Penn State's head coach James Franklin reacts following an NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Sam Balkansky)
BLACKSBURG, VA. - Virginia Tech is reportedly finalizing a deal with former Penn State football Head Coach James Franklin, according to ESPN.
The sports network says that a deal is expected to come down soon, and that Franklin will serve as the school's next head coach.
What we know:
Assuming the deal goes through, Franklin will replace Brent Pry, who was fired earlier this year following a 0-3 start to Virginia Tech's season.
Following Pry's firing, Virginia Tech's Board of Visitors announced that it was planning to add $229 million to the school's athletics budget through 2029; this was partially done to lure bigger names to the school's coaching staff, as ESPN notes.
Penn State fires Franklin
The backstory:
Penn State fired Head Coach James Franklin following the team's loss to Northwestern last month. He also previously served as the head coach at Vanderbilt.
Franklin went 128-60 between the two schools over 15 seasons, according to ESPN. He's reportedly won more than 68% of the games he's coached and led Penn State to the semifinals of the 2024 College Football Playoffs and helped them win a Big Ten Championship in 2016.
According to the details of Franklin's contract with Penn State, the school still owes Franklin $49 million, but depending on what Virginia Tech offers the coach, that figure could change.
The Source: Information in this article was sourced from ESPN, the Fiesta Sports Foundation and FOX 29 Philadelphia.