After he was fired from Penn State in October, James Franklin has landed his next coaching gig with Virginia Tech, the school announced on Monday.

The move came after weeks of speculation, flight tracking, message boarding, and just about anything else that comes with big-time coaching hires. While Virginia Tech fans have responded positively to the news, some Penn State fans are skeptical about what it means for Penn State.

Franklin has long been thought of as an elite relationship builder and recruiter. Per 247Sports, he helped the Nittany Lions bring in the No. 8 recruiting class in the country in 2022, and the No. 14 in 2015 and 2024.

A large part of this success was his ability to recruit the state of Virginia. Franklin seemingly took guys from under the Hokies’ noses every season. In 2023, Penn State brought in five of the top 10 players from Virginia. These are impact players such as Tony Rojas and Anthony Donkoh.

Virginia Tech did not have a player in the top 17 of the in-state rankings that year, a trend that has caused the Hokies to struggle as of recent.

This was the same in the transfer portal. Amare Campbell, a Manassas, Virginia, native, transferred from UNC this offseason. He cited after the move that his relationship with Rojas and other players from Virginia was a large reason for his shift to Happy Valley.

Franklin is also still able to recruit Pennsylvania and all of the Northeast from Virginia Tech, like he did with the Nittany Lions. Likely, every single recruit the new Penn State head coach talks to will have conversations with Franklin about going to Virginia Tech. With the talent in the 2027 class out of Pennsylvania, it’s important not to lose too many of them.

One former Penn State commit, Roesby Lubintus, who flipped to Syracuse after Franklin was fired, already posted on social media that Franklin gave him a call and offered him a scholarship at Virginia Tech.

After a great phone call with @coachjfranklin I am grateful and thankful to receive an offer from Virginia Tech! pic.twitter.com/uXN6DRBuBd

— Roseby “Purgatory” Lubintus (@RosebyLubintus) November 18, 2025

Franklin will also use his proximity to State College and the similar cultures Virginia Tech and Penn State have to poach players from the Nittany Lions’ current roster.

Multiple players, such as Rojas, took to social media to congratulate their former head coach on the new role. Franklin was widely loved by his players and staff at Penn State, and with the uncertainty surrounding the program, many will look to leave anyway. Why not go play for a man you trust?

Some will say that it’s a significant downgrade in programs, but the Hokies have decided to get back to going all in on football.

In September, ESPN reported Virginia Tech had plans to increase its athletics budget by $229M. The school felt its expectations did not meet its spending, and something had to be fixed for future success.

“We have the opportunity to reset the organization to align with the new realities at the conference and national levels,” school president Tim Sands said. “It’s never been clearer that the future of Hokie athletics will depend on the institutional commitments to compete in partnership with our alumni and supporters. Today, we are stepping up to compete, and we ask our loyal fans and generous donors to step forward with us.”

The plan would increase the Hokies’ budget by $47.1 million this fiscal year, and continue to add more until reaching the planned number before the 2029 season.

Per Pete Nakos, a College Football Insider for On3, part of the deal with Franklin was that Virginia Tech promised him funding for a roster at the top of the ACC. This would mean the former Penn State coach could get active in the portal right away.

The increased budget also allows Franklin to go after the coaches he wants to join him in Blacksburg, Virginia. Every single coach on Penn State’s staff was brought in by Franklin, and many have expressed a ton of positive emotions towards him.

“James Frank’s, my guy. I don’t want to work for anybody else in this profession,” Chuck Losey, Penn State’s strength coach, said over the summer. “I know what I’m going to get from him every day. He knows what he’s going to get from me every day. We have a strong relationship.”

Other coaches have expressed similar gratitude for Franklin. What works in the Nittany Lions’ favor is that, per Franklin’s Big Ten Media Day press conference, Penn State has 19 lettermen on staff. The coaches who bleed blue and white are less likely to leave than those who don’t.