Franklin’s Hiring Ushers In New Era For Virginia Tech Football

BLACKSBURG, Va. – There’s a new head man coming into town. James Franklin will be the next head whistle for Virginia Tech football beginning in 2026, marking the start of a new era for the Hokies. It’s not the first time Tech has dipped into the Penn State well in search of leadership. The Hokies did so in 2022, when then-defensive coordinator Brent Pry made his way to Blacksburg to take over the reins as a first-time head coach.

However, this hire is vastly different. This time, they didn’t catch one of the trout — in this analogy, a coordinator looking for his first major shot. They caught the kahuna, or, borrowing the metaphor from Aaron Sorkin’s 2010 film “The Social Network”, the ‘3,000-pound marlin’. James Franklin was the name atop almost every college football hotlist. And Virginia Tech landed him. According to legendary head coach Frank Beamer, he was the right guy for the job.

“Just be who he is,” Beamer said on what he’d recommend to Franklin. “I think he's the right guy with the right values, the right how you should treat people, how you do things the right way, and do it in a respectful way. So, I couldn't be more high on a guy. I think we got the right guy.”

Franklin himself was sold on the level of preparation from Virginia Tech, both in regards to their conference, but to the national stage, as well.

“They already had a great list and a really good plan put together on what was needed to be successful in today's college football,” Franklin said on what convinced him that Blacksburg was the prime destination for his latest collegiate coaching stop. “Not only in the ACC, because I think that's a mistake that people make sometimes [that] they benchmark only on their conference. The reality is, we should be benchmarking not only on our conference but also nationally. If we truly have the expectations and the standards of where we want to go, then our commitment must match those expectations. And that's what I was able to feel very early on that there was a plan.”

Franklin’s arrival comes at a moment when the program is hungry for stability and direction. After Pry’s 16-24 tenure, and the ongoing stint under Philip Montgomery — who has gone 3-4 in his seven games as interim head whistle — there’s a sense that this coming chapter might break from the pattern. While no coaching hire guarantees success, the mood around campus suggests something has shifted. There’s hope in the air again, subtle but unmistakable, carried through conversations on the Drillfield, murmurs in Squires Student Center and ongoing conversations in McBryde Hall.

Franklin’s track record at Penn State is one of consistency and competitiveness, especially on the recruiting trail. During his time at State College, he never produced a recruiting class that ranked below No. 24 nationally. For a decade straight from 2014 through 2024, Franklin demonstrated an ability to recruit across regions and win priority battles in the Mid-Atlantic. In that same time frame, Virginia Tech has never cracked higher than No. 24. The Hokies’ highest-ranked class in that span matched that same mark, and several cycles landed meaningfully lower.

One of the driving forces behind Franklin’s hiring was the man who began the season steering the Hokies: Pry. Pry previously served as Franklin’s defensive coordinator across both Vanderbilt and Penn State.

“The advantage obviously is, I'm able to call Brett Pry and he's going to tell me the truth.” Franklin said. “I didn't really want anybody to sugarcoat it because none of these places are perfect. I'm not perfect. Let's just talk about what are the strengths, what are the advantages, what are the challenges. And Brent was very, very transparent.

“The first thing that was very obvious is he cares about this place deeply… So, Brent's been great through this entire process. I got a ton of respect for him and his family. And I probably would not be sitting here today without Brent's input and thoughts about this place.”

Between now and then, there’s meaningful football still to be played and for the 2025 Hokies, the season isn’t over. Virginia Tech has two contests remaining in what has been an insipid, uneven campaign. The first arrives Saturday, Nov. 22, when the Hokies meet Miami at 12 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN.) Despite Tech’s lopsided 3-7 record, it’s a matchup that still matters for momentum, evaluation and the program’s short-term health. One week later, the Hokies close out the season against Virginia, a game whose time and channel will be announced later but, as always, carries its own weight beyond the standings.

For the players on the current roster, these final two weeks are an audition: not in the sense of playing for Franklin directly, but in positioning themselves for the offseason ahead. A strong finish could help certain players solidify roles and stay on the roster heading into 2026.

“It starts with alignment and it starts with commitment when you ask about why do you have that type of confidence,” Franklin said. “[Penn State was] a drive away last year from playing in the national championship. So, I know what it looks like. I know what you need to do. We learn from that experience. We grew from that experience.

“Again, the alignment, the commitment based on what we've done in our past, as well. You pour all these things together at a place that's got great history, that's got great traditions, that's got great pride.”

It’s an unusual moment: a lame-duck staff guiding a program with an incoming high-profile hire already shaping conversations during the season. Until then, the Hokies still have football to play. The next era is coming. But the present still has its say.