Hughes: Franklin's Firing A Double-Edged Sword for Virginia Tech Football

James Franklin’s firing opens a rare opportunity. But for Virginia Tech, his availability could be both a blessing and a potential gamble.

Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Penn.; Penn State head coach James Franklin stands on the field following a loss to Northwestern. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

I'll get my thoughts out of the way. Even after how Penn State has collapsed this season, James Franklin should be one of the top candidates for Virginia Tech football's 2026 head coaching search.

The more than $49 million set to be owed by Penn State to James Franklin is the second-biggest buyout in the history of college football. Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher buyout remains the most at more than $76 million.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 12, 2025

Here's my coaching big board for anyone wondering, based on who I think could be available:

1. James Franklin
2. Jon Sumrall
3. Alex Golesh
4. Dan Mullen
5. Bob Chesney
6. Shane Beamer
7. Charles Huff
8. Jon Gruden

Some coaching reputations are built on résumés, others on recruiting success, and a few on pure name recognition. One of Franklin's biggest strengths, however, has been his ability to recruit, particularly in the state of Virginia. During his tenure at Penn State, Franklin turned the Commonwealth into one of his most reliable pipelines, routinely landing some of the state’s top high school prospects.

Ironically, Brent Pry once helped Franklin build that same recruiting foundation. As Penn State’s defensive coordinator, Pry was involved in recruiting the Mid-Atlantic region, including Virginia, before taking the head coaching job in Blacksburg to begin the 2022 campaign.

Now, as the Hokies work toward solidifying their 2026 class, the numbers tell a more sobering story. Virginia Tech currently holds eight commitments, only four of which are from in-state recruits. That figure showcases that the program’s once-dominant hold over Virginia talent continues to slip. Other programs have increasingly planted their flags in Virginia’s recruiting turf, taking advantage of Tech’s transitional phase.

For all his flaws this season, Franklin got his team to the College Football Playoff semifinals and three points away from the National Championship game. Had Nittany Lions signal-caller Drew Allar not thrown a pick late in the contest, an all-Big Ten title fight could have surfaced between Ohio State and Penn State.

Across 11 full seasons — and an abbreviated 12th — James Franklin built one of the most stable and consistently competitive programs in college football. During his tenure, he compiled a 104–45 record, good for a .698 winning percentage, and led Penn State to a bowl appearance in every season but one.

Franklin’s résumé at Penn State reflects both longevity and sustained success. His teams finished ranked in the final polls seven times in 11 full seasons, a testament to his ability to keep the Nittany Lions nationally relevant long after the initial rebuild. Under his watch, Penn State recorded six double-digit win seasons, seven campaigns with nine or more victories and five seasons where it finished in the end-of-year top-10.

But then there’s the elephant in the room. For Pry, it was his inability to win close games, the haunting 1-12 record in one-score contests that defined much of his tenure in Blacksburg. For Franklin, it’s the persistent knock that has followed him throughout his time in Happy Valley: his record against ranked opponents, a troubling 4-21 mark that translates to just 16%.

It’s a fair concern for any athletic department eyeing him as a potential hire. If Virginia Tech were to make a move for Franklin, that history would inevitably come under the microscope. Hokies fans have long craved a return to national relevance — a team that not only wins the games it should, but also rises to the moment when it matters most. Franklin’s track record suggests he could restore competitiveness and elevate recruiting, particularly in-state, but whether he could help Tech consistently win those high-stakes matchups is a legitimate question.

At the same time, Franklin’s firing leaves behind a Penn State program in an enviable position. The Nittany Lions position likely becpomes the top one on the market.

The potential move to bring Franklin to Blacksburg, then, would be a gamble: one that weighs proven stability and recruiting acumen against the lingering question of whether he can finally win the bigger high-stakes contests on a more consistent basis. It’s the kind of high-risk, high-reward decision that could redefine Virginia Tech’s trajectory for the next decade.

If anything, Franklin's track record shows a coach who can build teams that belong in those conversations, a starting point the Hokies haven’t had in years. And at the very least, the upcoming bye week gives Virginia Tech a rare moment to pause — a breather amid the storm, a spot of relief amid a sea of turmoil. It’s a chance for reflection, for the athletic department and fan base alike to consider what comes next. Whether the answer involves a coach like Franklin or a different direction entirely, the break offers something this program hasn’t had much of lately: time to take a breath, reassess and decide how to climb out of the turmoil once and for all.