Marty Gordon
NRVsports@mainstreetnewspapers.com
James Franklin is the new face of Virginia Tech football.
He officially took over the clipboard and whistle two weeks ago and has hit the ground running. But who is James Franklin?
Of course, Hokies fans know him as the former longtime head coach of Penn State, but there’s a lot more layers and background most do not know.
The 53-year-old Franklin brings more than 30 years of coaching experience, most recently serving as head coach at Penn State. Franklin’s career head coaching record is 128-60 and he is one of three active FBS coaches with a 68-plus winning percentage and 14-plus years of head coaching experience.
During his tenure in State College, Franklin revived the Nittany Lions into a consistent force. Under Franklin’s direction, Penn State finished in the top 12 of the final College Football Playoff rankings in seven of the last nine seasons, earned berths in seven New Year’s Six bowl games with four wins, and won the 2016 Big Ten Championship.
Prior to Penn State, Vanderbilt University experienced a record setting transformation on the gridiron under James Franklin’s leadership from 2011 through 2013. In three seasons at the helm, Coach Franklin became the first Vanderbilt coach to guide the team to bowl games in each of his first three campaigns.
In 2012, the Commodores posted a 9-4 mark, earned entries in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Polls for the first time since 1948. The nine wins was most since 1915 and the five SEC victories, a feat not achieved by Vanderbilt since 1935. That same season featured the longest winning streak by a Vanderbilt team since 1948, the longest road winning streak since 1950, and the first home victory over Tennessee in 30 years.
Coach Franklin followed with another 9-win season in 2013, including a decisive 41-24 win in the BBVA Compass Bowl, marking the program’s first back-to-back nine-win campaigns in school history.
“I’m honored and humbled to join the Hokie family,” said Franklin. “My vision is simple: to restore unmatched excellence, to build something that lasts, and to serve this University, the Commonwealth of Virginia and our amazing fan base with honor, integrity, and passion. I look forward to getting to work with our players, our staff, and the entire Virginia Tech community.”
A native of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, Franklin earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from East Stroudsburg University after a standout collegiate career as a quarterback, where he was a four-year letterman and a two-time All-PSAC selection. Franklin graduated having broken or tied 23 school records.
Sports Illustrated named him a “national player of the week during the 1994 season when he threw for 2,586 yards and 14 touchdowns and ran for 543 yards and seven touchdowns. In 1993, Franklin threw for 1,912 yards with 19 scores.
From 1991-94 Franklin amassed 4,687 passing yards with 36 TD’s and ran for 1,077 yards total with 10 TD’s.
Franklin began his coaching career in 1995, coaching wide receivers at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. The following season, he took over as the coach of the defensive secondary for his alma mater, East Stroudsburg. That year, he was also the offensive coordinator for the Roskilde Kings of the Danish American Football Federation. In 1997, he became wide receivers coach at James Madison, and, the following year, became tight ends coach at Washington State.
He then served as the receivers coach at Idaho State and followed that up with NFL, including the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, and Minnesota Vikings
After stops as an assistant at the university of Maryland and Kansas State, Franklin took the opportunity at Vanderbilt.
And lest we not forget to mention, seven of Franklin’s assistants have become head coaches. In addition to Pry, others include Manny Diaz (Duke), Charles Huff (Southern Miss), Joe Moorhead (Akron), Gerad Parker (Troy) and Ricky Rahne (ODU).
Interesting note is that Franklin turned down a $49 million payout to do like other coaches, sit at home. His wife says he has no hobbies. It’s all about football.
So, he decided to jump into the deep end of the Virginia Tech pool and take over a program that is desperately looking for more than seven wins a season. He is familiar with Virginia Tech as his former defensive coordinator Brent Pry tried to right the ship for the past three years before he was dismissed.
Franklin even admitted during his introduction press conference, he talked with Pry about the opening.
“Brent spoke highly about this place,” the new coach said, and also admitted to calling former Tech coach Frank Beamer before accepting the position.
“That was important to me.”
He is embracing his new surroundings and brings his wife, Fumi, and two daughters, Shola and Addison. This will be their home at least for the next few years. The contract is for five years, but in this business of college football, it could be shorter or longer.
