Nov 20, 2025
Rudel
First off, I wish to want James properly.
He handled me and the media professionally, nearly with out exception.
He got here to Penn State at a fragile time, gained 70 p.c of his video games, together with a Large Ten title in 2016, and represented the college with class.
However you by no means obtained the concept he cherished State Faculty or that he’d be right here his complete profession.
His big-game document eroded the general public’s confidence in him — even for a affected person fan base — and in flip wore him down.
When his third-straight midseason loss this yr resulted in his firing, unlucky timing however arduous to argue, it gave him and the Nittany Nation a contemporary begin.
He’s now discovered an ideal touchdown at Virginia Tech, in all probability the very best job he was going to get this yr, regardless of the bevy of enticing openings.
Franklin’s forte is recruiting, and he’ll be in an space acquainted to him that’s wealthy with prospects.
So in reply to at the moment’s query, what he’ll have to enhance at Virginia Tech is way, significantly better sport administration.
There are too many examples to offer even a partial record of conditions that he and his teaching employees completely botched.
A condensed rundown can be extremely questionable timeout use (or non use), too many blown leads as a result of the run sport couldn’t kill the clock and the protection can be gassed ultimately, horrendous situational soccer (shedding at Indiana in 2020 when taking a knee would have gained the sport), stage fright within the greatest moments vs. the very best groups and a string of offensive coordinators that had been both the flawed match or he ruined.
Apart from that, he did a great job right here.
After all, that’s a little bit like saying, “Effectively, how did you want the remainder of the play, Mrs. Lincoln?”
Not like the Large Ten, which has a longtime kingpin in Ohio State and formidable powers reminiscent of Oregon, Michigan and historically profitable applications like USC, Washington and Iowa, the Atlantic Coast Convention is a reduce under.
To nip the narrative that grew right here, Franklin might want to beat the very best within the league earlier than too lengthy. Meaning Miami. Clemson and Florida State are rebuilding. Tech has a two-game collection with Notre Dame in 2027-28.
Whereas the ACC hasn’t challenged for the Faculty Soccer Playoff title since Clemson’s reign (2015-19), the league has a number of different good however not nice groups in Louisville, Georgia Tech, SMU and Pitt.
Virginia, North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, North Carolina State, Syracuse and Boston Faculty all have revered coaches – some lately prolonged.
With out enchancment on the day of the sport, Franklin gained’t outcoach a lot of them between September and November.
When Franklin obtained it rolling at PSU, he might be counted on for double-digit wins, which might be applauded in Blacksburg for the reason that Hokies are driving six straight shedding seasons and have misplaced seven or extra video games in 5 of the final eight years.
Tech’s greatest document within the final 15 years is 11-3 in 2011.
Brent Pry’s dismissal was accompanied by the varsity’s pledge to speculate $229 million within the athletic program, and Franklin may have no downside spending that. It’s one other factor he’s good at.
He’ll additionally stick his nostril into the schedule, and you may guess your home he wouldn’t have agreed to a non-con that buried Pry by opening with South Carolina and Vanderbilt this yr.
The 2026 non-conference opponents — VMI, Outdated Dominion (led by former Franklin aide Ricky Rahne) and James Madison — are extra his velocity, though he’ll quickly wish to get out of the JMU deal.
He came upon the arduous means that Nevada, Florida Worldwide and Villanova weren’t enough preparation for Penn State this yr.
Simply as anyone on his multi-layered employees might want to advise him on higher scheduling, possibly that very same individual may help coach him up as soon as the ball is kicked off.
Rudel could be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com.
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