ACC's new coaches at Virginia Tech, California, Stanford get 1st looks at teams in spring drills

James Franklin is eager to replicate success from a long run at Penn State now that he is preparing for his first season at Virginia Tech as one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's three incoming coaches. That included hiring the man he ultimately replaced — Brent Pry, fired last year in his fourth season — to work on his staff, as before with the Nittany Lions. “Probably smoother than I would've thought, really this whole process," Franklin told reporters during spring practices. “He's handled it unbelievably well. He hasn't skipped a beat." Pry is defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, roles he held for eight seasons under Franklin at Penn State. Pry went 16-24 with the Hokies, including 10-13 in ACC play, before being fired in September after the program's first 0-3 start since 1987. Yet Pry is back in Blacksburg for a fifth consecutive season. “Obviously working with (Franklin), it's kind of seamless almost, to be honest,” Pry said. “It's amazing how you fall right back into it and it feels so familiar.” Pry's last three seasons under Franklin at Penn State saw the Nittany Lions rank 10th nationally in scoring defense (19.5) and 21st in total defense (344.1) from the 2019-21 seasons. Franklin said Pry's presence has allowed him to be more heavily involved with the offense. “Having Brent over on defense makes you feel really good about doing that,” Franklin said. “So that's been helpful for me knowing that area’s taken care of.”

New leaders out West

California and Stanford are also transitioning to a new coach, with the Golden Bears and Cardinal turning to alumni. At Stanford, former Cardinal quarterback Tavita Pritchard is taking over after spending the past three years as a QB coach with the NFL’s Washington Commanders. Before that, Pritchard had been on the Stanford staff going back to his time as a volunteer assistant in 2010. Pritchard leads a roster that lost only five transfers, while the Cardinal dipped into the portal to add a potential starting QB in Michigan's Davis Warren. Cal hired former defensive lineman Tosh Lupoi, who had spent the past four seasons as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Oregon. He had also worked previously at Alabama, winning two national titles in a five-year stay. “The amount of information we had to take in and learn as quickly as we could was great," said after Saturday’s spring game. “I think these guys adapted to it. The receivers are out there making plays, making my job easier. Yeah, I think we're in a good spot. and if we continue to keep this going we'll be in an even better place come the season.”