Former Penn State coach James Franklin and Virginia Tech are in the early stages of talks, with some resolution on his candidacy expected in the coming days, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Saturday.
Virginia Tech is still running a full search, but it’s clear there is mutual interest between the parties, sources said.
Virginia Tech fired coach Brent Pry on Sept. 14, a day after a 45-26 home loss to Old Dominion dropped the Hokies to 0-3 to start the season.
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Penn State fired Franklin on Oct. 12 after 12 seasons following three straight losses, culminating with the Nittany Lions dropping their second straight home game when they fell to Northwestern 22-21 in front of a stunned crowd at Happy Valley.
Less than a year removed from an appearance in the College Football Playoff semifinals, Franklin’s program appeared to hit a new low when the Nittany Lions traveled to Los Angeles two weeks prior to that only to lose to UCLA, a team that not only was winless but hadn’t previously held a lead all season.
Earlier in the season, when the three-game losing streak began against Oregon at Happy Valley, Franklin fell to 4-21 at Penn State against AP top-10 opponents, including 1-18 against top-10 Big Ten teams in conference games. Franklin’s .160 winning percentage against top-10 teams is tied for the third-worst record by a coach (minimum 25 games) at a single school since the poll era began in 1936, according to ESPN Research.
Franklin won 104 games and reached double-digit wins six times in 11 seasons at Penn State, including the previous three.
