James Franklin may not be unemployed that long.
The ex-Penn State coach is in “early stages of talks” that could result in him being hired as Virginia Tech’s next coach, according to ESPN.
There reportedly is mutual interest between the parties, although Virginia Tech is conducting a full search.
James Franklin during his tenure as Penn State coach. Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
A decision on his candidacy should come soon, per the outlet.
Franklin is a free agent after Penn State dumped him after six games this season following a rough start to a campaign that began with championship aspirations.
Penn State started the season ranked No. 2, but lost in home in overtime to then-No. 6 Oregon and the wheels fell off.
Franklin, 53, had developed a reputation for losing big games but winning the ones he should, yet the Nittany Lions shockingly lost to then-winless UCLA and Northwestern.
Penn State then moved on despite owing him a roughly $49 million buyout.
“Football is our backbone. We’ve invested at the highest level. With that comes high expectations,” Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft said last month. “Ultimately, I believe a new leader can help us win a national championship, and now is the right time for this change.”
The Virginia Tech Hokie Bird. Brian Bishop-Imagn Images
Franklin made it clear that while Penn State may not have believed he could win a title, he still thinks he’ll eventually hoist the trophy.
He went 104-45 spanning 12 seasons with the program.
James Franklin was criticized for not winning big games with Penn State. Getty Images
“I thought we were gonna win a national championship there,” Franklin said on “College GameDay” in his first comments after being axed. “We were close. That goal hasn’t changed. We’re just gonna go win a national championship somewhere else now.”
Winning a national title with Virginia Tech may be wishful thinking, but Franklin has made a career of building up programs and turning them into contenders.
He went 24-15 in three years with Vanderbilt, a challenging job due to the school’s academic prowess and being an SEC member, before turning Penn State into a national title and Big Ten contender.
Virginia Tech is in the market for a coach after firing Brent Pry following an 0-3 start to his fourth season.
He went 16-24 in his tenure, with the school dismissing him after a loss to Old Dominion.
Virginia Tech fired coach Brent Pry earlier this season. AP
Philip Montgomery is serving as the interim coach and the Hokies are 3-6 entering Saturday night’s road game against Florida State.
The Hokies last won 10 games in 2016 and have reached double-digit victories in just one of the last 14 seasons, including this year’s capaign.