Ex-Penn State football DC explains why he took a new opportunity, impact of James Franklin

It has been a few years since the 2021 Penn State football season, which was the last season with defensive coordinator Brent Pry. After that year, Pry took the head coach position at Virginia Tech, where he still remains today. Since then, the Manny Diaz era has come and gone within just two seasons. Now, Diaz has left Happy Valley for his next opportunity as the head coach at Duke. Years after the Pry era with the Nittany Lions, he has sat down with Josh Pate of CBS Sports to discuss the future of Virginia Tech football, but made sure to reminisce on his time with James Franklin and Penn State.

Ex-DC explains why he left Penn State

Brent Pry has the Virginia Tech football program on the rise. After his disappointing first season, to say the least, the Hokies finished with 3 wins and 8 losses he turned it around last season. With VT finishing with 7 wins and 6 losses and winning the Military Bowl.

Now, Josh Pate has sat down with Pry in his latest campus visit during his Pate State Speaker Series. Pry opened up on his decision to leave the Penn State football team for this opportunity.

“This was right for me. I believe in Virginia Tech, I know what it’s about I cut my teeth here, it was right for me” Pry stated. ” This was the opportunity where I could be myself. The values and traits that are important to me, I believe are important for Virginia Tech’s success. I know you find them here in our community, on our campus, in athletics, and now you find them in our football team…”

Pry opens up about the takeaway from his time with James Franklin

While Pry has left the side of James Franklin someone he was with for many years dating back to Vanderbilt. The two coaches were together from 2011 until 2021, and a lot of what was important for Pry is closely aligned with James Franklin.

Josh Pate asked Pry about the glory days of Virginia Tech football and his faith in the program’s future.

“… I was here for a Sugar Bowl Championship, I was here for an Orange Bowl, I was here for two conference championships so were several members of my staff. We know what it looks like to win championships here.

I would never have left Penn State and James Franklin if I didn’t believe we could do it here. If alignment wasn’t here. If administration and powers to be didn’t recognize what recognized about things we needed to do to get this program heading in the right direction”

It sure sounds like Brent Pry learned the importance of having alignment from the top down at the university you choose to work for. Something that James Franklin has preached for many years now at Penn State.

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