If you root for the Virginia Tech Hokies, life has never been better. Especially if you’re a Virginia Tech football fan. The Hokies reached a new low last September, falling behind to Old Dominion 28-0 at halftime before losing 45-26.
Tech fell to 0-3, and head coach Brent Pry lost his job.
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Amazingly, almost 10 full months have passed since that depressing night in Blacksburg. Pry is back. This time, as new head coach James Franklin’s defensive coordinator.
What happened last fall was a perfect storm for Virginia Tech. From Pry’s dismissal to Penn State unexpectedly firing Franklin and to VT’s renewed commitment to athletics, the Hokies finally landed a difference-making coach. Of course, we want to reiterate that none of it would’ve been possible without Virginia Tech finally realizing how important it was to be successful at football.
Franklin has done all the right things since his arrival. He’s made the roster better — for now and the future. He has another top class coming in 2027. The Hokies actually landed one of the top quarterback prospects in the country. Speaking of quarterbacks, Virginia Tech landed one of the transfer portal’s top QBs, Ethan Grunkemeyer, in January.
But Penn State fans remain obsessed with Franklin. If you see a comment from a VT fan showing excitement for the Hokies or Franklin, said Penn State fan will find your comment and interject. Instead of being happy with their 13th choice for head coach, they remain obsessed with Franklin
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Anyhow, speaking of criticisms, one of college football’s most notable media members, Paul Finebaum, recently had his own criticisms of Franklin.
“Well, he’s not,” Finebaum said on a recent edition of the “Paul Finebaum Show” on whether he thought Franklin was a great coach, per Jaron Spor of SI. “You’ve got to remember the media is not overly analytical when it comes to people they like. Franklin got out. Nobody remembered he was fired by the end of the year. He’s doing ‘GameDay,’ sucking up to everybody… He’s got an easier job. It’s a better fit for him. He’s followed a bunch of losers at Virginia Tech, so it shouldn’t be very difficult for him.”
OK, Paul. Sorry he isn’t Lane Kiffin, or any SEC coach for that matter. If you reside outside of the SEC, Paul thinks you suck. That’s just who he is. I’m sure he made a few Penn State fans happy. Honestly, no one cares what Finebaum thinks, but it’s the slow time of the year, so we thought we’d humor our readers with some nonsense.
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Ask almost any Virginia Tech fan, and they’ll tell you how excited they are about the Hokies again. That’s thanks to Franklin. We’ll see what happens when the games begin, but it sure beats how everyone felt 12 months ago, when fans were still talking about the Metallica concert rather than the upcoming football season.
