Hokies Mailbag: Coaching Search Check-In, Adjusted Expectations, Monty's Future And More

Andy Bitter | Senior Staff Writer

November 13, 2025

The Hokies' coaching search goes on and on. (Ivan Morozov)

Another week has passed and the Hokies still seem to be in a holding pattern with regard to James Franklin, who seems as though he’s the likeliest candidate to be Virginia Tech’s next coach but still has not come to an agreement with the school.

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24 Comments

134435Hokie November 14, 2025 at 8:50 AM

Never been a fan of James Franklin. Hope they select someone else.
1. HOKIE SEAN November 14, 2025 at 10:12 PM
  
  Me too. And with our luck we will overspend on him and his coaches, and not on the players, and have to pay him to leave in 3-4 years. With that said, if we do hire him, I hope like hell he proves me wrong and gets us back to relevance, into the ACC Championship, and the CFP.
George Baylor November 14, 2025 at 8:17 AM

Andy, all good stuff especially about Montgomery. Thank you. Monty get my "vote" for team's MVP, for getting the kids and the rest of the staff to "Just Keep Getting On." Will be glad when James Franklin takes the Arkansas job and is off the TSL boards. With all the "open" HC jobs nationally, will be interesting to see Who lands Where.
Walkin` Willie November 14, 2025 at 8:11 AM

Said several times that fans of schools in the B1G and SEC would eventually tire of eating their own. I'll bet Oklahoma fans would much rather have Big 12 championships than finishing 8th in the SEC. I think we will eventually go back to a reset one day with geographic centric conferences like we used to have. However, the mega-$$$ at play here might make such a reset more difficult. One could argue the ACC is in the same boat but we don't have the depth of good programs the SEC and to a lesser degree, the B1G have - i.e. "eating our own" in the ACC doesn't have the same effect as it does in the P2 where more CFP spots are in play. LSU is already feeling the $$$ pinch as they are trying their best to weasel out of the Kelly buyout - the SEC could very well spend themselves to figurative death with the number of fires and hires - four already this year.
GoneFishin Hokie November 14, 2025 at 5:21 AM

IMO, the biggest reason to want to make a lesser bowl is more practice time for the young'uns. And, with many older players opting out, it's a chance for those players to show out with the lights on.
1. MKD November 14, 2025 at 10:05 AM
  
  Practice time for young players won't really matter because the new head coach will be building a completely new roster for 2026. They have all the film needed for their player assessments and will know who they want to retain. I expect a significant roster turnover, perhaps as many as 50 new players depending on which coach is hired. I still would prefer the Hokies go to a bowl game, but in regards to players, it will have zero impact for next year's team.
2. 92Hokie14 November 14, 2025 at 11:54 AM
  
  "Wanting" to making a lesser bowl means you want the team to lose games. What a terrible take
RVance November 13, 2025 at 10:36 PM

At this point ODU is getting ready to beat Troy and will go to 7-3 on the season, should he not be considered a candidate for the VT HC position? Is there another HC and staff who have done more with less than than he has at ODU?
1. ancient alien 2018 November 13, 2025 at 10:52 PM
  
  Good grief!! This has to be TIC!!
pine52x November 13, 2025 at 6:43 PM

The message boards are just terrible these days with only one subject being discussed. These articles save the day as well as my subscription to TSL (which I renewed 2 days ago).
92Hokie14 November 13, 2025 at 6:07 PM

How lost is our fanbase where people are asking if it would be better to be 5-7 than 6-6. In what world would that be better?? Like you said, this isn’t the NFL where you can tank for better draft picks. What an odd question to ask
middletennhokie November 13, 2025 at 5:47 PM

Problem with the future of VT / ACC prediction is that in 2030, the ACC, if it still exists, will be a Group of 'X' conference with no path to the CFP. Those that run college football (SEC / B1G / ESPN) already consider the ACC a Group of 5-6-7 conference. Most of the rest of the country has had a gut-full of the P2. The SEC just means LESS to the rest of us! Self appointed kings of football...who haven't even participated in the last 2 CFP championship games.
1. MKD November 14, 2025 at 10:21 AM
  
  I fully expect the ACC to basically be dismantled by 2031. Perhaps up to 8 current ACC teams won't make the cut for the 2 big super conferences (SEC and BIG10). Could possibly be a 3rd super conference, with the core being the current Big12.
Techman77 November 13, 2025 at 4:57 PM

Having the right QB makes a big difference, and the right coach knows how to get one. I think Bob Chesney would be a great hire and somebody the fans would get behind. I also have to comment on last year’s 6 and 6 team. I know everybody was down on them, but they had losses at Vanderbilt in OT, at Syracuse in OT, a 3-point loss at Duke, and a brief win over Miami that got mysteriously overturned after the game was over. All those teams had nine or more wins, except for Vandy which was a solid team in the SEC. The real dog was a 3-point loss to Rutgers at home. Tech beat all the teams they were supposed to, and none of them were close. I think Pry was right when he said last year’s team was an improvement over the prior year.
1. Glen Allen Hokie November 14, 2025 at 12:34 AM
  
  Pry did less with more than any VT head coach not named Sharpe. We had about 10 NFL caliber players on the 2024 roster and went 6-6 while he clapped, took notes, then ran up tabs at PK's. The fact we improved over the prior year was because of the players and the players alone. He never had any business being a head ball coach. One last going away present from JB. And somehow, we shall overcome.
hokiehowl November 13, 2025 at 4:32 PM

I was there in the big easy for our national championship game versus fsu. We were very very close.
1. Jeffrey4VT November 13, 2025 at 4:54 PM
  
  if we'd have only kicked the field goal in the first quarter and not been chasing 2 point conversions in the 3rd quarter, then it's a 1 score game and you're not running a fake punt on 4th and 8 from your own 20... but it's not like any of us remember that game vividly and still ache from it
  1. El Hokie November 13, 2025 at 5:18 PM
    
    I’d almost forgotten that—not.
  2. NokieHokie November 13, 2025 at 6:11 PM
    
    Another "Big Game Frank" coaching choke job!
  3. Midnite Hokie November 13, 2025 at 7:31 PM
    
    I can remember it like it was yesterday. As you said, if Beamer just Coaches straight up we likely would have won. But we’ll get them next time!
  4. NMB Hokie November 13, 2025 at 8:37 PM
    
    I have been saying that for 25 years!!!
  5. RRHokie90 November 14, 2025 at 8:41 AM
    
    Nailed it...I always thought Coach Beamer's 2-pt conversion decision table was flawed.
  6. HOKIE SEAN November 14, 2025 at 10:20 PM
    
    Definitely one of Frank’s worst coached games. But, when we took the 29-28 lead, the Superdome went off (it was 3/4ths Hokies; maybe 2/3rds). And great city to party in. Outside of the late game loss, one of the best sport trips in my life.
slday55 November 13, 2025 at 4:14 PM

“Most people can talk themselves into any hire.” Tennessee / Schiano

Hokies Mailbag: Coaching Search Check-In, Adjusted Expectations, Monty's Future And More

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