James Franklin cries during Virginia Tech introduction, says Hokies must ‘operate like big-time’
James Franklin is known for his stoic demeanor, but on Wednesday morning at Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Tech’s new football coach grew emotional, his voice quivering and his eyes welling up.
“I’d like to acknowledge Brent Pry,” Franklin said of his decade-long former assistant, whom Virginia Tech fired in September. “Brent Pry’s a good friend … I know he poured his heart and soul into this place. I know this place is better today because of Brent and the commitment that he made.”
Pry lost his job on Sept. 14 with the Hokies falling to 0-3 after being blown out by Old Dominion, led by another former Franklin assistant, Ricky Rahne. Pry’s Virginia Tech tenure concluded with a 16-24 overall record.
But as Franklin weighed his options about where to coach next after Penn State fired him in October, Franklin said the way Pry spoke about the program was influential in leading him to Virginia Tech.
And so, in what could go down as one of the most significant developments in Virginia Tech football history, Franklin on Monday accepted the head football coaching job, and on Wednesday walked onto the court at Cassell Coliseum to “Enter Sandman” — the same song the school uses for the football team’s iconic entrance into Lane Stadium — in a maroon tie and matching pocket square.
He spoke confidently about where the Hokies are headed and how he intends to return them to national relevance.
Without getting into the specifics of his hiring process, Franklin said he could tell from the jump that Virginia Tech was “very aggressive” and “relentless” in its pursuit of him. He joked that it felt like the committee was ready for him to accept the job the night of their very first conversation. And he praised what he perceived as a sense of unity between the administration and the athletic department, which he cited as the most crucial factor for any college football coach.
“From the board, the president, the athletic director, the head football coach.. … There’s no other way to do it,” Franklin said. “It really started with the plan and it started with the alignment and then after that, it was, ‘Does this make sense for both parties and are we going to be able to achieve all our hopes and goals here?’ I think we’re going to be able to do that.”
Franklin became available in mid-October after Penn State fired him on the heels of three consecutive losses to Oregon, previously winless UCLA, and Northwestern. The Nittany Lions were a trendy pick to compete for a national championship this year, just one season after they played in the College Football Playoff semifinal. While the Oregon loss didn’t end Penn State’s Playoff hopes, the losses to UCLA and Northwestern were ultimately the final nail for Franklin, who went 4-21 against top-10 teams and 1-18 against top-10 Big Ten teams.
Franklin didn’t go into detail about his Penn State days, but said he spent the last several weeks in deep reflection as he jotted down notes about who he’d want to target for his next staff, what he learned and how he could take what he already believed in and improve it for his next job. He said his month out of coaching was “painful” but “good,” and he joked that he tailgated with a hot dog and a beer for the first time in his life when he went to an Old Dominion game last week to support Rahne.
The night before he signed his Virginia Tech contract, Franklin said he called Frank Beamer and asked for his blessing.
“He built this place,” Franklin said. “I was able to get Coach Beamer’s blessing and that means a ton to me. … Nobody’s more important to Virginia Tech than Frank Beamer and his family.”
Franklin takes over the Hokies at a pivotal moment when financial commitment to roster-building has never been more important. He said he plans to build Virginia Tech’s roster mostly through the high school recruiting model, while supplementing it with the transfer portal. He also praised the administration for its plan for the program’s future, which included the Board of Visitors approving a $229 million budget plan to support the athletic department over the next four years.
“As for coaches,” he said, “I’m gonna bring the best fit for Virginia Tech. We’re gonna have an opportunity to attract some of the best coaches in the country.”
Athletic director Whit Babcock said the eight-member search committee tasked with making the hire had an ongoing list of candidates that it’d rank in order. When Franklin became available, the committee unanimously voted to make him the top candidate.
“They were aggressive,” Franklin said. “And what I will also say, thanks to the leadership of everybody, is what was very obvious to me very early on, is that they had a plan. They had a plan.”
Franklin stressed that for Virginia Tech to return to the national stage, the Hokies must “look, feel, smell and operate like big-time” when recruits and transfer portal prospects walk into their building. He said he didn’t want Virginia Tech to just compete within the ACC, but wanted the Hokies to keep pace nationally, too.
“If we truly have the expectations and the standards of where we want to go,” he said, “then our commitment must match those expectations.”
Board of Visitors rector John Rocovich promised Franklin the board’s full support, a sentiment President Tim Sands echoed.
“When we invest to win in football at Virginia Tech, everyone wins,” Sands said.
Franklin, who said he can’t wait to enter the stadium to “Enter Sandman,” grew emotional about the opportunity to be back in coaching and promised equal parts accountability and care for players within his program. If all goes according to plan, the Hokies will soon again be competing for ACC Championships — something they haven’t done since 2016.
“You could not have found a coach that’s gonna pour his heart and soul into this place more than me and my family. I give you my word on that,” Franklin said.
“I don’t take this for granted. … This is all I’ve got.”
