Who Are The Potential Group of Five Head Coaches Virginia Tech Could Hire?

Here are some top names in the Group of Five Virginia Tech could look to hire.

Sep 6, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; South Florida Bulls head coach Alex Golesh against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Virginia Tech Hokies just fired Brent Pry and are set to begin searching for their next head coach sooner rather than later. There are a ton of names being floated around as potential replacements for Pry. They could look in-house or they could hire externally, but no matter what, they need to find someone who can restore Virginia Tech Football to what it once was.

Fans will want to see the Hokies hire a big name such as Shane Beamer, but sometimes the best hires come from the Group of Five. This year, there are a ton of Group of Five coaches who could get a significant pay raise to coach at the Power Four level, so here are a few names the Hokies could target.

Alex Golesh - USF

Sep 13, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; South Florida Bulls head coach Alex Golesh looks on against the Miami Hurricanes in the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Alex Golesh should be near the top of Virginia Tech's list. The USF coach led the Bulls to back-to-back ranked wins over Boise State and Florida to begin the season, but USF's streak came to an end this past weekend when they traveled to No. 4 Miami and lost, 49-12. Still, what Golesh has done at USF has caught the eyes of everyone across the nation, and he may be the most sought after head coach this cycle.

Can Virginia Tech land him? It seems like Golesh is going to wait for a bigger job, likely in the SEC, but Virginia Tech has to try and make an effort to land him.

Ryan Silverfield - Memphis

Ryan Silverfield has been spectacular at Memphis. He has a 45-21 record with the Tigers and finished the season ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll. The Tigers are off to a 3-0 start this year and are expected to be one of the best Group of Five teams in the country. Silverfield's name will come up a lot in head coaching discussions, so he could be a potential fit at Tech. There might be some hesitancy to hire a head coach from Memphis due to the Justin Fuente era, but Silverfield is more than qualified.

Bob Chesney - James Madison

Sep 5, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; James Madison Dukes head coach Bob Chesney argues a call with an official during the first half against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Another name the Hokies could look to hire at the Group of Five level is James Madison Head Coach Bob Chesney. He joined James Madison last season and led them to a 9-4 record. The Dukes have started the 2025 season 1-1 after beating Weber State and losing to Louisville, but they're still expected to be one of the better Group of Five teams this year. If the Dukes perform to the level everyone thinks they will, Chesney could be in for a pay raise after the season.

Tyson Helton - Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky has been one of the most steady Group of Five teams under Tyson Helton. In six seasons with the team, Helton has taken the Hilltoppers to six consecutive bowl games, winning four of them. He's 50-33 overall and with another good season, he could be in the conversation to become a Power Four head coach.