On the heels of a 7-6 season that saw Virginia Tech win its first bowl game in seven years, the Hokies announced Wednesday they’ve extended the contracts of all 10 assistant football coaches.
Tech’s coaches received salary raises totaling $245,000, with all 10 assistants now under contract through at least through the 2025 season. Coordinators Tyler Bowen (offense), Chris Marve (defense) and Stu Holt (special teams) were extended out through the 2026 season.
The extensions also include retention bonuses of $25,000 by March 1 of next year for nearly all of the position coaches. Coordinators have that, and $50,000 retention bonuses if they’re still on staff on March 1, 2026.
“Our coaches have demonstrated the ability to coach, recruit, and mentor at a highly competitive level,” head coach Brent Pry said in a release. “I’m extremely appreciative to Whit Babcock and our administration for their significant investments in our football program. We look forward to building on the foundation that’s been laid. There is still so much work to be done, but I am excited about doing it with this staff.”
Tech will pay its assistant coaches $5.325 million in salary this year after they earned $5.045 million last season.
In total pay, the new figure would have put the Hokies fifth in the ACC of public schools last season, according to USA Today. Clemson paid its assistants $7.775 million in 2023, followed by North Carolina ($6.618 million), Florida State ($6.595 million) and NC State ($5.849 million). Miami figures to be among those schools but as a private institution does not have to respond to open-record requests.
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The extensions put Bowen and Marve at $875,000, an increase of $25,000 and $50,000, respectively. Last season, nine ACC coordinators from public schools made at least that much.
Holt, who also coaches tight ends, got a $25,000 bump to $525,000.
Defensive line coach J.C. Price ($500,000), star linebackers coach Shawn Quinn ($340,000), cornerbacks coach Derek Jones ($575,000) and safeties coach Pierson Prioleau ($340,000) all got $25,000 raises and what amounts to new two-year contracts. Their previous deals ran through Jan. 1 of this year.
Receivers coach Fontel Mines, who got a significant bump last year around this time after drawing heavy interest from Penn State, going from $275,000 to $425,000, received another $15,000 raise to $440,000, with his contract still through March of 2026. He’s the lone position coach with a different retention bonus structure, receiving $25,000, $50,000 and $75,000 on March 1 in each of the next three years if he’s still on staff.
Running back coach Elijah Brooks ($365,000) and offensive line coach Ron Crook ($490,000) both got $15,000 bumps and one-year extensions through 2026 from when they joined the fold last spring.
Strength and conditioning coach Dwight Galt was also extended through June of 2026.
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How much of Bowen’s bump should he give to Brent for bailing him out?
Yes Mines needs more $$$
For sure.
Article coming on evaluations of raise amount to performance (coaching and recruiting)?
In Whit i trust.
Glad to see VT going in the right direction on assistant salary pools. “It is what it is”, if you want the top quartile of coaches, you have to pay the top quartile in dollars.
Hopefully we see coaches salaries everywhere flatten out now that donors are funding NIL.
Fontel Mines is the best assistant we have. He is a star.
I would’ve given mines a bigger raise
Absolutely agree
He got a 150,000 raise a year ago. So I think it’s okay not to give him as much of a raise this year as the others
4.8% increase overall. Seems reasonable. Quinn, Prioleaux and Marve getting higher % than the average. Bowen getting the lowest %.
I am not in favor of extending through 2026. Pay them well but extending for the sake of extending is not good business. Working on a two-year contract is ample security. It’s not like anyone is trying to hire away our coordinators. And if they are, deal with it then.
You’re fun at parties.
I would imagine that Tech is not reinventing any wheels regarding raises and extensions. It’s just standard practice these days in this industry.
So, how do you walk into a junior recruit’s house and say I really want you to come play for me. But I don’t even have a contract in hand long enough to welcome you to the school?
+100
Glad for the continuity. I really would like to know how much of the turnaround on offense was Bowen or our advisor. Seeing him get a raise just feels iffy based on what I saw the first part of 2023. Fontel Mines continues to be a steal based on what he does on the recruiting trail compared to his peers.
If coach Pry wants these men, who are we to argue? Something to be said for continuity.