BLACKSBURG—Former Smithfield High School football standout Dyrell Roberts has joined the coaching staff at his alma mater, Virginia Tech.

Football head coach Brent Pry announced last week the hiring of Roberts as an offensive analyst.

Roberts returns to his alma mater after starring as a wide receiver and kick returner for the Hokies from 2008 to 2012, helping Virginia Tech claim ACC championships in 2008 and 2010, as well as the 2011 Coastal Division title. He owns Tech’s career record for kickoff return yards (1,520) after returning 61 kickoffs with one touchdown for the Hokies. He also caught 96 passes for 1,363 yards with six TDs during his collegiate career.

An all-state running back at Smithfield High, he rushed for 2,236 yards and scored 38 touchdowns as a senior.

Roberts spent the past three seasons as passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach at Western Illinois University and also worked with the return men on special teams. He helped the Leathernecks rank 10th nationally in passing offense during the 2021 fall season (301.0 yards per game). Wide receivers Dennis Houston, Tony Tate and Dallas Daniels all earned All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors under his tutelage.

Prior to Western Illinois, Roberts served as the special teams coordinator/wide receivers/co-recruiting coordinator at Norfolk State (2017-18), where WRs Marcus Taylor and Isaiah Winstead earned All-MEAC honors. In 2016, Roberts coached wide receivers and returners at Saint Joseph’s College in Indiana, where WR Tramel Glasper earned all-conference accolades playing for him.

Roberts served as special teams coordinator/passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach for Earlham College (2015) after spending the spring of that year working at ASA Junior College in New York.