BLACKSBURG, Va. — Former Penn State head coach James Franklin was announced as the Hokies' next football coach on Monday.
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.
Franklin will be officially introduced at a press conference at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
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