Report: James Franklin Makes Another Key Hire For His Coaching Staff

Another domino falls as James Franklin continues putting his staff together for Virginia Tech. Read more below.

Nov 19, 2025; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin speaks during the press conference at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech and James Franklin have filled yet another vacant position in its coaching staff with the addition of Connecticut special teams coordinator Doug Shearer, who is coming off a four-year stay with UConn. The news was initially reported by 247 Sports' Evan Watkins.

James Franklin to hire Doug Shearer to run special teams at Virginia Tech https://t.co/nFXS2KN9KI

— EvanGWatkins247 (@EvanGWatkins247) December 30, 2025

Shearer is a UConn graduate in the class of 2013, and since has over a decade of experience coaching in the AAC, MAC and ACC. Prior to his recent stint at UConn, Shearer spent three seasons at Miami (OH) as a special teams coordinator and five years at NC State as a special teams quality control assistant. He was a graduate assistant with UConn in 2013, beginning his career.

Along with leading the special teams unit, Shearer coached Sam linebackers, a role he could play or assist in at Virginia Tech, though his profile lists him as the special teams coordinator and nothing else. 

Doug Shearer's profile photo and banner on X. | I screenshotted this on my laptop. Who gets photo credits for that? Me? X? Virginia Tech Athletics? Doug Shearer?

Shearer led one of the nation's top special teams units in 2025, led by a placekicker, Chris Freeman, who hit 23-of-26 field goals, including one from beyond 50 yards. All 52 of his extra point attempts were successful. 

Conner Shutz, the team's punter, was 30th in the nation in yards per punt with a 45.0 average. along with 19 punts downed inside the 20-yard yard-line. 

UConn's leading kickoff returner, Mel Brown (who is in the transfer portal), has had 31 returns for 776 yards, good for an average of 25.0 yards per return. He had a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in 2024.

At Miami (OH), Shearer was equally as impressive, most notably coaching multiple all-conference players on special teams, along with All-American Sam Sloman, who hit 26-of-30 field goals while going 4-for-5 from beyond 50 yards. Sloman has spent a few seasons in the NFL, most recently with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022.

At NC State, he helped in the oversight of a special teams that finished top-20 in the country in both kickoff and punt return average in 2015. In 2018, NC State's placekicker, Christopher Dunn, set a single-season record for field goals made. He also saw time in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams.

He has coached in nine bowl games throughout his career, most notably the Belk Bowl, Sun Bowl, and Gator Bowl.

Shearer is an overall strong hire. It can be difficult to judge a special teams coordinator at face value, but he has a strong resume and is a young coach with a ton of room to grow. He also brings experience coaching linebackers, which we could see Virginia Tech utilize in some form or fashion.