James Franklin Builds His Virginia Tech Staff With Coaches From Penn State

Quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien is the second member of the Nittany Lions staff to leave for Virginia Tech.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) warms up on the sideline while listening to quarterback coach Danny O'Brien (left) during the first quarter against the SMU Mustangs in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

James Franklin continues to remake Virginia Tech in Penn State's image. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Franklin is hiring Penn State quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien to the same role on his Hokies staff. The move was expected, as the Franklin-O'Brien relationship dates to their time as coach-player at Maryland in the 2000s.

O'Brien is the second member of Penn State's current coaching staff to join Franklin in Blacksburg. He follows tight ends coach Ty Howle, who reportedly will become Virginia Tech's offensive coordinator. Franklin also brought nine members of his recruiting and strategic staff to Virginia Tech and flipped 11 former commits from Penn State's 2026 recruiting class to the Hokies.

The move offers a signal that new Penn State coach Matt Campbell could bring his quarterbacks coach with him from Iowa State. Jake Waters was Campbell's quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons, working with Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht. Waters, who spent five seasons on Campbell's staff, played quarterback at Kansas State.

Sources: Penn State quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien is expected to become the new quarterbacks coach at Virginia Tech. O’Brien spent two years as the quarterbacks coach at PSU and worked closely with Drew Allar closely during O’Brien’s five total seasons there. pic.twitter.com/XKKqLhlUxN

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 10, 2025

O'Brien's departure to Virginia Tech makes sense. He played quarterback at Maryland in 2009-10, when Franklin was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. O'Brien, the 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year, transferred to Wisconsin in 2011, when Franklin became head coach at Vanderbilt. He played his final season at Catawba College.

Franklin hired O'Brien as an offensive analyst at Penn State in 2021 and promoted him to quarterbacks coach in 2024. O'Brien has worked with Penn State quarterbacks Sean Clifford, Drew Allar and Ethan Grunkemeyer.

For the past five years, Franklin has called O'Brien a "rising star" in coaching and pitched him as a future offensive coordinator. For part of his tenure at Penn State, O'Brien lived in the apartment above Franklin's garage.

"He understands how we do things, he understands our culture, and how I’m wired, and how we think," Franklin said of O'Brien in 2023. "And I think he’s a rising star in the profession. I really do.”

RELATED: Why Terry Smith accepted Matt Campbell's offer to stay at Penn State

Penn State quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien talks with Drew Allar, right, and Ethan Grunkemeyer during Penn State's Pro Day in Holuba Hall. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Over the summer, O'Brien described his experiences both playing for and working with Franklin, especially in running a quarterbacks room with Franklin as the head coach.

"He may not know this, but those are all full-circle moments for me," O'Brien said. "They make me happy, because, a long time ago, I was the one sitting in the chair. He was presenting. So then for me to be presenting to the next generation, it's really more like he lets me roll with it. But then if he has a point, he's going to step in and talk.

"And we're so aligned on how we see the game in general. And often it's adding by reinforcing a point that I'm already I'm already making, because I learned the game from him."

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