Virginia Tech hires Franklin as head coach

Virginia Tech hired James Franklin as its next head coach, the program announced Monday.

Franklin will replace Brent Pry, who was dismissed in September during his fourth season with Hokies. Pry previously served as a defensive coordinator at Penn State under Franklin before establishing a 16-24 record at Virginia Tech.

The 53-year-old Franklin joins Virginia Tech after coaching the Nittany Lions from 2014 until his firing in October. He took them to the College Football Playoff semifinal last season but was dismissed midway through the current campaign following three consecutive losses to Oregon, UCLA, and Northwestern.

The Hokies took a proactive approach to make their coaching vacancy more appealing to prospective candidates. Virginia Tech's board of visitors approved a plan to add $229 million to the school's athletic budget over the next four years following Pry's dismissal.

Franklin brings an established resume to a program that aims to be a contender in the ACC. After a successful three-year tenure at Vanderbilt, he guided Penn State to a Big Ten title in 2016.

Despite Franklin's impressive 104-45 record at the helm of the Nittany Lions, a 4-21 mark against top-10 opponents largely overshadowed his accomplishments.

Franklin recorded six campaigns with double-digit wins at Penn State. Virginia Tech last reached 10 wins during the 2016 season under former coach Justin Fuente.