Over a month into Virginia Tech's search committee to find Brent Pry's replacement in Blacksburg, and rumors are flying like crazy. Last week, James Franklin, recently fired by Penn State, was linked to Virginia Tech, but it's very early in the process.
Since Pry was canned, other high-profile openings have opened up, including Florida, Penn State, Oklahoma State, LSU, and UCLA, just to name a few.
While there were rumors about Virginia Tech about Franklin, it's a case of 'I need to see it to believe it.' There was some thought that Franklin might wait for other jobs to open, including Florida State and North Carolina. There were a lot of eyes on one SEC job, and Sunday, it opened, which could create a major roadblock for the Virginia Tech committee.
Auburn firing Hugh Freeze is worst-case scenario for Virginia Tech
Hugh Freeze has been a name on the hot seat for some time, and Saturday night, the Tigers suffered a 10-3 loss to Kentucky. Like Virginia Tech's 45-26 loss to Old Dominion that cost Pry his job, that Auburn loss cost Freeze his job on Sunday when he was fired by the school.
For Virginia Tech, that's bad news. Franklin has been someone who is going to be highly coveted this coaching cycle, and now another SEC job is open. Let's face it, SEC jobs are better than ACC jobs in terms of profile and money, but the path to winning more easily is in the ACC.
Things are going to work themselves out, but Franklin to Virginia Tech got much tougher if you're a Hokies fan, and the search committee. This is a vital hire for the school and program, with more money being involved, but searching for a high-profile coach this cycle is a tough ask right now.