BLACKSBURG, Va. — Former Penn State head coach James Franklin is finalizing a deal with Virginia Tech to become the next football coach for the Hokies, according to reports.
The news was first reported by ESPN senior writer Pete Thamel on Monday afternoon.
🏈 Virginia Tech hires former Penn State coach James Franklin, one of the biggest names on the market, to fill vacancyhttps://t.co/RdcKN0hSCh
— Lane Casadonte (@LaneCtvsports) November 17, 2025
via https://t.co/3FlSksNCLr
Franklin, who boasts a 128-60 head coaching record between his time at Penn State and Vanderbilt, led the Nittany Lions to the 2024 College Football Playoff semi-finals. He was fired from Penn State in mid-October after starting the season 3-3.
Virginia Tech fired Brent Pry, one of Franklin's former defensive coordinators, after the Hokies' blowout loss to Old Dominion University marked an 0-3 start to the season in September.
ESPN reports that after Pry's firing, Virginia Tech's Board of Visitors passed a plan to add $229 million to the athletics budget over the next four years in an effort to make the head coaching job more attractive.
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