What James Franklin said on ESPN broadcast during Virginia Tech vs Miami game
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Newly hired Virginia Tech football coach James Franklin was on-site for the Hokies‘ game against Miami on Saturday, Nov. 22, and made a brief appearance with the ESPN broadcast crew.
Franklin, wearing a Virginia Tech hoodie, explained his decision to the job.
“I think the first thing is, they were very aggressive from the beginning,” Franklin, who was fired by Penn State in October, told ESPN. “They had a plan in place, it wasn’t like, ‘let’s work through this together.’ they already had a plan in place, which I think was very helpful in the process.
“There’s great passion and support for this place … and now it’s my job and our job to get this program back to where everybody wants it to be.”
James Franklin on his decision to become the head coach of @HokiesFB. pic.twitter.com/WA2mQT0KfO
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 22, 2025
Franklin led the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season and entered 2025 with huge expectations with numerous returning starters. However, Penn State lost three consecutive games to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern before Franklin was fired in October.
Franklin is now tasked with revitalizing Virginia Tech, which has won more than seven games just twice since 2018.
Legendary coach Frank Beamer, the best coach in Virginia Tech history, also gave Franklin his blessing, signifying his confidence in the Hokies’ next leader.
“I got a ton of respect for what he has been able to do across his career, but obviously specifically here at Virginia Tech. So I wanted to call him to pay respect, number one. He built this program. Everybody loves him and his family. … I called Frank Beamer, I said, ‘Coach, about to make this decision. Before I do, I want your blessing to be sure you’d comfortable with me taking over your program.'”
Franklin hasn’t coached, and won’t coach a Virginia Tech game until 2026, but he accomplished an important first step since being officially introduced Nov. 19.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: James Franklin appears on ESPN broadcast during Virginia Tech game
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