Virginia Tech fired Brent Pry on Sept. 14 after an embarrassing 45-26 loss to Old Dominion the day before, dropping the program to 0-3.
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The Hokies are 3-5 before getting set to host No. 16 Louisville on Saturday.
In recent days, rumors of interest between former Penn State head coach James Franklin and VT have surfaced. The Hokies want to land a big-name brand for 2026, and Franklin’s resume of leading PSU to a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance is appealing.
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During an appearance on ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday morning, Pete Thamel reported that Virginia Tech is feeling “urgency” to finalize a deal with Franklin before more Power 4 jobs open up in November.
“Everything’s always fluid when it comes to the carousel, but one thing to watch in upcoming days is that sources tell me there’s been early signs of interest between James Franklin and Virginia Tech,” Thamel said, via a transcription by On3. “There’s been some urgency from Virginia Tech specifically to get something done early.”
The Athletic suggested earlier this week that Franklin isn’t in a rush to sign with VT, hoping that Florida State University and Auburn will soon have vacancies. Thamel suggested the Hokies are ready to make an aggressive push to land Franklin before those jobs open.
“Look, this is a big game of musical chairs right now, and there’s a lot of aggression from these schools to try to get someone in the house, as opposed to waiting as you go down the line,” Thamel said. “With the specter of both Florida State and Auburn potentially opening, there’s really going to be just a fascinating crush to try to get this limited pool of candidates.”
FSU is not expected to make a change at head coach until after the regular season. The Noles reportedly do not have the funds to cover head coach Mike Norvell’s buyout. The Auburn job could come as soon as head coach Hugh Freeze loses another game.
It’ll be interesting to see if VT and Franklin wait for FSU to fire Norvell, or if the Hokies can make a compelling enough offer to convince Franklin to move to Blacksburg quickly.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
