Vic Hall’s football journey has taken him from small-town legend to Power Five coach-and now, he’s headed back to the Commonwealth, this time wearing maroon and orange.
On Tuesday, Hall officially joined James Franklin’s staff at Virginia Tech, where he’ll coach the nickelbacks starting in 2026. It’s a notable addition for the Hokies, not just because of Hall’s deep Virginia roots, but also because of the coaching résumé he’s built over the past decade.
For fans in Central and Southern Virginia, Hall’s name rings out. At Gretna High School, he was nothing short of electric-a dominant dual-threat quarterback who rewrote record books and carved out a legacy that still echoes in the region’s Friday night lore.
He went on to play at the University of Virginia, transitioning to cornerback but also seeing time under center. While he went undrafted in 2010, Hall’s football story was far from over.
He had brief stints with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets during the 2010 offseason, but his next chapter came in the Arena Football League. There, Hall thrived on the defensive side of the ball, hauling in 15 interceptions and earning AFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. That success laid the groundwork for his coaching career, which began in 2014.
Hall’s coaching climb has been steady and well-earned. He started at National College Prep, spending four years developing young talent before moving into the college ranks.
In 2018, he took a graduate assistant role at Western Illinois, working with cornerbacks. A year later, he joined Howard University, where he coached the cornerbacks in 2019 and safeties in 2020.
From there, he stepped into a bigger role at Ball State. Over two seasons, he served as cornerbacks coach and co-recruiting coordinator, sharpening his skills on the recruiting trail while continuing to develop defensive backs. In 2023, he added passing game coordinator to his title-a nod to his growing influence on the defensive side of the ball.
In 2024, Hall landed at Penn State as a defensive analyst under Franklin, offering him a chance to work within a Big Ten program and reunite with a head coach who clearly values his insight. That connection paid off. After spending 2025 as Rutgers’ safeties coach, Hall has now made the move to Virginia Tech, leaving a year on his contract in Piscataway to return to his home state.
For Franklin and the Hokies, it’s a savvy hire. Not only does Hall bring Power Five experience and a proven track record of developing defensive backs, but he also brings recruiting ties to Virginia-a state Tech has long relied on to build its roster. And let’s not overlook the symbolism here: Franklin just pulled a former UVA star from another Big Ten program and added him to the staff at Virginia Tech, UVA’s biggest rival.
Hall joins fellow former Cavalier Fontel Mines, now Virginia Tech’s wide receivers coach, on the Hokies’ sideline. It’s a twist that longtime fans of the Commonwealth Cup will surely note-two former UVA standouts now helping to shape the future of the Hokies’ program.
One interesting detail: Hall has been named the coach of the nickelbacks, not the full secondary. That leaves the cornerbacks and safeties coaching roles still unannounced, suggesting more moves are coming soon on Franklin’s defensive staff.
But for now, this much is clear: Vic Hall is back in Virginia, and he’s bringing a wealth of experience, a sharp defensive mind, and a deep understanding of what football means in this part of the country. Virginia Tech just got better.