Update, January 4: Virginia Tech has now officially hired Penn State’s Michael Hazel as its assistant athletic director and chief of staff, the team announced on Tuesday. He’ll now reunite with newly hired head coach Brent Pry, who previously served as Penn State’s defensive coordinator.

We've added @michaelhazel

— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) January 4, 2022

Original Story: Penn State Senior Director of Football Operations Michael Hazel is reportedly following Brent Pry to Virginia Tech.

According to a report by The Athletic‘s Bruce Feldman, Hazel is leaving Happy Valley to become the Hokies’ chief of staff.

SOURCE: Michael Hazel, Penn State’s Sr. Dir. of Football Ops, is leaving to be chief of staff for Brent Pry at Va. Tech. Hazel came to PSU fm Vandy w/ James Franklin & played a key role behind the scenes particularly in how PSU was able to keep putting together excellent staffs.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 3, 2022

Hazel just finished his eighth season with the Nittany Lions and has worked for James Franklin since he arrived as Vanderbilt’s head coach. He got his start with the Commodores in 2004 as a graduate assistant, but worked as the director of football operations for all three of Franklin’s seasons in Nashville. He held the same job title for his first five seasons with the Nittany Lions, but was promoted to his senior role ahead of the 2019 season.

Throughout his time at Vanderbilt, Hazel was a part of more than half the program’s bowl appearances. He was on staff for the team’s first bowl game in 26 years back in 2008.

In his role at Penn State, Hazel helped to handle the team’s external operations and facilities, along with Franklin’s public appearances. Hazel also played a role in the Nittany Lions’ recruiting success, as he served as the team’s primary organizer of marketing, strategic communications, and a liaison to high school coaches.

Hazel has been a well-known figure in his field over the past few seasons. He was named FootballScoops’s 2020 Operations Director of the Year, and was a finalist for the award in 2015 and 2016.