Grading Virginia Tech Football's 2026 Offensive Staff

Virginia Tech football's offensive hires at its skill positions are all completed and are now waiting for official university confirmation. Here's the who's who of which coaches are at which positions before I dive into my thoughts on each hire/retainment.

Sources: Virginia Tech is expected to hire Penn State co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Ty Howle as the school’s new offensive coordinator. He’s expected to be the school’s play caller as well. pic.twitter.com/6EEowrQPba
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 9, 2025

Offensive Coordinator: Ty Howle (prev.: Philip Montgomery)
Quarterbacks Coach: Danny O'Brien
Running Backs Coach: Norval McKenzie (prev.: Elijah Brooks)
Wide Receivers Coach: Fontel Mines (retained)
Tight Ends Coach: Ty Howle (prev.: Brent Davis)

Offensive Coordinator: Howle

I’d give this an incomplete, given that Howle hasn’t called plays at the Power Four level yet. That unknown matters, especially when projecting someone into a role where in-game feel, sequencing and adjustment are just as important as scheme. That said, here’s clear upside in his background — strong positional development in the tight ends room at Penn State, experience in a structured offense, and time spent around high-level talent — even if the résumé doesn’t yet include full command of a Power Four offense on Saturdays.

Grade: B

Quarterbacks: O'Brien

For the quarterbacks coaching slot, it’s encouraging that the role isn’t being filled by someone juggling significant outside responsibilities. That focus is prevalent for a position group that requires constant and detail-oriented development. O’Brien brings relatively recent and relevant experience to the table, both as a former Power Four quarterback and as a coach who has already worked in a modern college offense.

O’Brien played at the Power Four level from 2010–12, starting at Maryland before finishing his career at Wisconsin. Over those three seasons, he threw for 32 touchdowns against 19 interceptions.

More recently, O’Brien served as Penn State’s quarterbacks coach from 2024–25, working under new Virginia Tech head whistle James Franklin and shepherding then-Nittany Lions starter Drew Allasr. That experience should translate well to Virginia Tech, especially if the Hokies are seeking more consistency from their quarterback room. The resume justifies a solid B grade and suggests a steady hand for quarterback development moving forward.

Grade: B

Running Backs: Brooks

Would I have liked to keep Elijah Brooks, now the running backs coach at South Florida? Absolutely. Continuity matters, and Brooks had built familiarity with the room and the broader offensive structure. That said, when you look at the available replacement options, Norval McKenzie is about as strong as Virginia Tech could have reasonably landed.

McKenzie brings a proven track record of player development and recruiting from Georgia Tech. While he won’t replicate Brooks’ presence one-to-one, McKenzie offers a slightly different skill set that may ultimately benefit the room long term.

Losing Brooks isn’t ideal, but it’s also not a step backward. In context, this feels less like a downgrade and more like a lateral move with upside, especially if McKenzie can translate his recruiting strengths into immediate competition and depth at running back.

Wide Receivers: Mines

Fontel Mines remains one of the safest position-coach bets on Virginia Tech’s staff. His impact is most obvious on the recruiting trail, where he continues to stack talent and maintain relationships in the Atlantic pipelines.

The on-field effort has been more of a question mark, but it’s also worth noting the context. Fontel Mines’ best recruiting wins — specifically, Chanz Wiggins and Keylen "Brodie" Adams — have both been sidelined while recovering from injury, limiting how much of that talent has actually been available on Saturdays. That absence naturally skews perception, especially at a position where consistency and chemistry are built through reps.

Once those players return to full strength, the evaluation should become clearer. If Wiggins and Adams can stay healthy, they’ll provide a much better litmus test for how Mines’ recruiting translates to production and effort on the field. For now, the optimism is warranted, but the verdict remains incomplete. The pieces are there; it’s just a matter of seeing them together and healthy before drawing firmer conclusions.

Grade: B+

Tight Ends: Howle

Howle looks like a strong hire at a position Virginia Tech has been trying to stabilize for years. He arrives from Penn State, where he worked closely with Tyler Warren, Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson and helped develop a tight end room that was consistently reliable as both a blocking unit and a receiving threat, sorely needed for a Virginia Tech offense that has often struggled to get consistent two-way production from the position.

Grade: A

Offensive Line: Moore

I think Matt Moore was dealt a bad hand in 2025, largely handicapped by injuries along the offensive line that forced him to play three redshirt freshmen at times — a situation that’s especially difficult at a position where experience is at an absolute premium. Continuity is everything up front, and Moore rarely had the luxury of putting the same five on the field week after week. Thrusting young linemen into meaningful snaps can stunt short-term results, yet it often pays dividends down the road. Those reps, while painful in the moment, accelerate development in ways practice simply can’t replicate.

Given the circumstances, Moore deserves some benefit of the doubt. The group competed despite constant shuffling, and if even modest health returns in 2026, the experience gained this season should translate into tangible improvement. The results weren’t always pretty, but context is important and Moore’s long-term outlook with this unit remains cautiously optimistic.

Grade: B-