James Franklin puts Virginia Tech on notice days after being hired as coach

Virginia Tech is one of the first major college football programs in the coaching carousel to find their new coach in James Franklin. Expectations are high in Blacksburg with the former Penn State coach leading the Hokies, but Franklin made it clear that he is also raising the expectations for the entire athletic department.

"Does it look, feel, smell and operate like a big-time program?" Franklin said, per ESPN's David Hale. "All those things need to be in place. ... I think the previous coaches here were in some challenging situations. That's the truth of it.

"There's some things that we're going to have to look at, and it's not just James Franklin. It's the marketing office, the ticketing office. Everybody's got to take some time and look in the mirror and say, 'Are we operating like a big-time program?'"

Let's dive into the latest news on Virginia Tech hiring Franklin.

James Franklin has clear path to making Virginia Tech competitive in the ACC

In the months leading up to the hiring, Virginia Tech attempted to make it clear that the program is making an increased financial effort to build a competitive football program in the NIL era. Franklin's resume should earn the early trust (and potentially donations) of major Virginia Tech boosters.

News: James Franklin’s new five-year deal at Virginia Tech includes an average salary of $8.2 million over the course of the deal. The most interesting number is the increase in staff salary pool to $15.5 million, an increase of nearly $7 million. pic.twitter.com/4wqL5gp1Op
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 21, 2025

There is a path for Franklin to turn things around at Virginia Tech sooner rather than later in an ACC that has lacked a dominant team in recent years. The Hokies' schedule for 2026 is manageable with games against Clemson, Miami and Georgia Tech looming as the biggest threats.

Franklin may be attempting to manage expectations, but the presence of the transfer portal could allow the coach to fast-track a turnaround in Blacksburg. It will be interesting to see if any of his former Penn State recruits follow the coach to Virginia Tech as well.

James Franklin's message to Virginia Tech: 'My job is to hold the standard for everybody'

Franklin wants the entire program to know that the standard is being raised. The coach opted for Virginia Tech over several other notable college football vacancies.

Nothing says “Welcome to Virginia Tech” like Enter Sandman 🙌 pic.twitter.com/2vxcQiusxz
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) November 19, 2025

"My job is to hold the standard for everybody," Franklin noted, per ESPN. "The players, the coaches, the administration, and be willing to have some tough conversations when necessary."

James Franklin rejected Arkansas before taking Virginia Tech job: Report

On3's Josh Pate reported that Arkansas was interested in Franklin, but the veteran coach did not share this same feeling. The Hogs are still in search of a new head coach.

"The Arkansas coaching search has taken some twists and turns," Pate explained on his Sunday podcast. "Look, they're trying to lead people to believe they didn't want James Franklin. Of course they wanted James Franklin.

"Doesn't look like James Franklin wanted Arkansas. So that ship, it looks like it sailed."