BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech Head Football Coach James Franklin has announced multiple coaching appointments and retentions, assembling a staff that combines championship experience, proven player development, and extensive Power Five, NFL, and postseason credentials. The group blends returning leaders with accomplished additions, bringing a wealth of experience to every phase of the Hokies’ program.
Full biographies for each coach are available at hokiesports.com.
Brent Pry – Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
Pry, a coaching veteran with more than 30 years of experience, returns to Tech following four seasons as the Hokies’ head coach, leading the program to back-to-back bowl games in 2023 (Military Bowl) and 2024 (Duke’s Mayo Bowl). The Altoona, Pennsylvania native spent eight seasons with Franklin at Penn State (2014-21), including the last six as defensive coordinator, where he guided top-25 defenses in four of those six seasons. Pry was also co-defensive coordinator for three straight top-25 defenses at Vanderbilt under Franklin (2011-13). Pry and Franklin’s relationship began at East Stroudsburg University in 1993, when Franklin was the Warriors’ quarterback and Pry coached outside linebackers and defensive backs. Pry and his wife, Amy, have a son, Colby, and two daughters, Madeline and Catherine.
Sean Spencer – Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach
Spencer brings nearly 30 years of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional levels, including the last two seasons as defensive line coach at Texas A&M, helping the Aggies to an 11-1 season and a berth in the 2025 College Football Playoff, ranking third in the country in tackles for loss (110) and 18th in total defense (307.4 yards per game allowed). Spencer served as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for two seasons at Florida (2022-23) following stints with the New York Giants (2020-21), Penn State (2014-19), and Vanderbilt (2011-13). Spencer was a three-year starter at safety at Clarion (Pa.) University. A native of Hartford, Connecticut, he has one daughter, Alysia.
Anthony Midget – Pass Game Coordinator/Safeties Coach
Midget returns to Blacksburg where he played in the secondary for the Hokies from 1996-99, helping Virginia Tech to four bowl games, including a berth in the Sugar Bowl opposite Florida State for the national title following the 1999 season. Midget is a former Tech team captain and Third Team All-American in 1999. A native of Clewiston, Florida, he has more than 20 years of coaching experience at the high school, college, and professional levels. He spent the last two seasons as the assistant secondary coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Midget’s extensive NFL experience also includes coaching defensive backs with the Tennessee Titans (2020-22) and the Houston Texans (2014-19). He started his college coaching career at Virginia Tech as a graduate assistant (2007) before stops at Georgia State (2008-12), and Penn State (2013). Midget and his wife, Tresica, have two daughters, Anaiya and Kaylin, and one son, Jalen.
Nick Perry – Cornerbacks Coach
Perry arrives in Blacksburg following one season at Arkansas coaching defensive backs. He spent the 2024 season with the Seattle Seahawks as a defensive assistant, helping guide a secondary that ranked ninth in the NFL in yards per attempt and 12th in both passing yards allowed and interceptions. Prior to Seattle, Perry spent three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, working two years as an assistant defensive backs coach (2021-22) before serving as assistant wide receivers coach in 2023. Perry began his coaching career at Alabama, where he was part of three College Football Playoff teams and two national championships, and previously played for the Crimson Tide before brief stints with the Baltimore Ravens (2015) and Philadelphia Eagles (2016). He and his wife, Ari, have one daughter, Mila Navy.
Vic Hall – Defensive Recruiting Coordinator/Nickels Coach
Hall joins the Hokies with 12 years of coaching experience at the college and high school levels. He spent the 2025 season coaching safeties at Rutgers following one season as a defensive analyst where he focused on cornerbacks for a Nittany Lion team that appeared in the Big Ten Championship Game and won two games in the College Football Playoff. The Gretna, Virginia, native previously spent three years at Ball State (2021-23) and brings experience from time at Hampton (2020), Howard (2019), Western Illinois (2018) and National Collegiate Prep (2014-17). Hall played cornerback at Virginia (2006-09) also seeing action returning kicks and at quarterback and wide receiver. He and his wife, Chandell, have two daughters, Ce’Niya and Cambri.
Ty Howle – Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach
Howle comes to Blacksburg following six seasons at Penn State (2020-25), serving in various roles, including co-offensive coordinator, tight ends coach, and offensive analyst. He was named Football Scoop’s 2024 National Tight Ends Coach of the Year following a historic season for his position group. In 2024, his tight ends helped anchor one of the nation’s most efficient offenses and produced Penn State’s first John Mackey Award winner in Tyler Warren. Howle will coordinate the Hokies’ offense while continuing to develop versatile tight ends capable of impacting the game. Prior to Penn State, Howle spent four seasons at Western Illinois (2016-19), coaching the offensive line throughout his tenure and adding co-offensive coordinator duties for the final two seasons. He began his coaching career at NC State as a graduate assistant in 2014 and 2015. Howle played on the offensive line at Penn State from 2009 to 2013. A Bunn, North Carolina native, he and his wife Karen, have two sons, Walker and Blake.
Norval McKenzie – Assistant Head Coach/Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs Coach
McKenzie joins Virginia Tech after serving three seasons as run game coordinator/ running backs coach at Georgia Tech. In his first two seasons with the Yellow Jackets, his running backs totaled 3,903 scrimmage yards and 32 touchdowns. Georgia Tech ranked second in the ACC in rushing in each of the past two seasons, amassing 2,567 yards on the ground and 31 rushing touchdowns in 2025. McKenzie also had coaching stops at Vanderbilt (2008-10 & 2021-22), Louisville (2019-20), Arkansas State (2016-18), and Furman (2011-15). The Powder Springs, Georgia native played running back at Vanderbilt, where he amassed 1,724 yards from scrimmage and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He and his wife, Amber, have two sons, Storm and Bolt.
Matt Moore – Offensive Line Coach
Moore returns for his second season at Tech after helping the Hokies rush for 182.4 yards per game in 2025, good for third-best in the ACC. During six seasons at West Virginia (2019-24) prior to arriving in Blacksburg, Moore developed multiple All-Americans, including consensus All-American Wyatt Milum, two-time All-American Zach Frazier, and All-American Colton McKivitz. His coaching résumé also includes stops at Troy (2006, 2015-18), Louisiana Tech (2013-14), Middle Tennessee (2012), and Texas Tech (2007-11). Moore and his wife, Kelly, have three daughters, Tanner, Reece, and Sutton.
Danny O’Brien – Quarterbacks Coach
O’Brien brings extensive quarterback development experience after coaching at the Power Four and professional levels. A former ACC Rookie of the Year (2010) under then-offensive coordinator James Franklin at Maryland, O’Brien has mentored Penn State quarterbacks, Sean Clifford and record-setting Drew Allar over the past four seasons with the Nittany Lions. The Kernersville, North Carolina product also played at Wisconsin and Catawba, before spending seven seasons in the Canadian Football League as a player (2014-19) and coach (2020). O’Brien is engaged to Dayna Rogers.
Fontel Mines – Offensive Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach
Mines just completed his fourth season in Blacksburg as wide receivers coach and offensive recruiting coordinator. He added assistant head coach to his title in 2024. Known consistently as one of the ACC’s top recruiters, Mines has a track record for developing receivers, with Jaylin Lane, Da’Quan Felton, and Stephen Gosnell earning professional opportunities following the 2024 season. The Richmond native owns previous coaching experience at Old Dominion (2021), East Carolina (2019-20), James Madison (2017-18), Richmond (2012-16), and Chowan (2011). Mines and his wife, Joyner, have a son, Lexan, and a daughter, Lowyn.
Doug Shearer – Special Teams Coordinator
Shearer brings more than a decade of experience at the Power Four and Group of Five levels. A Shelton, Connecticut native and 2013 UConn graduate, Shearer most recently spent four seasons at UConn (2022-25), where he coordinated special teams and coached linebackers, overseeing one of the most productive special teams units in the nation in 2024. UConn featured a top-30 punter, a kicker who ranked among the national leaders in field goals per game and scoring, and one of the country’s top kickoff returners. Shearer previously served as special teams coordinator at Miami (Ohio) from 2019-21, where his units earned multiple All-America and All-MAC honors and played a key role in the RedHawks’ 2019 MAC Championship. Earlier in his career, Shearer spent five seasons at NC State (2014-18), helping guide top-20 national units in kickoff and punt returns. Shearer is engaged to Catherine Zuppani.
Chuck Losey – Assistant Athletics Director for Athletic Performance – Football
A 23-year coaching veteran, Losey was the assistant director of performance enhancement for 11 years under Franklin at Vanderbilt and Penn State. In 2022, Losey took over as the director of performance enhancement for the Nittany Lions. During his time at Penn State, he trained 26 players who were drafted in the top three rounds. He had 10 former players compete at the 2024 NFL Combine. Since 2015, Losey has mentored 18 All-Americans and 59 total draft picks. In 2017, Losey was named a master strength and conditioning coach (MSCC) by the CSCCA, the highest honor that can be achieved as a strength and conditioning coach. Losey and his wife, Lauren, have a daughter, Vera, and a son, Townes.
Franklin also announced the following additions to the program’s support staff, highlighted by five staff members who previously worked under him at Penn State, a former Nittany Lion defensive lineman, and eight members of the previous Virginia Tech staff who will continue with the program.
