BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - Virginia Tech’s football program introduced its new Head Coach, James Franklin, at a news conference Wednesday morning.
WDBJ7 spoke with Virginia Tech President Tim Sands about the hire:
WDBJ7: So my question to you, Mr. President, is clearly football is important. Clearly you have a lot of students, alumni, donors who want a good football team. You’re the president of the university. So how does this change in the athletic department, this outlay of money, how does that fit into the strategic goals of making sure that the university is successful in turning out young folks? Because it is a lot of money, but clearly there is wisdom behind investing in the football program.
Sands: Well, there is a lot of money involved in it, but actually the student-athlete experience we know is a leadership training ground for the students who participate in it. That’s number one.
Number two are the connections between our alums and our students create this kind of bond that lasts for their whole lifetime.
And if you ask a student or alum, you know, tell me about an experience you had at Virginia Tech that just made you feel like this was home, this was your place.
They’re almost always going to come up with some kind of athletic event they were at.
A football game, it could be a basketball game, but they’re going to remember something special. And it’s going to be kind of a, you know, almost hard to put into words attachment that you get.
And Virginia Tech has an incredible alumni network.
And part of that is due to college athletics, to football, to their experiences in Lane Stadium.
The other thing is that we want to become a national brand. We feel like we already are on the edge of that.
But football and athletics spread the word about Virginia Tech to corners of the country that, you know, we really might not otherwise be known in.
And of course, you know, we’re just so much a football culture here at Virginia Tech, it’s just hard to separate that.
And in thinking through the kind of investment we wanted to make, all those things factored in.
And the other factor that is just so critical is that our community here in Blacksburg and in the New River Valley, the economy here is critically dependent on football, let’s be honest. I mean, it’s just, it’s well over a $100 million impact every year.
And it’s a small town. So we think about our neighbors and, you know, having the community grow with us.
We have to have a successful athletics program. It draws people in, keeps people attached, keeps people wanting to come back. And it keeps alums wanting to move back to this region.
So all those four reasons I think are very compelling because in today’s world you can’t, you’re not going to run a profit out of your athletics program. That’s just not, that’s not going to happen again.
But if you look at the bigger picture, not just the P&L, you look at the indirect impacts, they’re overwhelming.
So we felt along with the board that it was time to make a big investment and trying to become the Virginia Tech we know we can be.
FROM VIRGINIA TECH ATHLETICS:
Franklin brings more than 30 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level, most recently serving as head coach at Penn State. Franklin’s career head coaching record is 128-60 and he is one of three active FBS coaches with a 68-plus winning percentage and 14-plus years of head coaching experience. His 104 wins in his 12 seasons as head coach at Penn State are the second most wins in school history.
“Laura and I enthusiastically welcome Coach Franklin and his family to Virginia Tech and Hokie Nation. His experience, passion, and record of success embody our commitment to compete at the highest level,” said Virginia Tech President Tim Sands. “His selection is the result of unprecedented collaboration by our athletic administration with University leaders, esteemed alumni, including former NFL coaches and players, and our most dedicated supporters.
“James will provide the leadership and inspiration our student-athletes need, and the performance on the field that our
University community, alumni, and fans expect and deserve. I can’t wait to be in Lane Stadium when he leads the team out of the tunnel for the first time, the crowd starts jumping, and we launch this winning journey together.”
During his tenure in State College, Franklin revived the Nittany Lions into a consistent force. Under Franklin’s direction, Penn State finished in the top 12 of the final College Football Playoff rankings in seven of the last nine seasons, earned berths in seven New Year’s Six bowl games with four wins, and won the 2016 Big Ten Championship.
“James Franklin embodies the spirit, vision, and relentless pursuit of excellence that will elevate Virginia Tech Football back on the national stage where it belongs,” said Babcock. “This is a landmark moment for our program — made possible by the unwavering commitment of our Board of Visitors, the Search Committee, University leadership, and donors, who share a bold Invest to Win mindset.
“James is a dynamic leader, a relentless recruiter, and a coach who has proven he can build and sustain elite, championship caliber programs. We are thrilled to welcome him and his family to Blacksburg and to entrust him with the future of VT Football.”
Prior to Penn State, Vanderbilt University experienced a record setting transformation on the gridiron under James Franklin’s leadership from 2011 through 2013. In three seasons at the helm, Coach Franklin became the first Vanderbilt coach to guide the team to bowl games in each of his first three campaigns. In 2012, the Commodores posted a 9-4 mark, earned entries in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Polls for the first time since 1948. The nine wins was most since 1915 and the five SEC victories, a feat not achieved by Vanderbilt since 1935. That same season featured the longest winning streak by a Vanderbilt team since 1948, the longest road winning streak since 1950, and the first home victory over Tennessee in 30 years.
Coach Franklin followed with another 9-win season in 2013, including a decisive 41-24 win in the BBVA Compass Bowl, marking the program’s first back-to-back 9-win campaigns in school history.
“I’m honored and humbled to join the Hokie family,” said Franklin. “My vision is simple: to restore unmatched excellence, to build something that lasts, and to serve this University, the Commonwealth of Virginia and our amazing fan base with honor, integrity, and passion. I look forward to getting to work with our players, our staff, and the entire Virginia Tech community.”
Franklin coached 18 All-America selections, 32 national major award winners or finalists and 59 NFL Draft picks at Penn State.
In his first 14 years as a head coach, Franklin mentored 116 players reaching the NFL ranks. He reached 100 wins at Penn State in 2024, becoming one of seven active FBS head coaches with 100 or more wins at their current school (Kirk Ferentz, Iowa; Dabo Swinney, Clemson; Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State; Kyle Whittingham, Utah; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Kirby Smart, Georgia).
From 2016 to 2024, Penn State was one of four teams to rank in the top 12 of the CFP final rankings at least seven times, joining Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.
A native of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, Franklin earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from East Stroudsburg University after a standout collegiate career as a quarterback, where he was a four-year letterman and a two-time All-PSAC selection. Franklin graduated having broken or tied 23 school records.
In addition to earning a bachelor’s degree from East Stroudsburg, Franklin earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Washington State.
Franklin and his wife, Fumi, have two daughters, Shola and Addison.
