Hughes: The 'Wait-And-See' Mentality Around Virginia Tech Football Is Permeating

For right now, it appears as if the program is stuck in limbo, waiting for its new head coach and for the next era to begin.

Nov 1, 2025; Blacksburg, Va.; Louisville wide receiver Caullin Lacy (5) catches a pass. | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Right now, it feels as if Virginia Tech football is stuck in the middle, caught somewhere between what was and what could be. The Brent Pry era ended on Sept. 14, giving way to a temporary time under interim head coach Philip Montgomery., With it comes the sobering realization that the program is searching for stability. Pry’s tenure showed fleeting moments of progress, signs that the foundation for a turnaround might have been forming; however the inconsistency and mounting losses ultimately proved too much to overlook.

In many ways, this moment defines where Virginia Tech stands as a program. The “wait-and-see” mantra I brought up a couple of weeks ago still lingers, but now it takes on a new tone, one of uncertainty and impatience.

FINAL.#ThisIsHome pic.twitter.com/q61LktrLvw

— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) November 1, 2025

Now, the challenge falls to athletic director Whit Babcock and the administration to make a hire that does more than just spark temporary optimism. The next head coach must not only bring wins but reestablish the culture, recruiting pipelines, and national respect that made Virginia Tech a household name in college football. This isn’t just about finding a tactician or a motivator — it’s about finding someone who can navigate the changing landscape of the sport and lead the Hokies into a new era.

It’s as if the Hokies are balancing on a tightrope: one step forward shows growth, development, and glimpses of a foundation being built for the long term. If Virginia Tech fails to make the right move with its next coaching decision, the consequences could extend far beyond a few disappointing seasons. The SEC and the Big 10 hold the cards in college football and should the two attempt to form a super-league, it could leave Virginia Tech on the outside looking in.

That’s what makes this moment so critical. The Hokies can’t afford to linger in mediocrity or hope that patience alone will yield results. They need to win and do so soon. Not only to restore pride and confidence within the fanbase, but to ensure the program’s place among college football’s future elite.

And yet, that’s the tension at the heart of it all: the same “wait-and-see” mindset that’s come to define this era. The ask to stay patient, to trust that the vision will eventually bear fruit, even as the sport around them evolves at breakneck speed, with the advent of name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and revenue sharing becoming part of the college football landscape. But patience has a shelf life, and every week of uncertainty only magnifies the pressure to prove that progress is real.

It feels like that mantra I mentioned a couple of weeks ago has now seeped into both ends of Virginia Tech’s coaching search. There’s a sense of cautious optimism, hope mixed with hesitation, as the program stands at another defining juncture. Penn State’s James Franklin has emerged as an early frontrunner, but nothing about this process feels certain. Virginia Tech isn’t the only program in the market for a leader who can steer things toward national relevance, with three SEC schools — Arkansas, Auburn and Florida — possessing vacancies.

Franklin’s name brings intrigue; he's a proven recruiter, an East Coast presence and someone who knows how to build a brand around consistency and culture, having done so at Penn State before things came crashing down this campaign. But there’s also risk involved. Does he see Blacksburg as a step forward or a fallback? Is the university prepared to commit the kind of resources needed to land and sustain a coach of his caliber? I don't know.

Are the Hokies slowly building toward something sustainable, or are they simply spinning their wheels, waiting for something to click? Until the results start matching the rhetoric, the feeling of being “stuck in the medium” — not bad enough to rebuild, but not good enough to contend — might just define the next chapter of Virginia Tech football. We'll just have to wait and see.