Report: Virginia Tech Expected to Hire Ty Howle as Offensive Coordinator

Penn State's former co-offensive coordinator and tight end's coach will follow James Franklin to Blacksburg.

Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight ends coach Ty Howle against the Boise State Broncos during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech is expected to bring in Penn State's Ty Howle as the team's next offensive coordinator, per ESPN's Pete Thamel. A proven offensive coach, Howle will reunite with both James Franklin and Brent Pry in Blacksburg. Howle was one of the top names available for James Franklin. His familiarity with Franklin's schematic ideology, recruitment, and personnel management are all factors that build a comfortable environment for Howle to transition to.

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

The Nittany Lions' tight end room developed into one of the premier groups in the nation under Howle. Most recently, Penn State produced one of the NFL's best tight ends in Tyler Warren. The John Mackey Award recipient was the 14th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He set an array of team and Big Ten records for the position in 2024. He finished 1,839 yards on 153 receptions and 25 touchdowns, all school records.

Other NFL talents that have been produced under Howle's coaching include Pat Friermuth, Brenton Strange, and Theo Johnson. He's garnered a reputation as an elite positional coach. His experience as a play caller, however, is unknown. Franklin rarely gets involved with play calling outside of critical situations. He'll be expected to step up in the ACC, but he's not the first coordinator to come through Blacksburg with this profile.

Penn State co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Ty Howle (center) puts his arms around tight ends Tyler Warren (44) and Theo Johnson (84) following a 31-0 White Out win against Iowa Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Familiar Territory

When Philip Montgomery was brought in to call plays this season, he was expected to bring some experience to the unit. He was a long-time offensive coordinator at Baylor before getting his lone head coaching gig at Tulsa. His known production and development at the quarterback position were something fans saw as essential when replacing Tyler Bowen.

Bowen and Howle have almost identical backgrounds. Bowen began his coaching career bouncing between different programs as a graduate assistant. However, his name wasn't put on the map until he arrived in Happy Valley. From 2018-2020, Bowen handled a wide array of duties. He held roles as interim and co-offensive coordinator, offensive recruiting coordinator, and tight ends coach. A brief stint in the NFL with the Jaguars led to him being brought onto Brent Pry's staff as offensive coordinator.

Sep 7, 2019; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions offensive recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach Tyler Bowen walks on the field during a warm up practice prior to the game against the Buffalo Bulls at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Buffalo 45-13. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The Penn State ties are proving to be a major aspect of Franklin's coaching search. Both of his coordinators were on his staff in 2020, including Bowen. The hiring of Howle may bring some concerns for fans. The correlation between him and Bowen isn't a positive one. Fans heavily criticized Bowen's play-calling in 2024. The pass game took a significant step back. Bhayshul Tuten thrived under Bowen, but would often see inconsistent usage in tightly-contested matchups.

The players heavily praised Bowen before he left for Ohio State. Even if the unit overall fell below expectations, the Hokies produced some strong offensive talent under Bowen. The parallels between Bowen and Howle make one thing certain: this will be a familiar unit. Any concerns about the staff meshing have been suppressed. Both coordinators are familiar with the areas the Hokies have prioritized in recruiting. Even if the schematic details are unknown, Howle has proven he can produce talent at a high level and is expected to follow up on that trend in Blacksburg.