Oh, boy, here we go again. After being out of the limelight for the last couple of weeks, first-year Virginia Tech football coach James Franklin will be back in the spotlight this week as ACC media days get underway on Wednesday in Charlotte.
Franklin and three student athletes will be available to speak and answer questions. However, whatever Franklin is asked and whatever he says will be broken down word for word by one fanbase. He could decline comment on something or his former school, and he would still be broken down and ripped apart for it. He's in a no-win situation.
Read More: James Franklin continues to live rent-free in the heads of Penn State fans
RotoWire did a poll and asked who the most hated coach was in college football going into the 2026 season. They released a Top 20 list, and as you could guess, Franklin ended up on it. But where?
Virginia Tech coach James Franklin lands on RotoWire's most hated coach list
Franklin came in at No. 14 on RotoWire's Top 20 list of most hated coaches for the 2026 season. I wonder where a lot of those votes came from?
"The big-game reputation is portable, and it follows him. Rival fans never miss a chance to bring the receipts,'' the RotoWire staff wrote.
Gee, again, I wonder which fanbase they're referring to? Here's how they came up with the list.
“To build this ranking, RotoWire weighted two inputs equally: 50% social fan-sentiment analysis across Reddit, X and Facebook, and 50% a 500-person fan survey. The result measures national feeling, not how a coach is viewed by his own fan base – where several names on this list rank among the most beloved in the country.”
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Lane Kiffin landed in the top spot after he bolted Ole Miss last fall for LSU to replace outgoing head coach Brian Kelly. As for Franklin, he gets another opportunity after being fired from Penn State last October, and he gets it in Blacksburg.
Look, Franklin could have success at Virginia Tech, but when something does go wrong, other fanbases are going to let him hear about it. Things are not going to change right away in Year 1; it's going to take some time. They are going to win a game they shouldn't, and they likely will lose a game they shouldn't. He'll hear about it when they lose, but he won't hear a peep when he wins.
Everything starts for real in a couple of months, but the unofficial kickoff to the 2026 season begins this week for the ACC in Charlotte with media days.
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