Hughes: How Can Things Get Better For Virginia Tech Football?

In the end, it’s almost certain that this is rock bottom for Virginia Tech football.

Sep 13, 2025; Blacksburg, Va.; Virginia Tech wide receiver Ayden Greene (0) catches a pass in front of Old Dominion safety Jordan Saunders (27). | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Let’s go ahead and address the elephant in the room: it’s difficult to imagine things spiraling any further downhill this week, barring a true catastrophe. Virginia Tech’s next opponent, Wofford, comes from the FCS ranks and enters the matchup winless after three straight losses to open its season.

Leadership transition underway for Virginia Tech football

➡️ https://t.co/GK26iQUjN1 pic.twitter.com/CpdZS4VZs0

— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) September 14, 2025

But beyond that, there's a plethora of concerns, even though Brent Pry is no longer with the program. Pry, who was dismissed earlier today, was not the only problem for the Hokies. Portions of what he said during the press conference, such as this bit ("Clearly it starts with me. Coaches, players, everybody's accountable here."), are true. After all, it is a group effort. Coaching isn't entirely responsible for a defense that's ceded over 1,000 yards over the past two games.

For me, the defining moment of last night’s game came not from a highlight-reel play, but from something that bordered on slapstick. Virginia Tech managed to find the end zone for just its second touchdown of the evening, a score that trimmed the deficit to 25 points. In a bid to salvage some pride, the Hokies lined up for a two-point conversion, only to watch the attempt fail. Then came the kicker: the fireworks inside Lane Stadium, pre-programmed to celebrate successful conversions, erupted anyway, causing a rush of laughter among the section of the media box I was situated in.

The mistimed burst of color and sound wasn’t necessarily anyone’s fault, but it captured the essence of Virginia Tech football so far this season — misaligned, frustrating and oddly symbolic, a perfect metaphor for the opening three games. Ditto for the drone show scheduled, which ended up being visible only on the videoboard for members of the media and, overall, came across as a flat, underwhelming experience.

Back to the team itself: I did not think that things could get this bad. Almost no one did. Entering the season, the majority of predictions from the media and from fans seemed to range from 5-7 to 8-4. But after last night? Those projections feel wildly optimistic. Suddenly, a 3-9 campaign looks like a very real possibility, and even the nightmare scenario of 1-11 can no longer be ruled out. The margin for error has evaporated, and the idea of this team clawing its way to bowl eligibility now seems almost entirely out of reach, especially now that Pry has been fired, opening the door for droves of Hokie players to transfer out.

The shock over just how much this team has been outclassed by its opponent carried into the mood heading into this week, as well. Even in the aftermath of the Vanderbilt loss, most of our staff still felt the Hokies had enough talent and raw ability to handle Old Dominion.

In our staff predictions, our publisher, Jackson Caudell, was the lone voice among our staff to pick Old Dominion to win, though even his projection only called for a narrow three-point Monarchs’ victory.

No one — whether a writer, a fan or even the most cynical observer of Virginia Tech football—could have predicted the evisceration that actually unfolded. The Hokies didn’t just stumble out of the gate; they were thoroughly outclassed, trailing 28-0 by halftime and finding themselves down by as many as 32 points. What was supposed to be a potential trap game spiraled into a full-blown ignominious outcome, a result that stretched the bounds of plausibility.

Even those expecting a struggle likely envisioned a one-possession loss, not a collapse that left Lane Stadium stunned into silence, not just because of the outcome but also because of how many fans left even before halftime.

So, where does Virginia Tech football go forward from here? It moves forward with Philip Montgomery temporarily steering the ship until the Hokies can figure out who will lead their program for the 2026 season and beyond.

And beyond that, what happens to athletic director Whit Babcock? It's hard to envision him sticking around for a third attempt at finding a successful head coach. Justin Fuente didn't work. Pry didn't, either. At most, an athletic director gets a second chance. Rarely, if ever, is there a third.

Babcock himself admitted at the Board of Visitors meeting held on Aug. 18 that he doesn't "plan on doing this job too many more years, either of my choosing or y’all’s choosing.”

He also stated that the "buck stops with me," evoking the same kind of imagery utilized by Pry in his press conference last night. Now, the ball is in the Board of Visitors' (BOV) court. The likely move would be for the BOV to work on directing a new head coach to the program while simultaneously figuring out who takes over for Babcock.

Complicating the situation further is the fact that, according to Tech Sideline's Andy Bitter, Babcock will "assist and support" the search for the Hokies' new head coach.

From somebody close to the situation, the next #Hokies football coach will be hired by a committee with a chair who’s yet to be determined.

AD Whit Babcock will assist and support the search but will not lead it.

— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) September 14, 2025

On one hand, Babcock’s experience and long-standing connections within college athletics could provide stability for the short-term while the committee works things out. On the other, his own track record is under scrutiny, producing a question of whether he should be deeply involved — or involved at all — in selecting the next leader of Virginia Tech football.

In the end, things are likely to get better only because, barring a historic loss to Wofford, they really can't get any worse. This feels like the program’s lowest point, a stretch where expectations have cratered and optimism is hard to find. The players and coaches are searching for answers, and the fan base is restless, wondering how much longer the struggles can last. Yet in sports, valleys often give way to peaks, and even a small spark can shift momentum. If this is truly the nadir, then the only direction left is upward even if it comes slowly.