Virginia Tech football: James Franklin reveals he almost walked away from coaching

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The past 10 months could not have gone any better for Virginia Tech football. Sure, the Hokies finished last season with a 3-9 record, but that didn’t matter. Once Tech fired head coach Brent Pry in September, a perfect storm was about to happen. Penn State would shockingly fire James Franklin, putting one of college football’s top coaches on the market.

In years past, it would not have mattered. Franklin would’ve waited things out. There was no way he’d consider Virginia Tech. For one, the Hokies couldn’t afford him. Secondly, Pry is Franklin’s best friend.

But Virginia Tech had just revealed a historic new financial commitment to athletics. The new budget would put the Hokies on par with Clemson and Miami at the top of the ACC. Suddenly, the Virginia Tech job became much more appealing to Franklin.

As for Pry, he encouraged Franklin to take the job. He loved Blacksburg, and his family planned to remain in the area, while Pry looked for another job. Eventually, Franklin accepted the job and hired Pry back as his defensive coordinator.

But it almost didn’t happen.

In an interview with Adam Breneman on the “Next Man Up” podcast, Franklin said he was ready to walk away after Penn State fired him. Cooler heads prevailed, though, as Franklin’s wife Fumi and his agent, Jimmy Sexton, told him to take another job because he’d go crazy just sitting at home.

“I got a guaranteed contract, I don’t have to work,” Franklin said. “But my wife and my agent were like, ‘Look, you need to go work because not only are you gonna drive yourself crazy,’ but, most importantly, you’re gonna drive them crazy. And then they both convinced me to go on College Gameday at Georgia.”

Breneman asked Franklin whether he was serious about not coaching in 2026.

“I think the biggest thing, Adam, is just you wanna take this job with a clear mind and a clear heart and not be the bitter ball coach. And I wanted to make sure if I was gonna take one of these jobs, that I could truly give myself to the program and to the players.”

Franklin acknowledged the benefits of doing TV and media gigs, but admitted that he’s just not there yet.

That’s great news for Virginia Tech.

Franklin is not the bitter ball coach, but you can bet he won’t soon forget being fired only months after nearly leading Penn State to the national championship. Fortunately for the Hokies, he’ll channel that energy into a quick turnaround.

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