Virginia Tech And Brent Pry Add Brian Crist, Xavier Adibi To Support Staff

By: David Cunningham | Managing Editor
Brent Pry added two members to his support staff on Tuesday. (Virginia Tech sports photography)

On Tuesday, Virginia Tech and Brent Pry announced two support staff additions: Brian Crist was promoted to Senior Offensive Analyst, while Xavier Adibi was named a defensive analyst.

Crist, a Blacksburg native, spent the last two seasons on Virginia Tech’s staff as an offensive analyst. Adibi, a former player from Hampton, Va., comes from Texas A&M – Commerce, where he was the defensive coordinator.

“Analysts by rule may observe the proceedings and interact with coaches,” an August 2021 article by Evan Bland on Omaha.com states. “What they can’t do at those times is engage in any “coaching activities” with players. That includes skill instruction, strategy planning and participating in drills.”

Brian Crist

Crist was a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech in 1994-95 at the same time as Brent Pry under Frank Beamer. Both were a part of the coaching staff on the 1995 Sugar Bowl team that defeated Texas. Crist returned to Blacksburg in 2020 and spent the last two seasons as an offensive analyst on Justin Fuente’s staff.

Before coming back to Virginia Tech, Crist was an offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach at Youngstown State for five seasons. Under Bo Pelini, he helped the Penguins reach the 2017 FCS National Championship game, where they lost to James Madison.

A Hampden-Sydney alum, he spent two seasons as the director of player personnel and an offensive assistant at Nebraska in 2014-15. Prior to that, he was the wide receivers coach at Bridgewater College in 2013.

Crist coached with Pry at Louisiana over the course of five seasons, too. From 2002-06, Crist was the wide receivers coach (and passing game coordinator from 2005-06) while Pry was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. The two won the 2005 Sun Belt Championship together. Crist tutored three of the top seven leading receivers in school history and had all-conference receivers in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

The other major stop for Crist in his career was at Massachusetts, where he had two stints. From 1996-2001, he was with the Minutemen for their 1998 FCS National Championship and three playoff appearances. Crist helped UMass won the Atlantic 10 in 1998 and 1999, and in his second stint from 2007-10, Crist was a part of the program that won the CAA in 2007.

Crist mentored former New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz in his second stint at UMass. He finished fourth all-time in school history career catches with 131, and Cruz was a First Team All-CAA performer in 2008 and 2009. In the NFL, Cruz won Super Bowl XLVI (2011-12 season) with the Giants and made the Pro Bowl in 2012. 

He is the son of David Crist, the former longtime head coach at Blacksburg High School. Brian Crist was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at his alma mater in 2012.

Xavier Adibi

(Ivan Morozov)

Former Tech linebacker Xavier Adibi is back as a defensive analyst.

Adibi was the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M – Commerce for the last three seasons. In 2021, his unit finished third in Division II in total defense and passing defense, allowing just 214.9 total yards and 116.9 passing yards per game. The Lions also had the fifth-best scoring defense in the country, allowing only 13.2 ppg.

In 2019, the defense led the Lone Star Conference in sacks per game (3.4). It also finished top-two in the league in a variety of statistics: Total defense (316.3 ypg), passing defense (193.8 ypg), rushing defense (122.5 ypg), red zone defense (69.8 pct.), defensive touchdowns scored (seven) and tackles for loss (113.0).

Safety Dominique Ramsey was a First Team All-America selection that season, and four members from Adibi’s defense earned All-Region honors, while seven were All-Lone Star Conference performers.

Prior to his time at Texas A&M – Commerce, Adibi was a defensive analyst at Arkansas for the 2018 season.

A fan favorite from Phoebus High School, Adibi was the second linebacker in school history to earn All-America honors. He was a two-time All-ACC player and won two ACC Championships in his time in Blacksburg. In 2021, he was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame.

In four seasons from 2004-07, Adibi started 37 games in 43 appearances. He tallied 274 tackles, including 121 solo, and had 108 in his senior season in 2007. He had 29 career tackles for loss, 11 sacks, four forced fumbles and eight interceptions. His 40-yard pick six in the 2007 ACC Championship Game sealed in the Hokies’ 30-16 victory over Boston College.

After his playing career as a Hokie, Adibi was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. he played in the league for five seasons in multiple places: Houston, Minnesota, Chicago, and Tennessee.

Support Staff

With the additions of Crist and Adibi, Brent Pry has five members of his support staff. Crist brings 23 years of Division I coaching experience, while Adibi has just one – Arkansas in 2018 – though is a former NFL player.

The two join Dwight Galt IV, Mike Villagrana and Michael Hazel on Tech’s support staff.

On Monday, Pry and the Hokies announced Tyler Bowen as the program’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coach.

For all stories pertaining to Virginia Tech’s assistant coaches and support staff, click here.

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  1. Love these two staff moves.

    David, could we not get a better photo of Pry ? In the one here his mouth is wide open and his hand gesture is like What? clueless?

  2. Adibi was one of my favorite Hokies. One play that really stood out to me was when he was a freshman in 2004 and he made a huge open field sack for a loss against Georgia Tech’s QB Ball in the redzone. When I think of Adibi I think of that play.

  3. Can we have X suit up and get on the field? He wouldn’t be coaching but leading by example.

  6. X was and always will be my favorite VT player. Watching him play defense was special and no one ever looked better in a VT uniform. Love that guy and the fact that he is back makes me smile. Welcome home!

    1. maybe he can teach our LBs how to tackle, or maybe i should say be in the right spot to tackle and then tackle.

      1. Let’s see, against UVA at least 2, maybe 3 guys couldn’t prevent the QB from the end zone and didn’t wrap up or make him pay for becoming a RB-he went in standing up. Others got out of the way of the player going in for the first UVA TD wanting apparently to avoid contact.

        Time to get physical again……

    2. My favorite Combo at LB – 9 and 11. They knew where to be and who to tackle. They filled the gaps and took out the bad guys.

      X great to see you back at VT

  7. At VT commentary, Mr. Cunnigham mentions the Duties of the analyst….. HOWEVER

    IN the SEC, NO one talks about delegations of duties and no one enforces it. That is why Ala and GA win, they have 20-30 analyst, and you can bet no one is checking job descriptions.

    Bottomline these guys are great to return to VT. They insight and capabilities will help VT well

  9. So cool to have Coach Crist’s son on the staff. Shane would have been in that 94-95 crew as well – a high school jr-sr he was always on the sideline. CBP’s Hokie roots are deep.

    1. agreed. Somebody dig up Will’s link/comments/video of X chasing the GT QB (Reggie ?) down in the end zone.

    2. He is in good company with the “baddest man” club…..some former players that quickly come to mind Cornell Brown, Jake Grove, Ben Taylor.

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