With the college football season in the final weeks of the regular season, the head coaching carousel is about to spin wildly. And that could end up seeing former Penn State head coach James Franklin officially land his next gig. According to a number of reports and rumors over the past few days, some serious traction on that move could go down as early as this week.
Franklin and Virginia Tech are reportedly in early discussions to name the former Penn State and Vanderbilt head coach as the next head coach of the Hokies. Virginia Tech was among the first schools to make an in-season coaching change this season when it fired Brent Pry, a former Franklin assistant and former Penn State defensive coordinator. The pairing of Franklin and Virginia Tech would seem to make a great combination.
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Franklin would be a great hire for Virginia Tech because he can tap into a number of connections in the area to rebuild instant credibility in the recruiting process. For all of his warts and high-profile shortcomings Franklin had at Penn State, recruiting was a consistent strength. Franklin could bring his “dominate the state” mentality from Pennsylvania to Virginia and have similar success in turning the program around relatively quickly, and his familiarity with the region with Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and more will be a benefit for Franklin in any efforts he may have with Virginia Tech. And that could be a detriment to Penn State’s future recruiting efforts for whoever takes over the job in Happy Valley.
Penn State has a vested interest in seeing its former head coach sign a new deal with a new school. Penn State committed to a massive buyout to move on from Franklin in the middle of the college football season. Penn State is on the hook for $48 million owed to Franklin as part of his buyout terms. However, Penn State’s buyout expense will be offset by whatever value is attributed to Franklin’s next head coaching contract. So whatever Franklin ends up making on his next contract will be taken out of Penn State’s buyout cost.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Ex-Penn State coach James Franklin in early discussions for next job
