Two days after formally introducing the program’s new head coach, Virginia Tech also has revealed salary terms.

Introduced Wednesday in Blacksburg, Virginia, James Franklin is set to earn more than $40 million in guaranteed money from the school, which signed Franklin to a five-year deal worth $41.75 million.

Fired midseason by Penn State, Franklin also is owed $9 million from the Nittany Lions for the negotiated settlement terms. His Tech salary, of more than $8 million annually plus incentives that could push the annual value into the $9 million range, per sources, essentially matches the overall terms of his former deal at Penn State.

Franklin had mitigation and offset terms in his Penn State deal, but as one source with direct knowledge said, “He isn’t getting a penny less” than he would have made from the Nittany Lions. He was the 16th-highest paid coach in college football this season at an average annual salary of $8.5 million, per the USA Today database. 

Additionally, Virginia Tech officials shared that Franklin’s assistant coaches’ salary pool will nearly double that of predecessor Brent Pry, who earned less than $5 million annually and doled out around $8 million to his assistant coaches and support staff. Pry is owed $6 million from Virginia Tech after his mid-September dismissal.

Franklin, per Tech, will now have more than $15 million to distribute to his assistant coaches, personnel department members and additional program positions.

He’s also added some off-the-field staffers from his former Penn State program, sources told FootballScoop. Andy Frank, Kevin Threlkel, Tristin Iannone and Chris Mahon already have reported to work in Blacksburg, the source told FootballScoop.

The Hokies are trying to salvage their 2026 recruiting class with the National Signing Day early period spanning from Dec. 3-5 next month.

Presently, per 247Sports, Virginia Tech is 17th in the 17-team ACC recruiting rankings and 119th overall.

The Hokies play their final home game of the 2025 season Saturday afternoon when they host. College Football Playoff-ranked No. 13 Miami, which is trying to keep alive both its hopes for an ACC Championship game appearance and potential CFP bid.

Virginia Tech concludes its regular season Nov. 29 at in-state rival Virginia in the ‘Commonwealth Clash.’

Interim coach Philip Montgomery won two-straight games after taking over for the fired Pry but since has seen the Hokies drop four of their last five contests. Tech will finish with a second straight losing season and has lost six or more games in six consecutive seasons.Â