Where does Virginia Tech go from here? Brent Pry was fired after going 16-24 and never winning more than seven games in a season. The final nail in the coffin was losing to Old Dominion when the Hokies were trailing 38-7 at one point in the game. Blowouts will happen from time to time, but losing to an in-state Group of Five program in abysmal fashion showed everyone it was time for a change at the helm in Blacksburg. So where do the Hokies go from here? Where do they look for their next head coach? Neither Justin Fuente nor Brent Pry seemed to find the recipe for long-term success.
Shane Beamer (South Carolina Head Coach) – Is Shane Beamer the right guy for the job? I don’t know. Is he even a coach they should consider? Again, I don’t know. He’s obviously the son of legendary head coach Frank Beamer and has had his share of ups and downs at South Carolina. He won 9 games last year when many expected the Gamecocks would be closer to 6 or 7. He was just blown out by Vanderbilt and still has a daunting schedule ahead. Would Beamer look to leave South Carolina if the season ends in a struggle? Would Virginia Tech want him if he struggles down the stretch? Personally, this feels like a bad move on both sides.
Alex Golesh (USF Head Coach) – If you want to look at a Group of Five coach who is on the rise, Alex Golesh is the guy. He has taken USF to a bowl game in each of his first two seasons and started this year 2-1. Wins over Boise State and Florida to begin the year are as good of wins as you’ll find in college football right now. Golesh’s career 16-13 record won’t jump off the table, but context needs to be given. USF’s win total in Golesh’s first year was only set at 3.5. He blew it out of the water and helped the Bulls reach a bowl game. Most expected USF to start the season 0-3. Even with a blowout loss to Miami, the Bulls are heading in the right direction and still are considered one of the favorites to reach the College Football Playoff from the Group of Five.
Ed Orgeron (Former LSU Head Coach) – Ed Orgeron has stated he would like to get back into coaching and Virginia Tech could be a possibly intriguing spot. There is a high ceiling but also a pretty low floor here. He won the 2019 National Championship but went just 11-11 over his final two seasons at LSU. He would bring passion and fire to a fan base that is desperately looking for someone to lead from the front. He would make sure Lane Stadium is fired up when Enter Sandman plays and would buy into all the traditions, but we know he would lose a game or two he probably shouldn’t. Granted, the bar is pretty low right now. Having Orgeron as your head coach would help with recruiting early as he shows off highlights from the 2019 LSU Tigers, but he would need to surround himself with good coordinators to make it work.
Bob Chesney (James Madison Head Coach) – Bob Chesney is only 48 years old but already has more than a decade of experience as a head coach in college football. He has coached at Division 3, Division 2, FCS and FBS, owning a 121-51 career record. He has just one losing season, which was back in 2018 in his first season at Holy Cross where he went 5-6. Bob Chesney knows how to build a team to win at every level and while it may not be the sexiest hire for Virginia Tech, this would be an efficient one where they would see results within the first two seasons. Chesney can help turn the Hokies into a winning program and one that consistently makes bowl games. The College Football Playoff is always the goal, but right now they need to look closer and more manageable goals.
Kane Wommack (Alabama Defensive Coordinator) – Kane Wommack actually has plenty of experience as a head coach. He spent three seasons at the helm for South Alabama amassing a 22-16 record, including a 10-win season. Wommack chose to step down and join Kalen DeBoer at Alabama after Nick Saban retired. Wommack’s defense struggled against Florida State in the opener but has looked much better in the last two weeks. Louisiana-Monroe and Wisconsin do not have the offensive firepower that Florida State does, but improvement in any fashion is progress. The question for Wommack is does he want to be a head coach again? If he stayed at South Alabama, he might have had more opportunities with another successful season, but he chose Alabama. Would Virginia Tech be a big enough job for him to make the jump?
Shannon Dawson (Miami FL Offensive Coordinator) – Here is a name not as many people are going to mention. Shannon Dawson has been the offensive coordinator at Miami since 2023. Last year we saw Cam Ward have a breakout season where he went number one in the NFL Draft and was in consideration for the Heisman. This year he has helped turn Carson Beck into one of the better quarterbacks in college football. Dawson has never been a head coach, but right now there is no doubt he can run an offense. Virginia Tech could use an injection of a fast and upbeat offense to change the current climate of their program. Dawson has been linked to different opportunities but turned them down to come back to Miami. Could Virginia Tech be the right fit for Dawson to leave South Florida?
Will Stein (Oregon Offensive Coordinator) – Will Stein’s name is going to be brought up this offseason as he continues to be the architect behind Oregon’s offense. The Ducks have one of the best offenses once again and have continued to play with speed. Stein is just 35 years old (turns 36 later this month), so he is still very new to the coaching ranks. He is only 6 years removed from coaching in high school. Stein might still be too inexperienced to take a head coaching job, but he is well on his way. Oregon’s offense has been one of the best in the country the past two seasons and Stein is a prime reason why. He will be getting calls for head coaching openings, and lucky for him, he can be selective and pick what he believes to be the right fit for him.
