How James Franklin Said Goodbye to Penn State

During the press conference's Q&A session, Franklin mostly was asked about the process of becoming Virginia Tech's head coach and his plans. But he also was asked about what he learned from this season at Penn State, which ended with him getting fired with a 3-3 record after losses to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern.

Franklin said he took a "deep breath" after the Oct. 12 decision to reflect on the season. That reflection lasted about three weeks, as Virginia Tech began what Franklin called an "aggressive" campaign to hire him.

"Fifteen years as a head coach, [there was] a lot of success," Franklin said. "Three straight years at Vanderbilt going to bowl games. Two seasons where we won nine games at Vanderbilt. We beat Georgia, Tennessee and Florida all in the same season. That had never happened [at Vanderbilt] before.

"You go to Penn State, our first year off sanctions [in 2016], we win the Big Ten championship. In the last three years, there's only four programs in the country that won more games than us. And last year, [Penn State was] a game away from playing for the national championship. I say all that just to say that there is a core belief system of how we do things that works. We believe in that. We have conviction in that.

"But there's also time to say, what things can we do better? How can we evolve? How can we grow? The most important thing is, we've all got to look in the mirror. We've got to be authentic and we've got to be transparent and say, what do we need to do to take the next step to be as successful as possible? And that's hard. It's hard to be that honest with yourself and be honest with the program."

Franklin further called those five weeks out of work "painful but it was good."

"We're going to take all those experiences, all those lessons we've learned and pour them into Virginia Tech," Franklin said. "But I will also say this. People who have been following my career and what we did at Penn State, what I'm talking about is what you see right now.: the leadership, the commitment and the alignment. The nice thing for me is, I'm walking in here, and that alignment already exists."

Otherwise, the event was all about Virginia Tech. Franklin and his wife Fumi entered the press conference to Metallica's "Enter Sandman," which Virginia Tech has turned into one of college football's most iconic pre-game scenes. Franklin wore a maroon tie and handkerchief tie and "VT" lapel pin instead of the "1-0" he often wore at Penn State.

Franklin thanked two former Virginia Tech coaches profusely, one of whom he worked with for more than a decade. Franklin pointed to former Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer in the audience and then teared up talking about Brent Pry, who Franklin replaced as the Hokies' head coach.

Pry left Penn State in 2022 after eight seasons as Franklin's defensive coordinator to become Virginia Tech's head coach. He was fired after going 16-24, including an 0-3 start to the 2025 season.

"I’ve known Brent for over 30 years," Franklin said through tears. "Brent’s first year coaching was my senior year at the Harvard of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, East Stroudsburg University. I know you guys are all very familiar with it. ... I know he poured his heart and soul into this place. I know this place is better today because of Brent and the commitment that me made."

Franklin already has begun recruiting both players and staff from Penn State to Virginia Tech. Franklin has reached out to multiple players committed to Penn State's 2026 recruiting class. He also is expected to bring multiple staff members with him from Penn State to Virginia Tech.

Notably, two of his long-time staff members at Penn State no longer are listed in the athletic department directory: Andy Frank, general manager of personnel and recruitment, and chief of staff Kevin Threlkel.

"Virginia Tech and coach Franklin both have something to prove to the entire country," Athletic Director Whit Babcock said, "and we will do it all together."

What happens next for Penn State? Stay on top of all the Nittany Lions news by subscribing to thePenn State newsletter. It's your free daily window into the Nttany Lions.