Brent Pry, a former defensive coordinator at Georgia Southern and Louisiana-Lafayette, will serve as co-coordinator and coach linebackers at Vanderbilt under Head Coach James Franklin. He also serves the team's defensive recruiting coordinator.
Pry joins the Commodore staff after one year at Georgia Southern where he helped guide the Eagles back to national prominence in the in the Division I playoff subdivision as defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
Aided by Pry's stiff defensive unit, Georgia Southern advanced to the NCAA FCS national semifinals with a 10-5 overall record, and also notched an important regular season victory over No. 1-ranked Appalachian State.
Pry's defense contributed to the team success, ranking among the nation's best in scoring defense (11th, 18.5 ppg.), total defense (9th, 286.9 ypg) and pass defense (11th, 159.9 ypg).
Pry joined Georgia Southern from the University of Memphis, where he served three years as the Tigers' defensive line coach. He was part of a staff that guided the Tigers to two bowl appearances, and molded a defensive line in 2008 into one of the Conference USA's best units. The line corps included Clinton McDonald, an eventual Cincinnati Bengal draft pick who led the nation in sacks over a span of six games in 2008 before a season-ending injury.
From 2002-06, Pry served at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, holding positions of assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. He coached the Ragin' Cajuns' linebackers for five years and was promoted to assistant head coach in 2004. The team ran off five straight wins in 2005 to post a 6-5 record and win a Sun Belt Conference title. During the span of that win streak, the defense gave up just 18 points per game. In 2004, the Cajuns also ranked No. 11 nationally in pass defense, allowing only 174.5 yards per game. Six former ULL players coached by Pry have been on NFL rosters.
Pry was an assistant coach at Western Carolina for four years, coaching the defensive line in 1998-99 and defensive backs and special teams in 2000-01. In 1998, WCU finished ninth in in the nation in total defense. In 2001, he helped the Catamount defense earn a No. 1 ranking in touchdown passes allowed with just five. That same season, Pry's secondary was ranked third nationally in pass defense. Two players went on to play in the NFL.
Pry served as a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech with the defensive line from 1995-98. While there, the Hokies ranked number one nationally against the run, fifth in scoring defense and 10th in total defense. The squad won two Big East championships and earned bids to the Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl and Gator Bowl during that time.
Pry began his coaching career at East Stroudsburg (Pa.) University as an outside linebackers coach for the 1993 season. He then worked with defensive backs in 1994. One of standouts at East Stroudsburg was the current Vanderbilt head coach Franklin.
A free safety at Maryville (Tenn.) College in 1988, Pry later transferred to the University of Buffalo, where he played under former New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams head coach Jim Haslett. Pry lettered in 1990, then suffered a career-ending injury in 1991. He returned as a student assistant coach at Buffalo for the 1992 season. Pry earned a bachelor's in history from Buffalo in 1993.
Pry is a second generation college football coach. His father, Jim, has coached at the college level for more than 30 years.
Pry and his wife, Amy, have a son, Colby, and two daughters, Madeline and Catherine.
The Pry File Personal Date of Birth: April 1, 1970 Hometown: Altoona, Pa. Alma Mater: University of Buffalo (1993) Education: Bachelor's, history, Buffalo (1993) Family: wife, Amy; son, Colby, daughters, Madeline and Catherine
Pry's Coaching Career 2010 - Georgia Southern (defensive coordinator and safeties) 2007-09 - Memphis (defensive line) 2004-06 - Louisiana-Lafayette (assistant head coach, defensive coordinators and linebackers) 2002-03 - Louisiana-Lafayette (defensive coordinator and linebackers) 2000-01 - Western Carolina (defensive backs and special teams) 1998-99 - Western Carolina (defensive line) 1995-98 - Virginia Tech (graduate assistant, defensive line) 1993-94 - East Stroudsburg University (outside linebackers and defensive backs)
