Woah, Nelly. I guess bringing the ink to VT is always a good thing, or so
it is said. But dang...James Franklin seems to have a lot of haters following him around repeating that "Big Game James" insult. Franklin said "we won the offseason", and the haters went nuts. Well, guess what? We did win the offseason. And in spectacular fashion. These kinds of articles make me even more on board, and I hope Franklin reads this tripe and puts his nose to the grindstone even harder. Of course he will, and I bet his players will rally around him, too.
Can't wait.
48 Replies
1w
better.
(In response to this post by Coach McGuirk)
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jdkhokie
1w
2023 Louisville New Coach Football Coach Jeff Brahm is asked first question ACC "In talking to people up at Louisville, they talk about when you got there, it was so evident you were wanting to change the culture, whether it was even giving tours of the facilities, making sure people are involved, wanted. How important was that for you from day one to instill a Jeff Brohm/Louisville type culture there?"
2024 Manny Diaz first question asked is "How do you plan to handle following up on the rapid success that Mike Elko had established over the previous 24 months before leaving for Texas A&M, and what specific steps are needed to take to push Duke's program even higher."
2025 Bill Belichick first question asked "Coming to this specific institution and developing these players off the field, why it was right for you to come to North Carolina and develop these Tar Heels?"
2026 James Franklin Virginia Tech is asked "Hey in your tenure your 4 and 21 against top 10 opponents. You face one towards the end of this year against Miami. What are some of the lessons you leaned at Penn State that you can bring over here to bring the winning attitude and mindset to the Hokies"
That was about as backhanded of an insult as they come. I really hope Franklin is successful to a point that he boat races the ACC jackolopes repeatedly.
(In response to this post by Coach McGuirk)
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HokieNL
1w
(In response to this post by jdkhokie)
2w
The institution itself is why they can't get over the top. Too many fans are still living in the Paterno era. Nobody cares about the whiteout (not unique anymore). It's just a rotting program. Not sure who can save it if anyone. In their hearts they probably knew this wasn't a coaching problem.
(In response to this post by Coach McGuirk)
1w
State players and coaches play...................in Blacksburg.
But in all fairness, Penn State will be fine, they may have a rebuilding year, but with a good tradition and a good conference thye will be fine.
(In response to this post by Happy Dog)
It's not a rotting program
They just aren't Michigan or Ohio State.
(In response to this post by Happy Dog)
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VT-ACC
2w
PSU is in no way, shape or form a dying program. I’ve lived in the heart of PSU land for going on 3 decades now. PSU alums to the left and right of me, more across the street. Most of them season tickets holders for years. PSU flags all over. Magnets on cars. Constant coverage and chatter about Coach Campbell. All positive. PSU is a way of life up here. An institution for century plus. I don’t like them - but they aren’t a dying program - and probably never will be because their fanbase gives a crap and has been around forever.
(In response to this post by Happy Dog)
1w
we've been around just as long as they have.
We're both land grant schools. PSU is simply PA's VT and one could say VT is VA's PSU.
We agree. They aren't dying. Paterno did a great job up there. Like Beamer, here. Only, JoPa did more of it, just a touch longer. Then the devil sent in Sandusky....and boom! what a cluster.
(In response to this post by VT-ACC)
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hok1eboy
1w
program, a coaching change sure won't.
(In response to this post by VT-ACC)
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HokieNL
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JoePa: "Hey, guys with more authority than me, we got a guy raping boys in the shower here! But he's my best coordinator. I leave it up to you."
MoreAuthorityThanJoePa: (crickets)
I really feel bad for the Ravens' PA guy, who has the same name, but the first name spelled differently.
You actually had some mooooorons, accusing him being guilty of trying to hide in plain sight, with a different name spelling. 🙄
"There he is! Hiding as a PA Guy! Get him! Get him!! Shoot him with your gun!!!"
** Edited by HokieNL at 7/19/2026, 4:24:21 PM
(In response to this post by hok1eboy)
2w
(In response to this post by VT-ACC)
Is Matt Campbell really a home run hire?
I mean he has only won more than 10 games once in his entire coaching career.
(In response to this post by marcbvtgm)
1w
** Edited by Riverguy at 7/19/2026, 3:27:24 PM
(In response to this post by VaTechHokiesACC)
2w
A large reason for his hiring as well
I’m loving it
(In response to this post by Coach McGuirk)
2w
We won't get that 2 minutes back.
(In response to this post by Coach McGuirk)
1w
Firing of Franklin
(In response to this post by TomTurkey)
2w
Ok, so he didn't win you a national title, didn't win enough at the highest levels, and he isn't in the Saban/Smart/Meyer stratosphere....which seems to be more or less the charge. You fired him, he's gone, took another high paying job saving you tens of millions, so "problem" solved wouldn't you think?
Moreover, they say all this after hiring MATT CAMPBELL? (hilarious!), a guy with exactly one double digit win season to his name. I make no predictions on how well MC might do, but seriously? Keep in mind also...Matt Campbell is going to have 5-6x the NIL budget James Franklin had.
** Edited by Techsupport at 7/17/2026, 11:34:31 AM
(In response to this post by Coach McGuirk)
2w
conference. Franklin was very clear that they need to perform on the field. I know this is not from Penn State but since he was hired I have never seen a fired coach get so much attention from their former employer when they landed the next job. Its just like leaving your girlfriend and then stalking her every move. Only thing that tells me is that they are not confident that they made the right decision.
(In response to this post by Coach McGuirk)
2w
They consciously FIRED a 71% winning coach, and then HIRED a total question mark in Matt Campbell. I'd be hedging my bets as well.
** Edited by Techsupport at 7/17/2026, 11:39:10 AM
(In response to this post by Hokie_Forester)
I think they are equating it to Texas' annual claim to the mythical...
... National Recruiting Championship that never seems to translate into national superiority in on-field performance. But Franklin clearly caveated his statement by acknowledging that it was still to be determined whether they can parlay the recruiting wins to wins on the field. Just haters looking for something to poke at.
(In response to this post by Coach McGuirk)
2w
picking up what he was putting down for the sake of taking shots and/or click bait.
The point I got was that we have accomplished a lot in the offseason and it's all good vibes, but none of that means squat if we don't leverage that momentum and win some games. I understand the way he said it, you could interpret it to be Franklin saying, we had a better offseason than Miami, Clemson, UNC, etc., and maybe he has the kind of hubris to say something like that, but I don't think that was the point.
I know we do the same crap with other coaches - so we would probably be dragging Elliott or Belichick for saying the same thing, but it's kind of silly.
I also get a kick out of PSU's obsession with every newsbyte that mentions him, but we still have fans on the basketball board that will chirp every time Buzz gets a little pub.
(In response to this post by Coach McGuirk)
1w
(Napoleon Dynamite)
"Idiot" (/Napoleon Dynamite)
(In response to this post by hokiehill1117)
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Nocorras
2w
We're stronger faster etc. He wasn't comparing to any other team
(In response to this post by hokiehill1117)
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(In response to this post by Nocorras)
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VTBoar
2w
the preceding and subsequent verses for context.
Franklin said, "I think we have won the offseason. All that’s great. But it’s got to translate and it’s got to transfer to the season.”
That sounds much different from the paraphrased comment, "We won the off season".
(In response to this post by Coach McGuirk)
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74hokie
2w
to harass not the coach they fired but the people who hired the coach they just happened to discard. Reminds me of the mindlessness of a stalker who cannot control any impulse.
(In response to this post by Coach McGuirk)
2w
Warn us about what? Great recruiting classes and 10 win seasons, sign me up for that.
(In response to this post by 74hokie)
2w
before our fans throw in the towel like PSU did to CJF or our Fans did to Stiney & Beamer?
(In response to this post by TekkNerd)
I will give him as many 10-win seasons as he wants. They are hard to do
(In response to this post by Hoakie82)
2w
OC job, good on you. IMO the only reason Frank doesn't have a natty is he didn't believe in scoring a lot of points and thus kept Stiney as his OC. Even a halfway aggressive O wins a championship with some of those defenses IMO.
(In response to this post by Hoakie82)
2w
Our best Recruiters & VT was better off with him then without him & Frank knew it. It also my opinion that disgruntled fans ultimately made recruiting impossible. When fans should’ve been celebrating the cohesion & longevity of VT’s staff thereby helping recruiting efforts many chose to destroy it by hurting recruiting. IIWII.
NiL money has changed everything now.
(In response to this post by Tombo)
2w
mutually exclusive IMO
(In response to this post by Hoakie82)
1w
You think Beamer wanted to take the chance of deflating his best recruiters ego. I get tired of repeating this but the ACC CONFERENCE was a defensive dominate conference in those days. No ACC school had an offense ranked higher than their defense back then. Just like the PAC 12 schools had higher ranked offenses then they did defenses. Thus, it’s not really fair to expect Stiney’s offense to be ranked higher than a pack 12’s school. Plus, on the flip side we’ll never know if Foster could’ve maintained even a top 5 defense had he jumped ship & became a defensive coordinator for a Pack 12 school amongst all those high powered offenses.
(In response to this post by Tombo)
2w
and then he rebuilt them into relevance...and then they fired him for losing to Indiana.... I mean - so.. ya know... Beat VMI
(In response to this post by TekkNerd)
2w
Personally I like Matt Campbell, but let's not pretend he would be on the short list for any P2 school that is looking to win a national title. I just really don't see how he is an upgrade over Franklin in any way.
(In response to this post by bigbadbird)
2w
Not saying he's a bad coach, he did a good job at a tough place to win, and he may do great at PSU with a brand new gigantic budget.
(In response to this post by TekkNerd)
2w
after when Pry was fired. I’d rather have Franklin, but seems like revisionist history to say Campbell wouldn’t have been on our short list. Only reason he might not have been was that no one thought he’d leave Iowa St.
(In response to this post by Techsupport)
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Hokester
2w
Money was the issue cause he wanted $7 million. Can't swear to it and it might have just been TSL chatter.
(In response to this post by Sloth)
2w
Campbell did some great work at Iowa State but his ceiling isn't very high.
(In response to this post by Sloth)
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KCHokie2
2w
Anyway, I've got a book to return.
** Edited by KCHokie2 at 7/16/2026, 10:42:07 PM
(In response to this post by 74hokie)
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Jmac610
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(In response to this post by KCHokie2)
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HokieNL
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(In response to this post by Jmac610)
2w
and now I expect 5 years at Maryland. Will he retire then? I think he gets tired after 5 years or people get tired of him after 5 years.
I got tired of a job after 5 years and moved on.
(In response to this post by HokieNL)
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HokieNL
2w
After the first three years, bolt everything down, including the kitchen sink, to be prepared for when he makes his break for the door.
You know, Buzz is kind of a tease. He'll get you so close, then leave you frustrated, and unsatisfied.
(In response to this post by VaTechie)
2w
That fan base just wants to bring back Paterno from the grave as well as the defensive coordinator who is in jail.
Franklin mentions, programs, that are stuck in the past and slave to tradition without any new perspective.
Not nice people at all.
Sounds like a good bowl match up
(In response to this post by Coach McGuirk)