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Pry talks focus on Hampton Roads during Virginia Beach visit

BRENT PRY VIRGINIA TECH
Posted at 11:58 PM, May 17, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-17 23:58:41-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (WTKR)- Virginia and Virginia Tech's new football regimes have set out to win back the commonwealth in terms of recruiting. Neither Tony Elliott nor Brent Pry have been strangers to Hampton Roads since arriving at their respective programs and the latter was back in the 757 on Tuesday.

Pry visited the Hampton Roads Hokie Club during the second leg of his Hokie Tailgate Tour, meeting with supporters and donors at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. The three hour event featured a social and meet and greet, dinner and Pry taking the stage. During his remarks, he addressed the increased focus on the area when it comes to getting in-state talent to Blacksburg.

"The narrative has to change out here," Pry told the crowd in attendance, preaching the importance of working together. "It's going to take all of us and I know we're going to get that done. We're going to invest in the Tidewater."

The new head Hokie recently wrapped up his first spring football session at Virginia Tech as he looks to start putting his stamp on the program. Pry was named the program's head coach last November 30, taking over for Justin Fuente who "mutually parted ways" with the school two weeks prior. Tech finished 2021 with a 6-7 record, earning a berth to the Pinstripe Bowl.

"We're identifying rising ninth graders, tenth graders," Pry said of the program's efforts in Hampton Roads. "We're living in this community, we're coming out here, we're eating in the restaurants, we're going to barbershops, we're meeting coaches, we're meeting grandmas, we're meeting uncles. We're doing everything we've got to do."

Pry spent the last eight seasons as an assistant coach at Penn State, eventually rising to defensive coordinator, with Tech serving as his first head coaching job. His first game leading the Hokie sideline will be September 2 at Old Dominion, where he'll square off with his former fellow Nittany Lion staffer Ricky Rahne.

The Hokie Tailgate Tour wraps up Wednesday in Roanoke.