James Franklin entered the 2025 season looking to guide the Penn State Nittany Lions to a playoff run after opening the year ranked No. 2 nationally. However, destiny had another plan as Franklin found his new job after being fired from PSU on Oct. 12.
Franklin reached an agreement with Virginia Tech on Monday and was officially introduced as the Hokies’ new head coach in Blacksburg on Wednesday.
James Franklin Delivers Emotional Tribute to Former Virginia Tech Coach Brent Pry
At Virginia Tech, Franklin steps in for Brent Pry, who previously worked as his defensive coordinator at both Vanderbilt and Penn State. The Hokies fired Pry after beginning the season with a 0-3 record.
In his introductory press conference, Franklin grew emotional while reflecting on his bond with Pry.
“I’ve known Brent for over 30 years,” Franklin said. “His dad was my offensive coordinator in college. I know this place is better today because of Brent and the commitment that he made.”
James Franklin choked up when talking about his relationship with former Penn State DC and Virginia Tech HC Brent Pry.
“I’ve known Brent for over 30 years. His dad was my offensive coordinator in college.”
“I know this place is better today because of Brent and the commitment…
— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) November 19, 2025
Meanwhile, Franklin also revealed on Wednesday that he has already begun recruiting, saying that his staff had 40 recruits on the phone two nights earlier. His new staff has also issued a large number of scholarship offers to high school prospects, including many currently or formerly committed to Penn State.
“They need to walk into Virginia Tech football and have it look, feel, smell, and operate like big-time football – every aspect of it,” Franklin said. “How we make them feel when they walk into the building, how important they are to what we’re trying to do.”
“We’re not going to lead with money. I want young men to choose our program because it’s where they want to be. But we do need to be competitive with other schools, because it doesn’t make sense to ask these young people to walk away from significant money.”
Ranked 54th in PFSN’s College Football tOLi, Virginia Tech has a 3-7 overall record this season, including a 2-4 record in the ACC.
However, Franklin believes that he can win a national championship with the Hokies. “We were a drive away last year from playing for a national championship, so I know what that looks like,” Franklin said. “We learned from that experience, we grew from that experience.”
Two games remain for the Hokies in the regular season: a home game against No. 13 Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, followed by a road game against the Virginia Cavaliers.
