Cover 3 College Football Podcast — Emergency Episode Summary

Episode Title: 🚨Deshaun Foster & Brent Pry Fired | Coaching Carousel
Date: September 14, 2025
Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell, Bud Elliott

Overview

This emergency episode of the Cover 3 podcast responds to the rare mid-season firing of two Power Conference head football coaches: Deshaun Foster at UCLA and Brent Pry at Virginia Tech. The hosts break down why the moves were made, the state of each program, the attractiveness of both jobs, immediate and long-term coaching candidates, and implications for college football’s ever-evolving landscape—especially as programs prepare for conference realignment and the shifting realities of NIL and revenue sharing.

1. Double Firing: The Rare Mid-September Shakeup

Timestamps: 00:47-01:34

• Two Power 5 coaches (Foster at UCLA, Pry at Virginia Tech) were fired just a few weeks into the season.
• Chip Patterson: “It is not the middle of September and we have two midseason power conference coach firings. We're not waiting any longer… cut and bait...”
• Tim Skipper (UCLA) and Philip Montgomery (Virginia Tech) named interim head coaches.

2. Why Now? Breaking Down the Firings

Timestamps: 02:59–05:23

Virginia Tech & Brent Pry

• Lack of on-field competitiveness, fan disconnection, and a trend of embarrassing performances.
• Chip Patterson: “If Virginia Tech allowed Brent Pry to continue just an embarrassing, like an outright embarrassing football production, then I think that you would really risk losing some of the supporters that were still hanging on.” (03:59)
• Tom Fornelli: “That team did not give a crap about playing against Old Dominion. They were… completely checked out.” (05:02)

UCLA & Deshaun Foster

• Hasty hire amid a shallow coaching pool; Foster seemed overwhelmed and unprepared.
• Danny Kanell: “[Foster] just looked a little bit overwhelmed... it just felt kind of off. It felt like somebody was a little bit overwhelmed being a head coach of a major, major program.” (05:23)

3. Job Attractiveness & Program Outlook

Timestamps: 02:13–07:16

Virginia Tech vs. UCLA

Pros & Cons Discussed:

• Virginia Tech: Stronger football culture, but limited by ACC uncertainty and budget concerns.
• UCLA: Big Ten money is coming—eventually—but has a smaller fanbase, financial struggles, less tradition.
• Danny Kanell: “I think Virginia Tech is the better job of the two… you have a better chance of winning quickly.” (05:23)
• Tom Fornelli: “Both schools currently have big time problems… UCLA has a ton of problems too… no real fan interest.” (03:08)

Recruiting & Roster

• Pry recruited better than Fuente, but still below historic VT levels.
• Foster: Poor cultural fit, late hire, never had a fighting chance.

4. Interim Coaches & Potential Turnaround

Timestamps: 08:18–12:19

• Philip Montgomery (Virginia Tech):
  • Not seen as a season-saver; primarily there to stabilize roster and prevent mass transfers.
  • Tom Fornelli: “It's not like there was anything that [Montgomery] did there that made you think that he's going to be the guy who can turn this season around and save it.” (08:18)
• Tim Skipper (UCLA):
  • Brief prior interim experience, but inherits a roster in free fall after chronic underachievement.

Transfer Portal & Player Uncertainty

• Athletes like UCLA’s Nico considered likely to transfer or redshirt.
• Danny Kanell: “[Nico] would be the least surprising thing of all if he hopped in the portal or red shirted and shut this thing down. I think it actually be the smart thing for him to do.” (12:19)

5. Did Foster or Pry Ever Have a Real Chance?

Timestamps: 14:53–16:07

• Both programs struggling with mismatched expectations and resource issues.
• Tom Fornelli: “Deshaun Foster probably never had a chance because you think of the circumstances in which he was hired to begin with.” (15:37)
• Chip Patterson: “Virginia Tech having that, the sobering conversations… where their athletic director is telling the university administrators our expectations don't match our investment.” (14:03)

6. The Coaching Carousel: Candidates & Dreaming Big

Timestamps: 17:20–30:03

Big Names Pondered (Realistically and Not)

• Shane Beamer (South Carolina): Hosts debate the likelihood—and sense—of his return to VT.
  • Tom Fornelli: “Virginia Tech still thinks it can be what it was under Frank Beamer. And it hasn't been because it doesn't have the money to invest… then you go and hire Shane Beamer, who immediately is going to be expected to be his father.” (19:07)
• Pat Fitzgerald: Ex-Northwestern, recently cleared; considered a strong fit for either school.
  • Tom Fornelli: “I think Fitz would be a good fit at UCLA because… it's another school with higher academic… requirements.” (21:09)
• Dan Mullen: Fits both, maybe lighter fit at UCLA.
• Jamie Chadwell (Liberty): “Makes a lot of sense” (Danny Kanell at 22:11)
• Jimbo Fisher: West Virginia roots, Virginia Tech discussed as possible “reset job.”
• Other Group of Five/Lesser Tier: Ricky Rahne (ODU), Kalen DeBoer (Washington—unlikely), Will Stein (Oregon OC, considered more of a next-cycle name).

Unique or Unlikely Options

• Mike Vick: Discussed as a last-resort fan-nostalgia choice.
  • Tom Fornelli: “If Mike Vick ends up the coach at Virginia Tech, it's because the search went terribly.” (31:45)
• Glenn Schumann, Jim Knowles: Young top coordinators—SEC likely to grab them first.
• Dan Lanning, Tony White, Jeff Monken, John Summerall: Other coordinators or mid-major head coaches named as possible fits.

Resources Limiting Searches

• Tom Fornelli: “I don’t know how much money [UCLA] has to go get a coach. That athletic department’s been in financial trouble for a while… they just named [Foster] the full-time coach and never really conducted an actual coaching search.” (26:20)

7. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Tom Fornelli, on Foster and Pry: “It brings us no pleasure to announce that B.C. might stand for booty cheeks once again.” (09:24)
• Danny Kanell, on coaching volatility: “That shows you how fickle coaching is. I mean, they were in the game with South Carolina… if they win those two games, they're probably playing a little bit harder against ODU.” (14:53)
• Tom Fornelli, on Beamer: “The problem is Virginia Tech still thinks it can be what it was under Frank Beamer… you go and hire Shane Beamer, who immediately is going to be expected to be his father.” (19:07)
• Chip Patterson, on nostalgia hires like Vick: “Why, you just ride the wave of euphoria and nostalgia for everything that you can get.” (32:39)

8. Forward-Looking Insights

Timestamps: 26:45–35:41

• Both schools must contend with a challenging landscape—financially and competitively—with new revenue distribution and continued realignment.
• Programs like Indiana now more attractive for coaches than fading “names” like Virginia Tech due to better financial backing (25:36–25:59).
• Uncertainty for prominent players at both schools, with the transfer portal and redshirt rules in play.
• The coaching searches are shaping up to be a mix of desperation and wishful thinking, as timing, resources, and the upcoming hiring cycle will all limit options.

9. Final Thoughts

Timestamps: 32:39–35:41

• Fanbases are irate at their athletic directors.
• Both interim coaches face tough, short-term schedules, with more “winnable” games possible at Virginia Tech.
• Hires like Mike Vick or a splashy retread could happen if the searches go sideways, but don’t count on it.
• Other coaches on the hot seat (Billy Napier, Florida) are quietly hoping attention remains elsewhere, as more Power 5 dominoes are likely to fall.

Listen for:

• Deep dives into Power 5 program health and finances.
• Blunt takes on coaching carousel realities in 2025.
• Candid speculation, college football culture banter, and plenty of laughter amid the chaos.

Summary prepared for fans and analysts needing all the key takeaways, context, and color from a wild emergency episode—without having to listen.