James Franklin’s firing at Penn State last fall came as quite a surprise, but it didn’t take long for him to land on his feet.
Franklin’s name came up in multiple searches last year, but he ultimately took the job at Virginia Tech, replacing Brent Pry — whom he chose to retain as defensive coordinator. The hire seemed to infuse new energy (and financial investment) into the program as Franklin looks to bring the Hokies back to the success they saw under longtime former coach Frank Beamer.
Speaking of the VT legend, Franklin revealed at ACC media days on Thursday that he made a bit of a bizarre gesture before formally accepting the job in Blacksburg — asking Beamer for his blessing.
Virginia Tech’s James Franklin said he called Frank Beamer to “ask for his blessing” to take the Hokies job
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 16, 2026
James Franklin hopes to lead Virginia Tech out of post-Beamer slump
Since Beamer’s retirement following the 2015 season, the Hokies have finished ranked just twice, both in the two years after his departure under his replacement, Justin Fuente. Things fell apart under Fuente and Pry, though, and in the years since 2017, the Hokies have a 44-55 record.
With a lot of hype around the program for the first time in several years, there’s hope that Franklin — who has been something of a turnaround artist in his career — can quickly get this program back to ACC contention.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: James Franklin reveals bizarre step before accepting Virginia Tech job
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