New Virginia Tech football coach James Franklin will continue to flesh out his staff this month before the transfer portal opens in January. Last week, the Hokies hired their former head coach Brent Pry as defensive coordinator. Soon after, Virginia Tech reportedly agreed to hire Penn State tight ends coach Ty Howle as its new offensive coordinator.
Franklin is also expected to hire his former quarterbacks coach at Penn State, Danny O’Brien, for the same position. And, one of his most important hires, Chuck Losey, is headed to Blacksburg as Virginia Tech’s new strength and conditioning coach.
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The Hokies also retain at least two assistant coaches from last season: wide receivers coach Fontelle Means and offensive line coach Matt Moore. If you asked Virginia Tech fans if there was a coach they wanted to keep, both Mines and Moore would be on the short list. Mines is VT’s top recruiter and one of the best in the ACC. Franklin had tried to pry him away from Blacksburg before, so keeping him would make sense for both parties.
Moore joined the Hokies last offseason, replacing the fired Ron Crook. He faces a difficult task rebuilding a Virginia Tech offensive line that lost three of its best players (Xavier Chaplin, Braylin Moore and Kaden Moore) and replaced them with several transfers and young players who have yet to make an impact. While it wasn’t great, the team improved as the season went on, especially in the run blocking department. Moore is also considered a strong recruiter in the area.
Franklin still has several openings on his staff, but you can expect him to fill them before the end of the month. Running backs coach Elijah Brooks may also return to Virginia Tech, although that has not yet been officially confirmed. Hall will likely coach tight ends, one of the best in the country, while Pree will assist the linebackers.
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Means is a former Virginia wide receiver who has been with Virginia Tech since 2022, when Pree originally hired him.
