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Virginia Tech

James Franklin opens up on remaining staff hires: 'Rolling in a thousand different directions'

FaceProfileby: Thomas Goldkamp12/31/25

New Virginia Tech coach James Franklin has had as much time as just about any of the new college football head coaching hires to get his house in order before the transfer portal opens on Jan. 2. He’s feeling good about where he’s at.

That’s not to say things are 100% finalized in Blacksburg. Franklin joined an ACC Network broadcast of a basketball game between Virginia Tech and Virginia on Wednesday and spoke about what he has left on the docket.

“We’ve pretty much got the staff put together now,” Franklin said. “Got one position to fill: safeties, co-DC position. But we’re rolling in a thousand different directions.”

James Franklin was officially introduced as the new Virginia Tech head coach on Nov. 17, so he’s had about a month and a half to get settled. He still hasn’t slowed down, he said.

“It’s been crazy, obviously recruiting at a high school level,” Franklin explained. “Recruiting now with the transfer portal. Trying to put my staff together. I’m here sitting with you guys today, not to talk necessarily about basketball, but it looks like a bunch of tight ends, D-ends and wide receivers out there. So I’m trying to get some work done from that standpoint.”

James Franklin familiar with ACC territory

While Virginia Tech was taking on rival Virginia in the background, Franklin had a chance to discuss his familiarity with the ACC footprint. He’s spent the last decade plus at Penn State, but he has prior experience recruiting the conference.

He broke down some of those ties. And noted he knows just how important the Virginia rivalry will be moving forward.

“Obviously all the way back from my days at Maryland, this is a place that is passionate about football and is passionate about really all of their sports,” James Franklin said. “It just figures, though, I get the job right after Virginia wins the… is in competition for the ACC championship and wins 10 or 11 games. Obviously Manny Diaz has done a great job over there at Duke. Proud of him, he was on my staff at Penn State. But obviously this is a big rivalry. I understand what it means to the state.”