One of the worst-kept secrets over the past few weeks has been Virginia Tech's interest in former Penn State University head coach James Franklin. Saturday it was revealed that representatives from the two sides have met and are in the "early stages of talks, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Representatives from Virginia Tech let the cat out of the bag in recent weeks about its desire to lure former Penn State head coach James Franklin to Blacksburg.
The desire has led to action as it was reported Saturday that Virginia Tech officials have reached out to Franklin's representatives to discuss his interest in coaching the Hokies, and what type of money it would take to acquire his services.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on College GameDay Saturday morning that Franklin and Virginia Tech are “in early stages of talks, with some resolution on his candidacy expected in the upcoming days.”
“Tech is still running a full search, but it’s clear there’s mutual interest between the parties,” Thamel wrote.
Matt Zenitz of CBSSports posted that Franklin “continues to be the top target for the Virginia Tech head coaching job.”
“A final decision from Franklin on whether he’s going to take the job expected to come in the near future,” Zenitz wrote.
Franklin was at the helm of the Nittany Lions as late as last month. After losses to UCLA and Northwestern, where Penn State was a heavy favorite in each game, Franklin was terminated and Terry Smith was named interim head coach.
The Virginia Tech job opened up when they fired one of Franklin's best friends, Brent Pry. Pry served as defensive coordinator at Penn State for six seasons before leaving for Virginia Tech before the 2022 season.
The once-proud Hokie program has not had much success since Frank Beamer retired after the 2015 season. They could use a big-named coach like Franklin to try and restore previous glory to the program.
Franklin was no slouch at Penn State. He led them to five New Year's Six bowl wins and they reached the College Football Playoff Semifinals last season, losing to Notre Dame on a last-minute field goal.
The coach also has tremendous experience in recruiting the main hotbed for Virginia Tech. Franklin is used to recruiting in the DMV (D.C., Maryland and Virginia). Further. the Atlantic Coast Conference is a weaker conference than the Big 10. Franklin should be able to find success at Virginia Tech should the two parties work out a pact.