James Franklin was eager to secure a new opportunity soon after being fired by Penn State in mid-October following back-to-back losses to unranked UCLA and Northwestern. With more than 14 years of head coaching experience, he didn’t have to wait long and was quickly named the next head coach at Virginia Tech in November.
Franklin takes over for Brent Pry, who was fired after Virginia Tech suffered lopsided losses to Old Dominion and Vanderbilt, shortly after opening the season with a 24-11 loss to South Carolina.
Frank Beamer Makes Feelings Known on James Franklin’s Arrival at Virginia Tech
In the opening episode of “Set In Stone,” Franklin was shown sharing a moment with legendary Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, who led the Hokies to 23 straight bowl appearances and captured four ACC championships during his career.
Franklin greeted Beamer by telling him he “looked good,” which prompted a reply from the Hall of Fame coach.
“I feel good,” Beamer said. “I feel even better now that you’re gonna be good.”
Before officially signing his contract with Virginia Tech, Franklin revealed that he reached out to Beamer for his support. “Coach Beamer is the man, and he built this place,” he said. “The night before signing the contract, I called coach Beamer and asked him for his blessing of taking over his program.”
Franklin will arrive as a symbol of optimism for a Virginia Tech program coming off a difficult 3-9 season that ended without a bowl appearance, finishing No. 74 in the PFSN College Football Playoff Rankings. The Hokies went 6-7 in the 2024 season and have not reached double-digit wins since 2016.
Turning the program around now falls squarely on Franklin’s shoulders, with his success hinging on transfer portal additions and how the roster shapes up for next season.
“My vision is simple: to restore unmatched excellence, to build something that lasts, and to serve this University, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and our amazing fan base with honor, integrity, and passion,” Franklin said in his first public comments after being hired.
Franklin has consistently achieved success throughout his career, bringing over three decades of college coaching experience. He owns a 128-60 career record as a head coach and is one of only three active FBS coaches with a winning percentage above 68%.
Franklin’s 104 wins in 12 seasons at Penn State rank second all-time in program history. After a semifinal run to the College Football Playoffs, the Nittany Lions were ranked No. 2 in the AP Preseason Poll. Starting the season at 3-0, the team quickly slid to a 3-3 record before Franklin was dismissed.