The Virginia Tech Coaching Files: Ty Howle

I started the Virginia Tech Coaching Files series to help introduce Hokie fans to their new coaching staff. The last two installments, however, were more of a reintroduction to Fontel Mines and Matt Moore.

This week, the series returns to its roots by digging deeper into the background of Virginia Tech's new offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, Ty Howle.

Howle's Background

Age: 34 | Hometown: Bunn, NC

Ty Howle played high school football for his father, David. Upon graduation, Ty committed to Joe Paterno and Penn State.

Howle's redshirt sophomore season was severely impacted, as Paterno was fired in the middle of the year after the Jerry Sandusky scandal rocked State College. Howle earned a starting role in his final season at Penn State, making 13 starts at center and left guard for Bill O'Brien.

In total, Howle played 47 games for Penn State and was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. 

Coaching Experience

Howle immediately transitioned to coaching when his playing days were over, serving as a graduate assistant at NC State. To no one's surprise, it wouldn't take Howle long to return to his alma mater.

Howle's first full-time gig came at Western Illinois, where he coached alongside current Virginia Tech analyst David Rocco. Howle was promoted to assistant head coach in 2018, helping to lead a staff that added former Virginia Tech wideout Dyrell Roberts the same year.

James Franklin pulled Howle back to State College in 2020, having Howle work with the offensive line and tight ends. Howle started coaching tight ends full-time in 2021, replacing former Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen, who was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Franklin rewarded Howle and current Notre Dame associate head coach Ja'Juan Seider with the co-offensive coordinator tag in 2023, having the two work under Mike Yurcich, Penn State's real offensive coordinator. When Yurcich left after the 2023 season, Howle and Seider were passed over for Andy Kotelnicki.

What Does Howle Bring to the Table?

What Howle may lack in experience, he makes up for it with noticeable results. Here are some notable tight ends that Howle coached at Penn State...

• Brenton Strange: Earned Third Team All-Big Ten Honors in 2022 after catching 32 passes for 362 yards and five touchdowns. Strange was selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Theo Johnson: Under Howle's watch, Johnson's impact at Penn State grew larger every year. Johnson caught 34 passes for 341 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023, catching the attention of the New York Giants, who drafted Johnson in the fourth round the following spring.
• Tyler Warren: In four seasons under Howle, Warren caught 153 passes for 1,839 yards and 19 touchdowns. Warren also rushed for four touchdowns in 2024, adding to his historic season that culminated in him being named a First Team All-American, winning the John Mackey Award, and being drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Howle coached tight ends for five seasons at Penn State and had three of his players drafted to the NFL, two of whom were drafted in the first two rounds. When was the last time a Virginia Tech assistant could make the same claim?

Even though Howle will continue coaching tight ends at Virginia Tech, he's taking on a much larger and more important role. Howle is set to be a full-time FBS play-caller for the first time in his career, which any reasonable Hokie might find unsettling. After all, Tech fans did endure three seasons of Tyler Bowen, and we all know how maddening that was.

Aside from player development, Howle is also a pretty accomplished recruiter. 247Sports credits Howle as the primary or secondary recruiter for eight four-star commitments at Penn State, including new Hokies' tight end Luke Reynolds.

As you might expect, Howle played a critical role in bringing Penn State transfers to Blacksburg. Virginia Tech added six transfers from Penn State on the offensive side, including the Hokies' presumed starting quarterback, Ethan Grunkemeyer.

Howle has experience recruiting multiple areas, most notably the DMV and Pennsylvania. 

Is Howle a Good Hire?

Every play-caller has to start somewhere. While I'd prefer they get their first crack at it elsewhere, Howle has earned this opportunity.

Regardless of your opinion on Penn State's quarterback play in recent years, Howle's tight ends have always found ways to produce. Warren wasn't just the best tight end in the country in 2024 — he was one of the best football players in America. That includes the professionals.

Howle's tight ends are more than larger wide receivers playing in the slot — they're also willing and capable run blockers. In Howle's first season as the tight ends coach, Warren and Strange both finished the year with Pro Football Focus (PFF) run blocking grades of 80 or higher. Last year, Luke Reynolds earned a 68.1 run blocking grade as a sophomore, and he should improve with more experience.

Ultimately, Howle's success as Virginia Tech's offensive coordinator will not be determined by how good the Hokies' tight ends are, but by how he develops quarterbacks and grows as a play-caller. Convincing Grunkemeyer to follow him is one thing, but getting Grunkemeyer to the next level is a different challenge.

There's reason to believe Howle can succeed in this role, but fans would be wise to temper their expectations. The Hokies' offense may need a few games to find its footing as Howle and his players figure things out. Not only is Howle calling plays in a full-time capacity at this level for the first time in his career, but his quarterback is learning a new offense in a new place with new teammates all around him. 

If Virginia Tech can hold its own on defense, it'll buy extra time for Howle and Co. to iron out the kinks and find a rhythm. Howle has earned the opportunity, but he might need some time to get things right.