BLACKSBURG 鈥 The last few days on the practice fields outside of Lane Stadium have been therapeutic for the Virginia Tech football team. The players have felt the pop of pads hitting a teammate or a blocking sled. A blaring whistle signals the beginning of a new practice period.
Those sensations came to life for the players and coaches throughout the initial practices after Brent Pry鈥檚 firing on Sunday. The practice periods served as an outlet for the players to unleash their emotions and for the coaches to get their minds off not having their head coach leading the charge.
鈥淭heir world got shocked and our world got shocked, and so you鈥檝e got to deal with the emotional part of it,鈥 interim coach Philip Montgomery said after Wednesday鈥檚 practice. 鈥溾 I think the best thing for us was to get back on the practice field, have an opportunity to come out here and work, put our focus and all that energy and emotion into what we love to do, which is play this game.鈥
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The Hokies (0-3) went through their traditional Sunday practice not long after Pry鈥檚 firing, and Montgomery began putting his stamp on practice and game week preparation throughout the week as Virginia Tech hosts Wofford on Saturday (noon on ACC Network Extra/ESPN Plus).
Virginia Tech wide receiver Donavon Greene, center, runs after the catch during the second half against Old Dominion in Blacksburg last weekend.
The contest against the FCS opponent has given the Hokies something to look forward to after a whirlwind weekend ended with a coaching change after three weeks into the season.
In a way, running into Lane Stadium on Saturday could be a way for the team to begin getting back to normal after an abnormal weekend.
鈥淚 hope it is for everybody. I hope everyone鈥檚 looking forward to that,鈥 special teams coordinator Stu Holt said Wednesday. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got the best fans in the country. We have the best environment in the country. I love our home games here. I love everything about our football experience here. As far as gameday, you couldn鈥檛 ask for anything better. I can鈥檛 imagine that it wouldn鈥檛 be therapeutic for everyone.鈥
Montgomery and Holt both spoke highly of the players and how the captains and leaders on the team are focused on bringing energy and urgency to each practice. Montgomery added the effort hasn鈥檛 lacked through the three losses and he mentioned the attention to detail was present throughout practices on Tuesday and Wednesday.
鈥淚 thought they鈥檝e reacted really well to it,鈥 Montgomery said. 鈥淥bviously, there鈥檚 still a lot of emotion involved. With that being said, they鈥檝e worked extremely hard, they鈥檝e come prepared every day, they鈥檝e shown up on time, and they鈥檝e got a lot of juice and energy about what鈥檚 going on right now. So we鈥檝e got to continue that part of it.鈥
"Our message has been this: we鈥檝e got nine games left, we鈥檝e got a chance to go write an unbelievable story, but it鈥檚 going to take all of us to do that," Virginia Tech interim coach Philip Montgomery said.
Montgomery stressed Tuesday that he wanted the players on this season鈥檚 roster to 鈥渨rite an unbelievable story鈥 over the next nine games. The Hokies conclude nonconference play against the Terriers (0-3) before opening ACC play on Sept. 27 at North Carolina State.
The interim coach鈥檚 message can focus on how Tech can contend for the ACC title since it hasn鈥檛 played a league game yet.
Virginia Tech running back P.J. Prioleau, center, runs the ball against Old Dominion during the second half in Blacksburg last weekend.
鈥淚 think they want to go and I think they would like to represent Coach Pry in a really positive way,鈥 Holt said. 鈥淚 think that everyone would like to do that. As Coach Montgomery said, the best way to represent Coach Pry is to go have success and go win. That鈥檚 what this thing is about. So yeah, we鈥檙e very much looking forward to it.鈥
Montgomery was selected to be an interim coach because of his eight seasons as head coach at Tulsa (2015-22). Two other coaches on staff听鈥 J.C. Price and Shawn Quinn听鈥 have college head coaching experience, but Montgomery鈥檚 ability to lead a team after a slow start factored into him being selected to guide the Hokies for the rest of this season.
Was he ready to lead a program again after being hired seven months ago as offensive coordinator?
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a tough question because that鈥檚 not where my mindset was,鈥 Montgomery said of putting his head coaching hat back on. 鈥淔or this situation to turn over in a matter of (snaps fingers), it seemed like 10 minutes, then all of a sudden you鈥檙e just trying to deal with everything that went on and then you鈥檝e got to kind of switch your mindset and then you鈥檝e got to think about what鈥檚 right for these players, what鈥檚 right for these young men, what鈥檚 right for our staff and how we can hold them all together and continue to move forward.鈥
Montgomery鈥檚 focus has been on getting the Hokies turned around after a slow start to the season.
鈥淚 think he鈥檚 really positive, and we are too. We鈥檙e all positive,鈥 Holt said. 鈥淲e all want what鈥檚 best for these guys and we want to finish strong. We鈥檙e all professionals at this, so we want to be professional, we want to act professional. We love Virginia Tech and we want Virginia Tech to success, so we want these guys to have the very best experience they can have.鈥
