Virginia Tech and head coach Brent Pry have announced the hiring of Matt Moore as the new offensive line coach for the Hokies.
“I’m excited to welcome Matt Moore to our staff,” Pry said in a statement. “He has extensive experience coaching offensive lines at the Power Four level and is known for building tough, physical units. His expertise and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to build our program.”
Moore, who replaces Ron Crook, brings 19 years of Division I coaching experience. Pry made significant changes to his coaching staff on Dec. 12, citing unmet expectations, and dismissed Crook, defensive coordinator Chris Marve, and strength coach Dwight Galt IV.
Moore comes to Blacksburg from West Virginia, where he spent six seasons coaching the offensive line. He served as the Mountaineers’ co-offensive coordinator in 2019 before being promoted to assistant head coach from 2020-24. In 2023, he was a Broyles Award nominee, recognizing him as one of the top assistant coaches in college football.
Coaching Journey
Moore began his coaching career at Pickens High School in Georgia in 1997 before moving to Hoover High School in Alabama, where he helped the program achieve a 77-7 record and win three state championships. He transitioned to college coaching in 2006 at Troy, working as the offensive line coach alongside then-wide receivers coach Neal Brown.
He later joined Texas Tech in 2007, where his offensive line helped power units that ranked in the top 15 nationally in total offense in 2010 and 2011. After stints at Middle Tennessee and Louisiana Tech, where he helped secure a Conference USA Western Division title in 2014, Moore returned to Troy in 2015. During his second tenure there, he was promoted to co-offensive coordinator, guiding the team to a Sun Belt title and a top-25 ranking in 2016. One of his linemen, Antonio Garcia, became the highest-drafted lineman in Sun Belt history in 2017.
In 2018, Moore joined West Virginia with Neal Brown, now serving as head coach. Over his tenure, Moore developed multiple standout linemen, including All-Americans Colton McKivitz and Zach Frazier. His offensive line in 2023 allowed only 10 sacks, the fewest in the Big 12 and second-fewest among Power Five teams, while leading the conference in rushing yards and touchdowns.
Player Background
A native of Canton, Georgia, Moore played college football at Valdosta State, starting 34 games at left guard from 1991-94 and earning first-team all-conference honors.
What It Means For Virginia Tech
Here’s a list of Virginia Tech’s offensive line coaches over the last 14 years, making Matt Moore the eighth since 2012:
- Curt Newsome (2006–2012)
- Served under Frank Beamer; known for consistency during the latter years of the Beamer era.
- Jeff Grimes (2013)
- Spent one season in Blacksburg before moving on to LSU.
- Stacy Searels (2014–2015)
- Coached under Beamer during his final two seasons; struggled with a rebuilding line.
- Vance Vice (2016–2021)
- Served as Justin Fuente’s offensive line coach; had some strong years early but faced challenges in maintaining consistency.
- Joe Rudolph (2022)
- Brought in by Brent Pry, left after one season to join Notre Dame.
- Ron Crook (2023)
- Replaced Rudolph but was dismissed after one season due to unmet program expectations.
- Matt Moore (2024–present)
- Hired to bring stability and expertise to the offensive line, following a history of short tenures at the position.
How good have his Mountaineer units been over the previous six years? Let’s compare their PFF numbers with the Hokies.
The Hokies have struggled with coaching turnover at this position, a trend they hope to end with Moore’s hiring.
Moore has a proven track record of recruiting and developing offensive linemen. Take Wyatt Milum as an example: he started at left tackle for West Virginia this season, logging 700 snaps with stellar grades—90.0 overall, 87.5 in run blocking, and 90.0 in pass blocking. Moore was the lead recruiter for Milum, a top-100 national prospect and one of the top-15 tackles in his class, who has since become one of the top linemen in the FBS.
For Virginia Tech, inconsistent offensive line play has been an issue in recent years, something Moore now has an opportunity to address. His first priority will be bolstering the unit through the transfer portal. Here’s the current depth chart heading into next season:
- Left Tackle: Johnny Garrett, Web Davidson
- Left Guard: Bob Schick, Layth Ghannam
- Center: Tommy Ricard
- Right Guard: Brody Meadows
- Right Tackle: Montavious Cunningham
Beyond this core group of seven, the Hokies have four more scholarship linemen: redshirt sophomore Hannes Hammer, redshirt freshman Aidan Lynch, and incoming freshmen Carter Stallard and Nathaniel Wright. It’s possible Moore may look to bring some of his players from West Virginia to Virginia Tech to fill the gaps.
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