After weeks of speculation, Virginia Tech is expected to name former Penn State boss James Franklin its next football coach.
Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported this late Monday afternoon, confirming what many have suspected for weeks.
If Franklin does end up at VT— and all signs are that he will— it will be his third head coaching stop in 15 years.
He started his head-coaching career at Vanderbilt, where he was from 2011-13. Franklin then spent the next 12 seasons of his career at Penn State, where he had plenty of success— five New Year’s Six bowl wins and just as many top 10 finishes— but, ultimately, was fired Oct. 12.
WILL FRANKLIN FIT AT TECH?
A big question is: Can James Franklin win at Virginia Tech?
That’s a fair question to ask because, over the past decade, no coach has done so consistently.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Following legendary HC Frank Beamer’s retirement in 2015, Justin Fuente (2016-21) and Brent Pry (2022-25), each took on the job, and each ended up getting fired without achieving much success.
The good news for Virginia Tech fans is that Franklin has won everywhere he’s gone, and with his recruiting ties to the D.C., Maryland and Virginia areas, there’s reason to think he could have success in the ACC.
Also, Virginia Tech has committed a lot of money to improving its football program, so that also helps.
HOW THIS IMPACTS PENN STATE
Much like the question of if Franklin will win at Virginia Tech, it’s hard to tell what the long-term impact on Penn State will be.
But it’s a good bet that Franklin would take several assistants with him, along with recruits and current Penn State players.
