ESPN.
Pry had been fired as Virginia Tech coach after an 0-3 start to the 2025 season. Franklin was fired as Penn State coach a month later. Pry felt conflicted about helping the people who fired him, but still wanted Virginia Tech to succeed. "Take me out of it," Pry says. "I always thought James would be a good fit at Virginia Tech." He told them to go "full tilt boogie" to hire Franklin. A few weeks later, Franklin called about defensive coordinator candidates. Pry replied, "Well, me."
There is no precedent for a head coach returning as an assistant months after getting fired from the same school. "I couldn't have done it," Franklin said. Pry came to Virginia Tech in 2022 with hope, having served as a graduate assistant under Bud Foster and Frank Beamer in the mid-1990s. He went 16-24 in three-plus seasons, including 1-12 in one-possession games. After a 45-26 home loss to Old Dominion, then-athletic director Whit Babcock fired him. Pry broke down telling his players goodbye.
"I just told them how much I appreciated them and their efforts and loved them," Pry said. "I'd love to be here with you and battle out of this hole and make the season right."
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing