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Former Head Coach Lands Coordinator Role At Major ACC Program

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By J.C. Shelton | Last updated Feb 17, 2025 11:47 AM ET

An experienced offensive coordinator and former college football head coach is headed to the ACC, as Phillip Montgomery was named the offensive coordinator at Virginia Tech on Monday, according to the school.

The Hokies, led by fourth-year head coach Brent Pry, posted an underwhelming 6-7 season in 2024 after finishing at 7-6 with a bowl win the previous year.

After the departure of offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen to coach the offensive line at Ohio State, Pry and Co. have filled the void with a familiar name in Montgomery.

The 53-year-old rose up the coaching ranks as an assistant with Houston from 2003-07, helping mentor quarterback Case Keenum, who went on to set the the record for the most-career passing yards in college football history in 2011 (19,217).

Montgomery later served as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Baylor from 2008-14, where he coached 2011 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Montgomery, who was a Broyles Award finalist with the Bears in 2013, took the head coaching role at Tulsa in 2015. The former Tarleton State quarterback led the Golden Hurricane to a 10-win season and bowl win in 2016, but struggled to find consistency thereafter, posting a 43-53 record over eight seasons.

Montgomery then served as offensive coordinator under Hugh Freeze at Auburn in 2023 before moving to the UFL to coach the offense for the Birmingham Stallions, who he helped lead to a 2024 UFL Championship.

“Philip Montgomery is one of the most respected offensive minds in college football," Pry said in a statement. "His ability to develop quarterbacks and build explosive offenses will be instrumental in our continued growth as a program. Philip’s experience as both a head coach and a coordinator will help us maximize our talent and put our players in the best position to succeed.”

The Hokies have plenty to improve on under Montgomery after finishing the 2024 season at 68th nationally in scoring offense and 88th in total offense.

Virginia Tech will open the 2025 season against South Carolina in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Aug. 31.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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