Overview
- At his Blacksburg introduction, Franklin emphasized modernizing operations across the department and said the program must look, feel, smell and operate like a national contender.
- Franklin said he has already called roughly 40 Hokie commits and top in‑state prospects and expects a large group of recruits at Saturday’s home game.
- Virginia Tech’s commitment includes a recent $229 million athletics funding plan, and AD Whit Babcock hailed the hire as a landmark moment for the program.
- Penn State’s buyout obligation to Franklin was negotiated down to about $9 million due to a 2021 duty‑to‑mitigate clause that offsets future earnings.
- Franklin signaled he will bring core aides with him; reports say longtime Penn State lieutenants Andy Frank and Kevin Threlkel are joining, while figures such as Dabo Swinney and Urban Meyer publicly praised the hire and Penn State AD Pat Kraft congratulated Franklin.