Virginia Tech Football: Hokies Announce New Additions To The Staff, Plus Some Reshuffling
The Hokies announced the hirings of Jens Danielson (assistant offensive line coach), Cannon Montgomery (assistant running backs coach), Bryan Whitehead (Nickels Coach), and Jireh Wilson (Edges Coach) this morning. Not only that, but there was some shuffling around. Brent Davis is now tight ends coach, Shawn Quinn is outside linebackers coach, and Xavier Adibi is inside linebackers coach.
Danielsen, the newly appointed assistant offensive line coach, brings experience from three Power Four schools, including two separate stints at West Virginia. His first stretch in Morgantown was as an offensive graduate assistant in 2021. He served as an offensive quality control assistant at Mississippi State in 2022 before returning to WVU as an offensive analyst in 2023. Danielsen was the run game specialist and centers coach for the Mountaineers during the 2024 season.
Montgomery, the assistant running backs coach, spent the 2024 season as the wide receivers coach at Houston Christian University, mentoring A.J. Wilson, who led the Southland Conference and the FCS in receiving yards per catch. Wilson was fourth in the conference in touchdown receptions. Under Montgomery’s direction, Ismael Fuller was second in the Southland Conference in yards per catch.
Montgomery spent time at Houston as a graduate assistant working with quarterbacks in 2024. Prior to that, he held the same role at Auburn (2023), working with wide receivers, and Tulsa (2022) where he worked with tight ends, wide receivers, and returners.
Wilson joins the Tech staff as edges coach after spending the 2024 season as safeties coach at Kennesaw State, and the 2023 season as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at North Greenville University.
At Kennesaw, Wilson tutored Conference USA All-Freshman safety Isaac Paul. Paul finished the season with 54 tackles, two breakups and a fumble return. The Owls were also able to post their FBS win and first FBS conference win in school history.
During his time at NGU, Wilson led a defensive unit that allowed 24.9 points per game in 2023, which was 11.92 points better than the previous season. His defense also improved the average passing yards allowed per game by 73, which was an improvement of over 100 spots in the national rankings.
Whitehead spent two seasons (2020-2021) at Wisconsin-La Crosse as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, helping the Eagles to an NCAA playoff appearance in 2021. In two years at Wofford College, he assisted with the defensive line in 2018 and coached safeties in 2019, as the Terriers won the Southern Conference and made FCS playoff appearances in each season.
Whitehead’s coaching career began in 2016 at his alma mater, Wisconsin-Platteville where he served as defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator. The Pioneers were an NCAA playoff qualifier in 2016.
Virginia Tech’s coaching staff has undergone a lot of changes this offseason and there are two new coordinators as well. Will this get Brent Pry better results? Only time will tell.
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