Grading James Franklin's Hire as Virginia Tech's Next Head Coach

James Franklin brings a versatile resume the Hokies hasn't seen since Frank Beamer.

Aug 30, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin exits the team bus prior to the game against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Multiple sources have confirmed that Virginia Tech is set to hire James Franklin as the school's next head football coach. He's the first head coach to be taken off the market amidst one of the most competitive hiring cycles in college football history.

Hokie Nation, we got our guy 🤝

Coach Franklin’s here to win 🏆

➡️ https://t.co/qFtXyikfDR
🏆 https://t.co/dA4VWjes9z pic.twitter.com/J2MTYyAILt

— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) November 17, 2025

The hiring comes just two months after the relief of Franklin's former defensive coordinator, Brent Pry. While the State College to Blacksburg pipeline didn't go the Hokies' way, this hiring is a complete 180 in comparison. Virginia Tech is getting one of the most experienced coaches and recruiters in the nation. It's not often someone of Franklin's stature hits the open market. The Hokies did the right thing, getting this deal done as quickly as possible.

A History of Transformations

Franklin is a culture setter through and through. Before Penn State, Franklin changed life at Vanderbilt. In just a couple of seasons, the Commodores were going bowling with confidence instead of barely scraping by. They were bowl-eligible all three years under Franklin. The 2012 and 2013 seasons saw Vanderbilt eclipse nine wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.

Nov 30, 2013; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores head coach James Franklin speaks with quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels (6) during the fourth quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Vanderbilt Stadium. Vanderbilt won 23 to 21. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

After 25 combined wins and numerous program milestones, Franklin became the top candidate for the Nittany Lions during the 2014 offseason. Penn State wanted revitalization and got a coach who pulled off an all-time program revival. Upon his arrival, Penn State hadn't had a season with 10 wins or more since 2009. Franklin not. only ended that drought in 2016, but he made what was a rarity into formality. The Nittany Lions had six 10+ win seasons under Franklin. Through 2022 and 2024, Penn State finished with double-digit wins three straight times. That hadn't been done in State College since the early 1980s.

The Big Games

The "Big Games" were the ones everyone paid the most attention to for Penn State. Franklin established an expectation to be among the best in the nation. The fact that he earned that expectation spoke volumes to the kind of coach he was. Saying Franklin never won the big games is very subjective, but it's not unfair.

He had a poor record against ranked opponents at 4-21. However, he did lead the team to its highest finish in the AP Top 25 poll since 2005 in his last full season in State College. The way the 2024 season also brought forth another poor trend. That Orange Bowl loss was his 13th consecutive loss to an opponent ranked top five in the AP poll. He had a record of 1-18 against Big Ten teams ranked in the top 10. He sits with the third-worst record against AP top-10 teams at a single school since the poll era began in 1936, per ESPN Research.

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin leads the team out before the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Those stats and trends are all impossible to ignore. It's baggage for any program looking to compete on the national stage. Virginia Tech, however, isn't in the position to have those aspirations. This program aims to be among the ACC's best before anything. Franklin is a fast pass to that goal. The school was known for its success in bowl season. Franklin won five bowl games with the Nittany Lions and was one game away from the National Championship last season. His firing wasn't overdue, nor was it close to approaching a due date.

Despite all the criticism, Penn State failed to realize that Franklin single-handedly put the program in a position to be considered a blue-blood football team.

What Franklin has as a head coach is rare. He's the complete package and could take the ACC by storm.

He's an outstanding recruiter and is familiar with the areas Virginia Tech targets the most. Over the last couple of years, he's had classes ranked as high as eighth in the nation. He brought in a wealth of blue-chip athletes to State College and will certainly work towards bringing some of the decommitted talent from the 2026 class with him to Blacksburg. His schematic efficiency was among the best in the nation. He had elite PFF team grades for both units throughout his tenure. Since 2014, his offense has accumulated a grade of 89.9, and his defense a 90.7

However, his character and commitment to building a culture is the most telling.

I’m honored and humbled to join the Hokie family. 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.

James Franklin

His first statement to Hokie Nation gives fans everything they could've asked for. The relief and hope out of Blacksburg is something that hasn't been felt in a long time. The ceiling of the program has shot up to the national stage. It may be overwhelming at first, but this home run hire is a monumental chapter in the novel of Virginia Tech football.