Stephen A. Smith questions James Franklin’s rapid hiring move originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Stephen A. Smith is already stirring the pot after Virginia Tech made a splash by hiring former Penn State head coach James Franklin. The announcement sent shockwaves across the college football world, and it didn’t take long for Stephen A. to question why the Hokies moved so fast to bring Franklin on board.
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Franklin became available after an unexpectedly abrupt ending at Penn State. He was fired on October 12, 2025, just one day after a tough 22–21 home loss to Northwestern. That game capped a sudden mid-season collapse for a team that entered the year with national championship hopes. Instead, Penn State fell apart with back-to-back home losses, missed opportunities in key matchups, and a general failure to meet sky-high expectations. Even with Franklin’s strong recruiting and long-term success, the school decided it needed a fresh start.
The firing boiled down to a few clear points. On October 12, 2025, following a narrow 22–21 loss to Northwestern during a severe performance slide, Penn State decided to make a change. The team was suffering through a mid-season slump marked by unexpected losses and failed to meet the high championship expectations set at the start of a highly anticipated season that quickly fell off the rails. So, when Virginia Tech swooped in to hire James Franklin barely a month later, Stephen A. Smith couldn’t help but question the timing of the move.
Social media lit up all day about the move, especially once Stephen A. jumped in. On First Take, he wondered if Franklin should have waited for another opportunity, mainly because he’s walking away with nearly $50 million from his buyout.
“Just with what happened at Penn State,” Stephen A. said, “you almost find yourself saying, ‘You got a $49 million buyout and Penn State stunk, could you take a year off?’ I’m just looking at that thinking, ‘Yo, could you take some time off? Could you take a breather?’”
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He made it clear he wasn’t telling Franklin not to take the job, especially since he wasn’t likely to land an even bigger one after how things ended. It just didn’t shock him that Franklin grabbed the opportunity.
Stephen A. also reminded fans that Franklin has still been a “damn good coach,” even if he struggled in the Big Ten’s biggest matchups. Going 3–17 against Ohio State and Michigan was the glaring issue. With all the resources Penn State poured in, the NIL investments, the transfer portal moves, bringing in the highest-paid defensive coordinator. Stephen A. said the expectation was simple: you gotta win, and Franklin didn’t do that this season.
Still, he wasn’t throwing shade at Virginia Tech. He acknowledged that while the Hokies aren’t one of the sport’s biggest powerhouses, Franklin’s resume absolutely earns him another shot. And with a 12-team playoff now in place, he understands why Virginia Tech believes Franklin can put them back in the national picture.
