Brent Pry's 'Flagship' Declaration and Tony Elliott's Lackluster Response

When asked about Brent Pry referring to Virginia Tech as the "flagship program" in the Commonwealth, Virginia head coach Tony Elliott fumbled his reply.

Brent Pry did not hesitate.

Asked about the college football landscape in the Mid-Atlantic, the Virginia Tech head coach set his eyes directly on his in-state rival and said “We’re the flagship school in the state,” during his ACC Kickoff press conference. “There’s no question about that.”

Pry’s declaration prompted this response from Virginia head coach Tony Elliott, which I found quite amusing.

Talk about fumbling your way through an answer. I had to watch this clip several times before feeling confident that Elliott was referring to his own program as the “flagship” of the Commonwealth and not his rival.

Neither Elliott nor Pry impressed anyone in their debut seasons as head coaches — both won just three games and were outcoached at times on the sidelines. But while one coach confidently proclaimed his program was still the premiere institution in the state, the other looked overmatched by the local media.

Time will tell if there’s a distinct on-field difference between these two head whistles, but Elliott seems to be no match for Pry when it comes to being an ambassador for his program. Even when the chips are down, you’ve got to be confident that your program is still trending up. Virginia has won the ACC Coastal more recently than Virginia Tech has, but you wouldn’t know it by Elliott’s response.

On-field results aside, since both coaches are off to a rough start, Pry has the upper hand on his nemesis in Charlottesville. Not only are the Hokies winning on the recruiting trail — 22 spots higher in the Class of 2024 247Sports Composite rankings — but they’re winning on the mic too.

Can they win the Commonwealth Clash on the field? Hopefully we’ll get the chance to find out this November.