The Virginia Tech Hokies’ coaching staff suffered a major setback after Offensive Coordinator Tyler Bowen announced his departure for another Power Four program.
Bowen announced that he is leaving Blacksburg, Va., to become the offensive line coach for the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. During his three seasons with the Hokies, in addition to serving as offensive coordinator, Bowen also helped coach tight ends and quarterbacks.
Tyler Bowen’s Tenure With the Hokies
In 2022, the first season Bowen served as offensive coordinator, the Hokies didn’t score thirty points in a single game.
2024 wasn’t much better. Virginia Tech finished with just 267.8 yards per game and 28.2 points per game, which ranked 77th and 52nd in the country, respectively.
Quarterback Kyron Drones, who Sports Illustrated named as a long-shot Heisman Trophy winner at +9500, had a tough season battling injuries. He threw six interceptions to just 10 touchdowns—down from pretty good numbers of 17 touchdowns and three interceptions in 2023. His quarterback rating dropped by 8.5 points—falling from 137.2 to 128.7.
That could be a reason why the Hokies’ offense struggled, along with Bowen’s play-calling and offensive line issues. Running back Bhayshul Tuten also missed some time due to injuries.
While Bowen leaves for Ohio State, the Hokies are dealing with a massive staff turnover. Head Coach Brent Pry now has to fill his fourth coaching position in less than two months.
Previously, Pry filled these vacancies with offensive line coach Matt Moore, who came from the West Virginia Mountaineers, strength and conditioning coordinator Jarrett Ferguson, and defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes.
The latter will be important to the program’s success, as Siefkes spent time with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals developing players like linebacker Kyzir White and safety Budda Baker.
Akron Head Coach Joe Moorhead is Potential Candidate for Virginia Tech
Pry and Akron Head Coach Joe Moorhead worked together at Penn State for two years and share several connections, so he should be a frontrunner to fill the offensive coordinator role.
Under Moorhead, the Akron Zip accumulated an 8-28 record despite winning three of their last five, including a 21-14 win over a surging Toledo team.
KEEP READING: Way-Too-Early 2025-2026 College Football Playoff Prediction
Akron’s Athletic Director, Charles Guthrie left the school in November, and the school also hired a new President, so the school is already in the midst of staffing change.
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