Like most courtships the amount of time invested usually pays off and now it appears that Hokies football is back on track with the hiring of former Penn State head coach, James Franklin. His resume also includes Vanderbilt, Maryland and James Madison but perhaps the magic bullet point is familiarity with recruiting in Virginia and the DMV (District, Maryland and Virginia) along with the I-95 corridor which was fertile ground for Penn State.
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At the time this story was first reported the final deal was still in the process of being completely ironed out but was certain enough to be reported as ‘good to go’. Updated Nov 18 – Board of Visitors Rector John Rocovich, President Tim Sands and Director of Athletics Whit Babcock made it official with the announcement of Franklin’s hiring. There will be a press conference (streamed on X, Facebook and YouTube) on Wednesday (19th) at 10:00am ET.
“I’m honored and humbled to join the Hokie family, said Franklin. My vision is simple: to restore unmatched excellence, to build something that lasts, and to serve this University, the Commonwealth of Virginia and our amazing fan base with honor, integrity, and passion. I look forward to getting to work with our players, our staff, and the entire Virginia Tech community.”
Franklin will replace one of his former assistants, Brent Pry (Vanderbilt and Penn State) who was released by Virginia Tech earlier this season after a 0-3 start. Franklin, who had been at Penn State for 12 years was let go after a promising start this season went south with three losses.
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Franklin has a head coaching record of 128-60 in his 15 years at both Vanderbilt and Penn State and has a reputation for putting faltering programs back on their feet. Virginia Tech has struggled since the departure of Frank Beamer in 2015.
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The position became much more attractive to candidates following the Board of Visitors adding $229 Million to the athletics budget in part to help boost the competitiveness of the football program.
Updated Nov 18 – Centre Daily Times reports that “Penn State negotiated a settlement for Franklin’s buyout in recent weeks, giving him roughly $9 million, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. That will replace the $48 million he could have been owed had he remained unemployed beyond 2025.”
