Is Vanderbilt A Must-Win Game For Brent Pry?

The Hokies' head coach is on the hot seat and could use a win this week vs Vanderbilt.

Nov 2, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Brent Pry reacts to a play against the Syracuse Orange in the third quarter at JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech Head Coach Brent Pry's seat is extremely hot, and after losing to South Carolina (even though it was expected), he may be feeling the pressure even more than before.

Pry has been the Hokies' head coach since 2022, and in three seasons with the team, he's only posted a winning record one time, which came in 2023 when the Hokies went 7-6. He's 16-22 overall as Virginia Tech's head coach, and for a program as storied as Virginia Tech, that's not good enough.

Knowing this was a prove-it year, Pry brought in a new offensive and defensive coordinator after finishing 2024 with a 6-7 (4-4 ACC) record. The Hokies also went out and added 30 players in the transfer portal to help fill some gaping holes on their team, and the hope is that their new additions will help them get back into ACC contention.

Must win game?

Nov 9, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Brent Pry talks to an official during the second quarter against the Clemson Tigers at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

The Hokies were never supposed to win their season opener against No. 10 South Carolina, but they gave them a dog fight. The final score may have been 24-11, but it was a much closer game than that. Heading into the fourth quarter, South Carolina led 10-8. It took a punt return touchdown to finally put the Hokies away, and a late 64-yard touchdown made the final score look much worse than it was.

Now, instead of heading home and facing an East Texas A&M or Central Michigan, the Hokies will host another SEC foe in Vanderbilt, who they lost to in overtime in their 2024 season opener. It's a chance at revenge, but it's also a chance for Pry to cool his seat off a little bit.

I don't think this is necessarily a must-win game for Pry. Even with a loss, they'd still have all their goals ahead of them in ACC play, but it would go a long way towards helping him keep his job after this season. Starting 0-2 would be detrimental to the team's morale and confidence, but if they can get a big win over an SEC opponent and head into their games against Old Dominion and Wofford 3-1 with their only loss coming to a top-10 South Carolina team, I think they'd feel very confident heading into ACC play.

When you nearly beat a top-15 team as an underdog, it can be hard to get over. Will Virginia Tech he ready to go on Saturday night? Haad coach Brent Pry addressed that on Tuesday:

"Yeah, I think a lot of times that's the case. You do spend more time on Week 1 and we got into Vanderbilt a little bit in preseason camp. Just some uniqueness with their offense. But that's why I like that we practice the day after the game. We go out, we make corrections. We introduced Vanderbilt at the end of practice last night and spent 15 minutes working on those guys. Kind of move on, close one chapter, open the next, and get ready for these guys. The guys are excited to be at home, to play at Lane Stadium. They're excited to play Vanderbilt again. They're excited to play a second SEC opponent. Diego Pavia, obviously one of the best quarterbacks in the country, in my opinion. We saw it firsthand. He took down [then-No. 1] Alabama last year. Had a great year. He looks even better to me right now. He's a dual threat guy again this week, that can can beat you with his legs, beat you with his arms. He's got a nice arsenal of receivers that got good speed, particularly the [Junior Sherrill] kid, we know. [Running back Sedrick Alexander] looked fantastic in week one. [Tight end Eli Stowers] is one of the better [tight ends] in the country. They got all their linebackers back. They got both corners back. I think 96 [Khordae Sydnor], one of their best D-linemen. And then [No. 5 Yilanan Ouattara] didn't play in the opener. He's a 6'7" guy. Imposing presence. We got our hands full. It's a very talented football team."

Is this a must-win game for Pry? No. Would this game go a long, long way towards helping him keep his job at the end of 2025? Yes. They'd still have to see how the rest of the season goes, but a win over Vanderbilt could be the difference between keeping his job or losing it if the team ends up 6-6 or 7-5.