Virginia Tech made it official on Tuesday, announcing Brent Pry as the program’s next head coach. It’s the first head coaching gig for the Penn State defensive coordinator, but it has been a long time coming.

Pry arrived at Penn State in 2014 with coach James Franklin, coming over from Vanderbilt where he was the co-defensive coordinator and linebacker coach. He’s done the same for Penn State since arriving. He and Franklin have been together a while. “I will forever be a fan of Brent Pry and look forward to cheering him on as he takes this next step in his career,” Franklin said in a statement shared Tuesday afternoon.

Pry, who was a grad assistant in Blacksburg from 1995-98, also released a statement, saying in part how proud he was to get to coach at Penn State, which he has regularly called “Linebacker U.”

“As this next chapter approaches, I could not be more grateful for the trust and support of coach James Franklin,” Pry said. “It has been an honor and a privilege to have been a part of his staff and vision for the last 11 years. The opportunity to coach at Linebacker U was a dream come true, and it would not have become a reality without the encouragement of so many people throughout my career. Penn State will always be a special place for me and my family, and we cherish the young men who allowed us to be part of their lives.

“We developed so many great relationships during our time at Penn State and know those relationships will carry on for a lifetime. Our memories and experiences in Happy Valley, surrounded by the passionate fans of Nittany Nation, will never be forgotten. Thank you, Penn State!”

Pry will be formally introduced at Virginia Tech during a press conference on Thursday.