Rumors have been swirling over the last 24 hours that former Penn State head coach James Franklin is close to finding his next job. And those rumors would land him in Blacksburg, Virginia as the next head coach of Virginia Tech.
Franklin was considered a realistic possibility for Virginia Tech since the day he got fired by the Nittany Lions. But now as discussion between the two has intensified, the reality of it is worth discussing.
This hire would be a positive for both sides. Let’s see why:
Virginia Tech
Brent Pry was fired by the Hokies on September 14th after going 16-24 during his 3+ seasons at Virginia Tech. The program experienced a great deal of success under former legendary head coach Frank Beamer, but since his retirement at the conclusion of the 2015 season, everything has become stagnant.
Virginia Tech has gone 63-59 during that time and have become irrelevant on the national stage. Trips to the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl were quickly replaced by trips to the Belk Bowl and Pinstripe Bowl. The success that the Hokies enjoyed may seem like ages ago, but in reality it isn’t too far in the rearview mirror. The thought is that a big-time hire could bring them back.
Hiring Franklin would create a buzz that the program hasn’t had in more than a decade. Being a native of Pennsylvania and having previously coached at Maryland, James Madison and obviously Penn State, Franklin is extremely comfortable in the region. And that has led to plenty of recruiting success which he would be eager to continue at Virginia Tech.
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The Hokies would also be hiring someone who would be extremely motivated to prove Penn State wrong. Which would create some extremely interesting head-to-head recruiting battles.
James Franklin
This isn’t to say that Franklin wouldn’t have success at Arkansas, which has also been rumored as a possibility for him, but Virginia Tech just makes more sense. And that is mostly due to the school’s location, which was already mentioned above.
My guess is that Franklin also realizes this. He loved recruiting the states of Virginia and Maryland while at Penn State. As the head coach of Virginia Tech, it would be a seamless recruiting transition for him.
Also, coaching in the ACC would immediately make his path into the playoffs easier. Franklin just spent a decade battling against Ohio State and Michigan, and recently also had to deal with Oregon. During this same time, the ACC was basically owned by Clemson, which so happens to be in the midst of its worst season since at least 2010. The timing is perfect for him to take advantage of the situation.
While this isn’t official yet, it is something that makes too much sense on both sides for it not to happen. And if it does happen in early November, it would give Franklin plenty of time to assemble a coaching staff and hit the ground running with his first recruiting class.
The coaching carousel will continue to spin in the coming weeks, but it is time for the first hiring domino to fall.
