Virginia Tech is finalizing a deal to make James Franklin their next head coach. What does it mean for Franklin, Virginia Tech, and the rest of college football?
James Franklin Heads to Virginia Tech
Franklin replaces Brent Pry, his former defensive coordinator. Virginia Tech fired Pry in September. Franklin led Penn State to six seasons of more than 10 wins after pulling them from the depths of NCAA sanctions.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 17, 2025
The Hokies have their next head coach.
Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Franklin is poised to become the next head coach at Virginia Tech. The deal is expected to be completed “in the near future.”
Franklin replaces Brent Fry, who was fired following the Hokies’ 0-3 start.
Franklin spent the last 12 seasons as the head coach at Penn State. Franklin helped bring the Nittany Lions back to national relevance following the death penalty in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
Franklin went 104–45 at Penn State, which included a Big Ten championship in 2016, a Rose Bowl victory in 2022, and a trip to the 2024 College Football Playoff semifinals.
Despite Franklin’s terrific record, Penn State ultimately fell short in the biggest moments. Franklin finished 4-21 at Penn State against AP Top 10 opponents.
The Nittany Lions entered the 2025 season as the No. 2 team in the country. However, Penn State lost three consecutive games to Oregon, UCLA, and Northwestern.
On Oct. 12, Penn State fired Franklin. At the time of his dismissal, Penn State owed Franklin $49 million, the second-largest buyout ever, behind the $76 million for Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher.
Franklin had a “good-faith” clause in his deal, under which he was obligated to search for another head coaching job or broadcast position.
Before Penn State, Franklin coached Vanderbilt for three seasons. Franklin led the Commodores to two consecutive 9-win seasons.
Franklin’s career record is 128–60.
The Hokies have failed to match the success of Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech’s longtime coach, who retired following the 2015 season.
Justin Fuente took over for Beamer and won 10 games in 2016. Virginia Tech has not won double-digit games since Fuente’s first season.
After parting ways with Fuente in 2021, Virginia Tech hired Pry, Penn State’s defensive coordinator, as their next head coach.
Pry went 16-24 in four seasons.
Major Coaching Domino Has Fallen
James Franklin to Virginia Tech is a second-deck home run for the Hokies' program.
Outkicking their coverage to bring in a guy who's been in the Top-10 mix for years. Franklin's also been an excellent recruiter in VA. They'll be back in ACC title game mix pretty quickly.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) November 17, 2025
The first major domino on the college coaching carousel has fallen.
Franklin is an excellent hire for a Virginia Tech program that recently passed a plan to add $229 million to the athletics budget over the next four years. Franklin has always been known for being a great recruiter, so he should quickly bolster that roster in the portal.
With Virginia Tech now off the board, the attention will turn to bigger coaching positions, including LSU, Auburn, and Florida.
