Report: James Franklin Finalizing Agreement to Become Virginia Tech Football's Next Head Coach

Virginia Tech's coaching search has finally come to an end, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. Enter, James Franklin.

Sources: Virginia Tech and James Franklin are finalizing an agreement for him to become the school’s next coach. Franklin has won 128 games over 15 seasons as the head coach at Vanderbilt and Penn State. He led Penn State to the CFP semi-finals last year. pic.twitter.com/Pr4TyLBB9N
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 17, 2025

"Virginia Tech and James Franklin are finalizing an agreement for him to become the school’s next coach," Thamel said. "Franklin has won 128 games over 15 seasons as the head coach at Vanderbilt and Penn State. He led Penn State to the CFP semi-finals last year."

Franklin's move comes nearly two months after the firing of then-head coach Brent Pry, who served as the defensive coordinator for Franklin at both Vanderbilt and Penn State. In 40 games as the Hokies' head coach, Pry compiled a 16-24 (40%) record. Virginia Tech was outscored 113-59 in its first three games of the season against South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Old Dominion. That prompted Pry's firing; in his place, former Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery was promoted from offensive coordinator to the interim head whistle spot. Under Montgomery, the Hokies have gone 3-4, notching victories over Wofford (FCS), NC State and California (in double overtime).

Meanwhile, Penn State sits at 4-6, including a 1-6 mark in the Big 10. After entering the season ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll and starting the season 3-0, the Nittany Lions crumbled, dropping three straight one-score games, two of which were to unranked teams: Oregon (30-24), UCLA (42-37) and Northwestern (22-21). The latter prompted Franklin's firing on Oct. 12, immediately resetting the college football coaching vacancy ladder. Virginia Tech is the first school to tab a hire after firing its head coach this season.

Since Franklin's departure from Penn State, the Nittany Lions have gone 1-4, with their lone victory being a 28-10 triumph over Michigan State. Penn State's then-starting quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending ankle injury against Northwestern, compounding the Nittany Lions' already-turbulent season. The most concerning statistic about Franklin's resume was his 4-21 mark against top-10 teams, including a 2-21 record against top-six squads.

Under Franklin's tenure, the Nittany Lions tallied six seasons with 10 or more victories and three straight campaigns with double-digit wins. In addition, Penn State has finished in the top-12 of the College Football Playoff rankings in seven of its last nine season. Last season, the Nittany Lions qualified for the inaugural 12-team CFP, where they came up three points short of the title game in a 27-24 loss to runner-ups Notre Dame. Franklin tallied a 104-45 record in his 12 seasons at Penn State. His move comes on the heels of the Board of Visitors approving a $229 million infusion into the Hokies' athletic budget for the next four fiscal years. Franklin is one of three active coaches in the FBS with a winning percentage over 68%.

Meanwhile, Virginia Tech has been stuck in a period of mediocrity. The Hokies have not appeared in a New Year's Six Bowl since 2011 and have not been ranked in the AP Top-25 since 2021 in Week 3.

With several typical ACC powerhouses like Clemson and Florida State now falling behind, the hope is that Franklin's hiring, combined with the athletic department's cash influx, will lead to a more capable and contending football unit.

In the meantime, Virginia Tech football still has two games remaining in its season. Its first comes against Miami on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 12 p.m. ET, with viewing available on ESPN. The second is on Saturday, Nov. 29 against Virginia. The time and channel for the contest are not announced yet due to the six-day hold.

More Virginia Tech Football News: