When Penn State announced that they were parting ways with football coach James Franklin and firing him, it sent shockwaves through college football. After he was fired and shock passed, you knew that the competitor that Franklin is, he wouldn't be unemployed for long.
Franklin's firing came nearly a month after Virginia Tech fired his former defensive coordinator and good friend, Brent Pry, as head coach in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech had a search committee put together to make the next hire, one that they the school needed to nail for the long-term outlook of the program.
In the end, they were able to finalize a deal with Franklin to be the next coach in Blacksburg. In an odd twist, he is bringing back Pry to be his defensive coordinator. That's a different story for a different time. As for Franklin, he vowed never to let one thing happen again as long as he is a head coach.
Virginia Tech football coach James Franklin vows to never let one thing happen again as head coach, anywhere
As much as Penn State fans don't want to admit, James Franklin does care about his players and the schools he worked at. Did everything go as planned at Vanderbilt and Penn State? No, and he is the first to admit that. Did he ever think that he would have to start over at a new school and leave Penn State? It doesn't sound like it, but having a chip on his shoulder is something that he has and vows never to let it happen again.
"I'm 54 years old,'' said Franklin. "I didn't feel I'd be starting over. So, there's a chip. There's a chip that I'm in this position. I've got a chip on my shoulder that I put my family in this position. And I've got a chip that I feel like all those players, I created disruption in their life that we didn't need, and I'm not going to let it happen again, ever."
Did Franklin make mistakes at Penn State? Yes. Do all college coaches make mistakes at some point? Yes. As much as most Nittany Lions don't want to admit on social media, as they troll Franklin daily in Blacksburg, but new coach Matt Campbell will eventually make mistakes. It's the nature of the jobs. No coach is perfect.
Going to Virginia Tech gives Franklin a fresh start, and one that he is more than ready for. He has a new coaching staff, including Pry, and he flipped nearly a dozen Class of 2026 Penn State commits to Virginia Tech right after he was hired. Let's not forget the nearly dozen Transfer Portal players that followed him as well from State College.
Look, is Franklin going to spend nearly a dozen years in Blacksburg? Unlikely, very unlikely, but he will continue to do his job no matter the situation. Are there going to be bumps in the road? Yes, but at Virginia Tech, fans have been waiting for a coach like Franklin to come in and turn things around big time since Frank Beamer retired. Mistakes are meant to be made to learn from, and Franklin is clearly turning the page and learning from them. That chip on his shoulder might be bad news for the ACC.
Add us as a preferred source on Google