James Franklin isn’t looking back—at least not for long. After a stunning fall from grace at Penn State in 2025, the veteran coach has landed at Virginia Tech with plans to turn frustration into fuel.
“I got a huge chip on my shoulder,” Franklin said to On3 Sports. “Kind of an unusual situation. Six games earlier, we’re playing for national championship. Now obviously some things happened that were in my control and I take total responsibility for that. But, yeah I got a big chip on my shoulder. Extremely motivated.”
Once a contender for the College Football Playoff crown, Penn State’s season unraveled fast. The Nittany Lions dropped three straight to fall to 3-3, a skid that ultimately cost Franklin his job. Despite leading the program to the 2024 CFP semifinal, his inability to beat elite opponents lingered—his record against top-10 teams sat at just 4-21.
Now, the 54-year-old coach is embracing his next challenge in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech hasn’t cracked 10 wins since 2012, and expectations are tempered for a program seeking renewed identity under new leadership. Franklin’s energy, however, suggests complacency won’t be an option.
“We got a lot of work to do,” Franklin said. “Most importantly, our players are driven, excited, and motivated. We got a really good core group of guys that stayed at Virginia Tech and guys that we brought from a number of other places too.”
The Hokies will kick off the 2026 campaign at home against VMI on September 5, a matchup that marks the official start of Franklin’s redemption story. For now, the message from Blacksburg is simple: the rebuild begins with belief.