Noon update> This deal is done. Brent Pry is the head Hokie. Interim head coach JC Price is being retained per university release. JC will serve as associate head coach / defensive position (tbd).
The Virginia Tech quest to find a replacement for the fired Justin Fuente has neared its conclusion, multiple college football sources tell FootballScoop on Monday.
Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry, has emerged as the top target for the head Hokies position.
Pry's work with Penn State's defense is consistently remarkable, and he also traces early coaching roots to Virginia Tech, where Pry was a graduate assistant for the legendary Frank Beamer from 1995-97.
Pry's spent the past six years as James Franklin defensive play-caller for the Nittany Lions, including Penn State's most recent Big Ten championship team as well as its more recent Cotton Bowl-winning squad.
Pry also has previous stops at Louisiana-Lafayette, Georgia Southern, Memphis and Vanderbilt – where he first teamed with Franklin.
But it's been Pry's defensive prowess at Penn State that's made him a rising commodity. Nittany Lions stop units under Pry have finished in the top 10 of the NCAA's overall defensive rankings, led the nation in sacks, forced fumbles, placed top-five in rushing defense and also been among the nation's leaders in scoring defense.
Yahoo!'s Pete Thamel also reported this morning that Tech's search has focused on Pry.