James Franklin and Virginia Tech reportedly have "mutual interest" for opening

Virginia Tech’s coaching search may be taking an intriguing turn.

After firing Brent Pry following an 0-3 start, the Hokies are courting former Penn State head coach James Franklin, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, who says there is mutual interest between the two. 

Pry, a former Franklin assistant at Penn State, went 16-24 over the bulk of four seasons in Blacksburg. 

“Sources tell me there’s been early signs of interest between James Franklin and Virginia Tech,” Thamel said on ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturday. “There’s some urgency from Virginia Tech specifically to get something done early.”

Franklin was fired by Penn State last month after 11 seasons and guided the Nittany Lions to multiple 10-win seasons but struggled to break through in big games. Despite that, his experience rebuilding Vanderbilt and maintaining national relevance at Penn State make him one name to watch during this coaching carousel. 

Virginia Tech’s opening is one of eight Power Four coaching positions open. Franklin has stated publicly he’s not done coaching and remains motivated to win a national championship at his next stop. 

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