When Brent Pry was fired back on September 14th following a 0-3 start to the season, it was clear the issues within the program reached far higher and farther than the man sitting in the Head Coach chair. Virginia Tech had clearly fallen behind the pack in the modern era of college football. The resources and commitment to win were not there, and overcoming that would have been an impossible task for almost any coach. 

That’s why the $229 million investment into the athletics budget, just a couple of weeks after Pry’s firing, was not only crucial but necessary for the Hokies’ survival. Whit Babcock and the Board of Visitors were betting everything on this investment to bring winning back to Virginia Tech. On Wednesday, President Tim Sands added "When we invest to win in football at Virginia Tech, everyone wins." The hope was that the money would attract a top-tier coaching candidate who could bring the Hokies back to the glory days, and while we’ll have to wait to see the on-field results, the hiring of James Franklin feels like vindication that the risk was worth it.

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The moment we’ve all been waiting for. James Franklin’s first words as Head Coach of the Hokies.

Sons of Saturday Virginia Tech
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Athletic Director Whit Babcock’s opening statement

During his introductory press conference on Wednesday in Blacksburg, James Franklin said, “If we truly have the expectations and standards of where we want to go, our commitment needs to meet that standard.” Franklin said that commitment, as well as alignment through the entire program and university, were crucial while looking for his next coaching stop. 

It was clear the Hokies went all in to land Franklin. Bud Foster told reporters they met with him for the first time just 7-10 days after he was fired from Penn State. Both Foster and Franklin said the Hokies hoped to get a deal done that night. Franklin asked for more time, the Hokies were patient, and in the end, they got their guy. Athletic Director Whit Babcock said Franklin was the unanimous top choice for the job, and Franklin said VT was “relentless” it getting him to Blacksburg.

There is a ton more to take away from this press conference, and we’ll break it all down here in a moment, but the biggest takeaway is the Hokies bet big and won even bigger. They got a proven winner and recruiter who knows how to build programs. They also got someone who is bought in, and clearly cares about the program he is inheriting. 

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Franklin got emotional again as he said him and his family will pour their heart and soul into this program.

Brent Pry Paves the Way

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Hokies’ pursuit of James Franklin was Franklin’s obvious relationship with his longtime assistant and former Hokies Head Coach Brent Pry. That relationship was on full display Wednesday, with James Franklin tearing up after mentioning Pry’s name. 

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Coach Franklin getting emotional while talking about Brent Pry. “I know he poured his heart and soul into this place”

While we will never know what was said between Pry and Franklin during this coaching search, a couple of things are clear. First, Pry’s intel of the program, and his honesty about its pros and cons were an enormous factor in landing Franklin, who said he probably would not be in Blacksburg without those conversations with his former defensive coordinator. Second, Brent Pry has shown to be a man with incredibly high character and integrity. He could have easily thrown the program that just canned him under the bus, but he was honest and showed his true, genuine love for this place. While the results on the field never came for Pry, his impact on the program could be talked about for years to come.

James Franklin's Blueprint for Success

Alright, enough of the mushy stuff, let’s talk football. After all, this hire means nothing if Franklin can’t field a competitive, winning product on Saturdays. One of Franklin’s biggest strengths is his extensive experience as a Head Coach, spanning 15 years. Franklin said that throughout his tenure, he has developed a core belief system that allows his programs to succeed, and he will not turn his back on those. However, Franklin said he also needed to look in the mirror and be honest with himself to find ways to grow. Franklin said that his time away from Penn State allowed him to do that, even if it was a painful stretch for him. He also noted that he cannot just copy and paste what he did at Penn State or Vanderbilt to Virginia Tech, calling each program “uniquely sophisticated.” Franklin said he will have to align with how VT operates and immerse himself in the culture of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. Franklin will have a pretty big stamp of approval as he gets settled, saying he got the blessing of the legendary Frank Beamer. I spoke with Beamer after the press conference, and he told me Franklin “Understands this place, how special it is, how caring it is.”

One of the core beliefs that Coach Franklin will bring to Blacksburg is how he builds rosters. Franklin said that he is looking for “high-performance, low-maintenance” players. He says he still believes that college football is a game based on development. That suggests that the Hokies will rely heavily on high school recruiting. This should not come as a surprise, given Franklin’s history of landing top athletes from the Commonwealth. Something that will be a bit of a change is where the Hokies will recruit. Under Brent Pry, Virginia Tech emphasized recruiting the six-hour footprint that surrounded Blacksburg. Franklin brings a national pedigree, and with it, a national recruiting base. The Hokies will still heavily recruit the local footprint, but Franklin said, depending on the year, they may have to cast their net wider to find great players. Franklin added that the Hokies will use the transfer portal to fill holes and provide depth, not to overhaul the roster. He said that his first priority as coach is to recruit the players currently on the team to settle fears of a new coach bringing in all of his former players. 

What Comes Next?

Now that the honeymoon and pats on the back are over, it’s time for Franklin to get to work, and he’s already off to a great start. He said that he has already spoken to 40 recruits who are committed to Virginia Tech, as well as some of the top recruits in the state. Many of those players will be on the sideline this weekend when the Hokies take on Miami. Franklin implored Hokie Nation to show out for those recruits and pack Lane Stadium. 

Looking at the bigger picture, it is unclear right now what the structure of the program will look like under James Franklin. Whit Babcock said that the administration is still planning to move towards a professional front office model, but made no commitments on hiring a Football General Manager. Babcock said that the decision will be left up to James Franklin. There is also a coaching staff to hire. Franklin did not give much indication about how he might fill out his ranks, but I’m sure we will learn more about that in the coming days.

For now, Hokie fans can have some hope. The Hokies threw everything they had at one of the top coaching candidates in the country, and he said yes. That should say a lot about the radical changes the program has seen over the past couple of months. On paper, Franklin checks so many boxes for the Hokies. High-level head coaching experience, deep in-state recruiting ties, and an ability to rebuild programs. Games aren’t won on paper, and there’s never any guarantee with new coaches, but as a picture of James Franklin donning maroon and orange lit up the Lane Stadium scoreboard Wednesday afternoon, it sure felt like a brand-new day had arrived in Blacksburg.

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Welcome home Coach James Franklin