James Franklin contract details: Virginia Tech lands former Penn State head coach to replace Brent Pry originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Just over two months after parting ways with Brent Pry, Virginia Tech has found its next head coach.
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In one of the first big moves of the 2025 coaching carousel in college football, the Hokies are finalizing a move to bring in former Penn State head coach James Franklin to lead their program, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Over the weekend, reports indicated that Franklin and Virginia Tech were in conversations, with Franklin viewed as the team’s top coaching target.
Now, after being fired by the Nittany Lions following their spiral of three-straight losses earlier in the season, Franklin is set to get a fresh start — and in a similar northeast region — at Virginia Tech.
Here’s what’s known about Franklin’s new contract at Virginia Tech, as well as the details of his Penn State buyout, coaching history and more.
MORE: Inside James Franklin’s record against top-10 teams
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James Franklin contract details
Virginia Tech is reportedly finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of the Hokies. The contract length and dollar amount have yet to be revealed.
The Hokies, who fired Brent Pry in September after an 0-3 start to the 2025 season, had been trending toward hiring Franklin as recently as Saturday. ESPN reported that Franklin and Virginia Tech were ” in the early stages of talks,” with a resolution expected as there was “mutual interest” between the two sides.
Now, Virginia Tech has completed its agreement with Franklin, one of the most high-profile coaches on the market with a history of annual success at Penn State. Franklin is also replacing one of his former defensive coordinators in Pry, who coached for the Nittany Lions from 2014-21 under Franklin.
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MORE: Everything to know about Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith
James Franklin Penn State buyout
After firing Franklin in October following losses to UCLA and Northwestern, Penn State was reportedly set to owe its former head coach some significant money: $49 million. But he reportedly will not be getting the entirety of that money, at least from Penn State.
Per Front Office Sports, Franklin’s buyout at Penn State included a critical caveat: if he got a new job in the near future, the Nittany Lions would not owe Franklin nearly as much.
Per FOS, the following terms were included in Franklin’s most recent Penn State contract:
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“Should Coach obtain such applicable employment prior to the date this Contract would otherwise have expired, the University’s obligation to make payments to Coach … will be offset by the total compensation earned by Coach from such applicable new position through the end of the otherwise unexpired term of this agreement.”
Based on that reporting, Franklin’s new salary at Virginia Tech would offset what he’s owed by Penn State in his buyout. According to Front Office Sports, “If [Franklin] gets another salary worth more than the terms of the buyout, Penn State owes him nothing.”
Franklin was reportedly required to search for a new job if he was fired under his former Penn State deal, and he secured one just over a month later. While official details are unknown, the Nittany Lions may not have to actually pay nearly as much of Franklin’s $49 million buyout as some anticipated.
On Monday, CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello reported that Penn State and James Franklin had recently negotiated his buyout down to $9 million, with the coach heading to Virginia Tech and offsetting his buyout amount in the process.
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MORE: Where did James Franklin’s $49 million buyout rank among biggest in CFB history?
James Franklin Virginia Tech history
Franklin isn’t just the kind of coach with a winning history who could potentially help Virginia Tech get back on track for its first 10-win season since 2016 — he also has a few connections to the Hokies and the Virginia area.
During his time at Penn State, Franklin developed some success recruiting in Virginia, including one of his best players ever: tight end Tyler Warren, who is from Mechanicsville, Virginia and initially committed to the Hokies. Warren then decommitted and signed to play at Penn State. Regionally, the move made sense for both Franklin and Virginia Tech, as Franklin can continue to recruit in the northeast, but for the Hokies instead of the Nittany Lions.
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While Franklin has never spent any time at Virginia Tech in his coaching career, or in the ACC at all, he has had coaches under him go on to join the Hokies. That includes Pry, who earned a reputation as one of the best defensive coordinators in the Big Ten under Franklin from 2016-21. Pry took Virginia Tech’s head coaching job in 2022, and after being fired in September, he’s set to be replaced in Blacksburg by his former head coach.
MORE: Who are Penn State’s best options to replace James Franklin?
James Franklin coaching history
Here’s a brief rundown of Franklin’s coaching history so far.
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WRs coach, Kutztown, 1995
Franklin’s coaching career began in 1995, after he played quarterback at East Stroudsburg as one of the top Division II passers in the country. He was first a wide receivers coach at Kutztown.
DBs coach, East Stroudsburg, 1996
Franklin spent one year coaching at his alma mater, East Stroudsburg, in one of his very few defensive roles ever.
He coached defensive backs in the 1996 season for the Warriors.
WRs coach, James Madison, 1997
In 1997, Franklin went to James Madison to take on another wide receiver coach role. He spent one year with the Dukes.
TEs coach, Washington State, 1998
While completing a master’s degree in educational leadership at the school, Franklin spent the 1998 season as the tight ends coach for Washington State.
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WRs coach, Idaho State, 1999
For the fifth-straight season in 1999, Franklin was a position coach at a new school, leading Idaho State’s wide receivers unit for one year.
That year, the Bengals ranked ninth nationally in total offense.
WRs coach/recruiting coordinator, Maryland, 2000-04
Franklin’s coaching career got a boost in 2000, when he became Maryland’s wide receivers coach. He held a role for multiple seasons for the first time despite head coaching changes for the Terrapins.
In 2003, Franklin was also named Maryland’s recruiting coordinator, which was the beginning of his success in the recruiting space.
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WRs coach, Green Bay Packers, 2005
Franklin’s lone role in the NFL came in the 2005 season, when he joined the Packers as a wide receivers coach.
Offensive Coordinator/QBs coach, Kansas State, 2006-07
In 2006, Franklin returned to college football for his first offensive coordinator role. Kansas State hired him to lead its offense and be its quarterbacks coach.
Coaching under Ron Prince, Franklin coached offensive talent like quarterback Josh Freeman and wide receiver Jordy Nelson.
Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach, Maryland, 2008-10
Franklin returned to Maryland in 2008 for a new role as offensive coordinator. He was also named the program’s “head coach in waiting” behind Ralph Friedgen, but he would never wind up taking that position.
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After two more seasons as an offensive coordinator, Franklin’s first head coaching role came elsewhere.
Head coach, Vanderbilt, 2011-13
Franklin spent three seasons coaching in the SEC, and his success at Vanderbilt opened the door to further his head coaching career.
With consecutive 9-win seasons in 2012 and 2014, Franklin led the Commodores to three bowl game appearances. Vanderbilt’s 25 combined wins in Franklin’s three seasons was the Commodores’ highest total in school history.
Head coach, Penn State, 2014-25
In 2014, Penn State nabbed Franklin to lead its football program, which was still dealing with the repercussions of the Jerry Sandusky scandal at the time. Over his tenure with the Nittany Lions, Franklin helped the program return to national prominence.
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Over the next decade, Franklin led Penn State to a bowl game in every season except 2020. Six times, the Nittany Lions won 10-plus games under the coach, including a Big Ten title in 2016 and two CFP wins in 2024.
While Franklin brought Penn State back to the top of the Big Ten, part of the reasonings for his firing in October 2025 was a growing track record of failures to beat elite teams. The Nittany Lions consistently beat inferior opponents under Franklin, but struggled against top-10 opponents each year, holding back their ceiling in title races.
In October 2025, after consecutive losses to unranked teams, Penn State fired Franklin with a reported buyout of $49 million.
MORE:Projected the CFP field after Week 12
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James Franklin record
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At Penn State: 104-45 (.698)
In his head coaching career between Vanderbilt and Penn State, Franklin has accumulated a 128-60 career record. With the Nittany Lions alone, he went 104-45.
Franklin’s head coaching career has included 15 bowl game appearances, including three College Football Playoff games in 2024 with Penn State. He led his Penn State teams to six seasons with 10-plus wins.
