Just about the whole college football world thinks Virginia Tech hiring James Franklin is a home run hire for a program and fanbase that has been suffering through some dark days.
When Virginia Tech put together a search committee to find the next coach of the Hokies, they were tasked with finding the best possible candidate. That candidate emerged in October when Penn State fired Franklin after three consecutive losses.
As soon as Franklin was fired, he became the top candidate throughout college football. Virginia Tech was one of a handful of power conference openings, and the number kept climbing with each passing week. Whether it was in the SEC or the Big Ten, jobs were opening, and most felt that some jobs were higher up in the pecking order than Virginia Tech.
Some are, but in the end, Franklin agreed to come to Blacksburg and replace his former defensive coordinator, Brent Pry, and turn around a program that many see as a sleeping giant. However, not everyone thinks this is a home run hire for Virginia Tech.
College football writer explains why James Franklin isn't a home run hire for Virginia Tech
Dan Wolken of Yahoo Sports is not high on Virginia Tech hiring Franklin. Why? Wolken brought up Franklin's lack of success and his 4-21 record against top 10 teams. Guess what, he's not going to play many, if any, teams in the top 10 in the ACC. There's no Ohio State, Penn State, or Michigan on the schedule yearly.
Wolken also mentioned that Franklin was one of the worst at managing a game. Clearly, he wasn't paying attention to the masterclass in game management that Brent Pry had each week. Anyway, here is what Wolken wrote about Franklin.
"Franklin usually got the big stuff right. But on the margins, when a head coach is required to make consequential tactical decisions in the heat of battle, he was often quite bad and never got better, wrote Wolken. "Unless moving 370 miles south has improved his ability to manage a clock or call a play under pressure, it won’t be long before Virginia Tech fans start to feel the frustration Penn State endured for the last dozen years.''
Time will tell whether Franklin is to improve on that, but let's call it like it is. After completely fumbling the last two hires in Justin Fuente and Pry, this is a home run hire. Poor clock and in-game management is something Virginia Tech fans have been witnessing for the last decade.