WATCH: James Franklin formally introduced as Virginia Tech’s new head coach

Former Penn State coach James Franklin needed less than 40 days to find a new job.

The ex-Nittany Lion was formally introduced as Virginia Tech’s newest head coach on Wednesday morning, just 36 days after he was unceremoniously fired from Happy Valley on Oct. 12. Franklin was terminated after more than 11 seasons, when his blue-and-white team with national title aspirations lost its third straight game to drop to 3-3.

Franklin was hired as Virginia Tech’s head coach on Monday.

“Couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity,” Franklin said Wednesday while wearing a matching maroon-colored tie and pocket square.

The Hokies’ introductory press conference started at 10 a.m. Wednesday and lasted just under an hour. Check it out in full below:

At Virginia Tech, Franklin replaces Brent Pry, who was fired Sept. 14 after an 0-3 start to the season. Pry served as Franklin’s defensive assistant from 2011-2021, at both Vanderbilt and Penn State, before taking the Hokies’ head job for the 2022 season.

This story was originally published November 19, 2025 at 10:08 AM.