Auburn Fires Huge Freeze: Will That Complicate Virginia Tech's Pursuit of James Franklin?

Another big coaching job has come open and don't be surprised if former Penn State head coach James Franklin

Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin walks off the field following the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The coaching carousel never stops in college football it seems.

Another major job is open after Auburn made the decision to fire head coach Hugh Freeze today and they joined other big time programs like LSU, Florida, Virginia Tech and Penn State as programs that need a new head coach. While everyone will argue about which job is best and which candidate will be the best fit, there is no denying that former Penn State head coach James Franklin is going to be one of the most sought after coaches on the market.

On Saturday, ESPN's college football insider Pete Thamel said that Franklin and Virginia Tech were in talks, with the Hokies feeling a sense of urgency due to the growing coaching market.

"There have been early signs of interest between James Franklin and Virginia Tech. There has been some urgency from Virginia Tech to get something done early, but this is a big game of musical chairs right now and there is a lot of aggression from these schools. With the spector of Florida State and Auburn potentially opening, there is going to be a rush to get this limited pool of candidates."

The emotions, the buyouts, the boosters …

The GameDay crew breaks down all the factors that keep the coaching carousel spinning. pic.twitter.com/4luOI72pIo

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 1, 2025

Will Virginia Tech have to worry about Auburn?

Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin answers questions from the media following the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

It is a really good question that will be interesting to follow. While Auburn might not be considered to be the quality of job that Florida and LSU are, it is still a really good SEC job and one that can pay a lot of money while promising the ability to compete for conference championships and potentially national championships.

As Thamel said yesterday, with each job that comes open, that means more competition for Virginia Tech to lock down the most experienced coach on the market. Franklin fell out of favor at Penn State due to his inability to win the big games, but he was one of the most consistent coaches in the country, getting multiple ten win seasons with the Nittany Lions, including a conference championship in 2016.

Franklin was also just a couple of plays away from making it to the national championship a season ago. Penn State beat SMU and then Boise State in the College Football Playoff last season, then narrowly lost to Notre Dame in the semifinals. He had a losing record against Ohio State and Michigan, but that should not deter the Hokies from doing everything they can to make sure that he is the head coach. He brings winning experience and recruiting, something that the Hokies have not had in quite some time.

Let's see if Auburn makes a strong play for Franklin or if they go in another direction.