There was significant college football news on Monday as Virginia Tech named James Franklin as their new head coach. Franklin recently was fired by Penn State and now remains in the Eastern time zone. He now goes from the Big Ten Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Who has Franklin taken over as Virginia Tech’s head coach?
The Hokies fired head coach Brent Pry of Altoona, Pennsylvania on September 14. It was a tough start to the season for Virginia Tech as they lost their first three games. They were beaten 24-11 by South Carolina, 44-20 to Vanderbilt and 45-26 to Old Dominion.
When Pry was fired, the Hokies named Philip Montgomery as their interim head coach. In seven games, Montgomery had a record of three wins and four losses. Montgomery helped Virginia Tech beat Wofford 38-6 on September 20, North Carolina State 23-21 on September 27, and California 42-34 in overtime on October 24. However, in the last two games the Hokies have lost. They were beaten 28-16 by Louisville on November 1, and 34-14 by Florida State on November 14.
Franklin’s coaching history
Franklin had a record of 104 wins and 45 losses at Penn State from 2014 to 2025 for a winning percentage of .698. He took over a Nittany Lions franchise that was at the centre of controversy earlier this century (the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal), and turned the franchise around to a degree of respectability.
In that time, Franklin coached Penn State to nine significant games (either an elite Bowl game or a College Football Playoff game) in an eight year stretch. Penn State lost by only a field goal, 52-49 to USC at the 2017 Rose Bowl; beat Washington by a touchdown, 35-28 at the 2017 Fiesta Bowl; lost by a field goal, 27-24 to Kentucky in the 2019 Citrus Bowl; beat Memphis by two touchdowns, 53-39 at the 2019 Cotton Bowl; beat Utah by two touchdowns, 35-21 at the 2023 Rose Bowl; lost to Ole Miss 38-25 at the 2023 Peach Bowl; beat Southern Methodist University by four touchdowns, 38-10 in the first round of the 2024 College Football Playoff; beat Boise State 31-14 at the 2024 Fiesta Bowl; and then lost by a field goal, 27-24 to Notre Dame in the 2025 Orange Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal).
Who does Virginia Tech play to end the season?
Virginia Tech has two more games this month. They play the 15th ranked University of Miami Florida on November 22, and the 19th ranked University of Virginia on November 29.
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