By: Matthew Weatherby
James Franklin has accepted the job at Virginia Tech. Now, if you’re Pat Kraft and Penn State, you are on the clock. While some people may not see it that way, this hiring should not only get the wheels turning for Penn State and their coaching search, but it should be full steam ahead. As for the Virginia Tech side of things, they managed to hit a Grand Slam 16 days after the World Series had concluded.
What Franklin can do for Virginia Tech
For the fans, boosters, and the entire University of Virginia Tech, you have to be ecstatic with this hire. I mean, the last time around, you were hiring this guy’s Defensive Coordinator in the hope that he could replicate what Franklin had built at Penn State. When this hire got announced, not only did you get a guy who has been one of the top 10 to 15 coaches over the past eightish years in college football, but this also signals a larger investment in the program.
Franklin is a coach who was consistently sitting somewhere between 12-18 in the recruiting rankings. That is a very attainable goal for him to accomplish at Virginia Tech. Plus, he remains in the heart of the same recruiting ground that he recruited better than almost anyone during his time at Penn State.
Everything James Franklin did at Penn State is attainable at Virginia Tech. The only difference is that Virginia Tech sits in a conference without a true top tier. That was where Franklin struggled at Penn State, as pointed out by every media outlet every time he lost to Ohio State. Without that kind of roadblock in the way in the ACC, it feels like a place where Franklin can achieve a level of success he hasn’t reached before.
What it means for Penn State
It may sound a bit dramatic, but this should start a clock for Penn State. This isn’t like a domino falling, and it isn’t going to cause some chain reaction in the coaching cycle. But it should create some urgency in Happy Valley. It allows Penn State to be much freer financially. When Franklin took the job, it knocked his buyout number down to 9 million. A number that was previously around 49 million
The rumors are that the Board of Trustees and AD Pat Kraft have at least one big swing left to take. But if that big swing is ultimately a miss, then you are left with your “backup” options and a shorter clock than before. The reason that I keep referencing some clock is that the less closure or understanding of the situation, players, and recruits have, the less likely they are to stick around.
This is a typical set of issues to encounter when searching for a new coach. What isn’t normal about it for Penn State is that their former head coach is now actively recruiting against the school. Players from their current class are definitely not safe. There are currently 6 Penn State football commits that have visits scheduled for Virginia Tech this weekend alone.
You also have the added impact that the transfer portal allows. In a couple of short weeks, a lot of Penn State fans may be looking at who is leaving in the portal and realizing the true impact of firing Franklin.
All of this I just said could very much be a doomsday approach to the whole situation. But I just can’t forget the feeling I had when they fired Franklin. Just the thought of what in the world, why? Why would you pull the trigger so fast on a guy who gave you everything you could have asked for during his time there?
However, for all the issues, I believe Penn State and Pat Kraft created by firing Franklin. I also think all could be solved if they could convince a certain someone to leave Tuscaloosa. No, not that one, he’ll be on GameDay til he doesn’t want to work anymore.
