The vibes could not be any higher in Blacksburg right now. After getting off to an 0-3 start to the season, the Virginia Tech Hokies decided to make a change at the helm of the program. Out went an ineffective Brent Pry. While the team played hard under Philip Montgomery in the interim, he is no James Franklin. Yes, Pry's former boss at Penn State has replaced him, and Bruce Arians is ecstatic!
The Super Bowl champion head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and former Hokies starting quarterback discussed the hire while appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday afternoon. "James Franklin is gonna get Virginia Tech turned around real quick ... We had more four stars on campus this weekend than we've hand in the past 10 years." Arians believes recruiting will be key.
Arians made it a point to say that Franklin is proficient in recruiting in the Mid-Atlantic and Tidewater.
"James Franklin is gonna get Virginia Tech turned around real quick..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 25, 2025
We had more four stars on campus this weekend than we've had in the past ten years" @BruceArians #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/maZTpBsCmL
Although a lot can change over the next several years, it is hard to not see this hire work out for Virginia Tech. The Hokies have not effectively replaced their former iconic head coach Frank Beamer since he retired. Pry and Justin Fuente had their accolades coming in, but neither are Franklin. He is a head coach who won at a prolific level briefly at Vanderbilt before helping Penn State become viable.
If all goes according to plan, Franklin could have Virginia Tech back in the ACC hunt in a year or two.
Bruce Arians should be all-in on James Franklin leading Virginia Tech
When Virginia Tech has felt big in the last 30 or 40 years, it has followed a certain formula. The Hokies are led by a CEO-type at head coach, one who has a strong eye for coordinator talent. The team plays with a certain edge about them in crucial situations, one that will make something happen on defense and special teams. They call it Beamer Ball for a reason. Franklin is not Beamer. That is fine.
What is important to understand is Franklin is a program builder. He did that in Nashville for a while before doing that for a decade in State College. He was groomed by Ralph Friedgen for years as his top assistant at Maryland. It has all built up to this. Franklin may have thought Penn State was the last stop in his coaching career, but it was not meant to be. He will be the one to bring Virginia Tech back.
As far as Arians is concerned, he can sit back and enjoy seeing his Lake Oconee friend Franklin make something magical happen in Blacksburg. Arians predates anything Beamer-related. In a way, going outside of the family may be what is best for the Hokies moving forward. Franklin has only been in this job for a week or so, but you can sense the vision he has for this program. It is about to get so good!
Virginia Tech cannot cut corners in this rebuild, but the Hokies have the right architect to pull it off.