James Franklin: The View From 10,000 Feet

24 Comments

1. 

   bourbonstreet November 25, 2025 at 10:55 PM

   Eye did not know you balled... what Position(s)? Where/when and under who(m)? Any of that really shape anything football in you beyond football itself? b.street
2. 

   Aero81Hokie November 25, 2025 at 8:31 PM

   Thanks Brandon. I appreciated the very balanced 10K view. I'm very excited about all of this but I know no one is perfect and I've been wondering what some cautions might be. Even so - so cool to feeling like perhaps we can finally turn things around. I love this article too because I understood all of it! :-) Is there a understanding defense for dummies book or something. I love your analyses but I confess to not having enough knowledge of X's and O's to always follow stuff. Thanks for all your articles and analyses!
3. 

   earmuffs November 25, 2025 at 2:17 PM

   *milquetoast*
4. 

   TexasHokie89 November 25, 2025 at 1:53 PM

   Great article. Where would Franklin go if he decided to leave VT after 3-4 years? He had his choice of traditional powerhouses. He choose VT. If he gets us to the playoff with teams that could win it all, why would he leave? Yes, money is an obvious answer. At these compensation levels, I'm not sure that is necessarily why he would leave.
5. 

   DW Hokie November 25, 2025 at 1:04 PM

   Brandon, thanks for all the thorough research and balanced analysis. Great info!
6. 

   Cheesehokie November 25, 2025 at 12:07 PM

   An excellent, thorough, and objective analysis. Thanks!
7. 

   Gouker November 25, 2025 at 12:00 PM

   Great article, but you mean milquetoast not "milk toast"
   1. 

      Brandon Patterson November 25, 2025 at 4:25 PM

      Yup. Sad part is, I not only know better, but I caught it and meant to edit it.
   2. 

      MAHist87 November 26, 2025 at 11:14 AM

      In Brandon's defense, he did use the term "emissarial" which is a doozy, so a little slip up on milquetoast is understood to be merely a typo.
8. 

   TomTurkey November 25, 2025 at 11:31 AM

   An irresistible force meeting a movable object.
9. 

   Lancelot Link November 25, 2025 at 11:19 AM

   This article screams the importance of his first OC & DC hires. A Fuente-level guy as OC would be a good start.
10. 

    WestyHokie November 25, 2025 at 11:14 AM

    But you didn't address the most important question, the same one I asked when Pry came to VT: Given Penn State's emphasis on a basic and traditional uniform as its brand, will Franklin get VT's uni back to its maroon-and-white core? DOWN WITH ORANGE!
    1. 

       MDHokie79 November 25, 2025 at 11:34 AM

       I agree Westy...GO HOKIES!
    2. 

       chagerma November 25, 2025 at 11:45 AM

       That's a program thing, not a coach thing. It was a Penn St. staple well before Franklin stepped foot on their campus.
    3. 

       dobrohokie November 25, 2025 at 12:41 PM

       Amen, Westy — get rid of that gross orange … !
    4. 

       Patrickl68 November 25, 2025 at 12:46 PM

       And black and grey and Hokie stone and too many special helmets…
       1. 

          GoneFishin Hokie November 25, 2025 at 2:58 PM

          Amen!
11. 

    134022Hokie November 25, 2025 at 10:48 AM

    Although I read the approval and expectation of improvement by James Franklin in your article today, I do not feel the ground shaking, ear splitting reaction I have read from other Hokie sources. Am I off base or is this just your wait and see to his approach and results? I am expecting much more in the next 2-4 years based on the investment.
    1. 

       Brandon Patterson November 25, 2025 at 4:39 PM

       That's probably just my bubbly personality leaking through. And maybe some wait-and-see regarding the staff.
12. 

    ftsumterhokie November 25, 2025 at 10:26 AM

    If nothing else he will bring renewed interest in the program, facilities upgrade, positive vibes, sellouts, Virginia talent, and 7-10 win seasons. For me? I'll take it. I'm sick of losing to ODU.
13. 

    jfhokie November 25, 2025 at 10:08 AM

    Nice balanced article. I was more in the Chesney camp but the chance to get such high-powered coach was irresistible and it will be interesting to see what a big fish in medium sized pond can do
14. 

    Oldfan November 25, 2025 at 10:01 AM

    One would expect parallels to Coach Pry in method and approach. I wondered about the possibility of the “tight environment” syndrome with him, maybe like Coach Franklin. I thought that was the problem when we lost our first two games against SEC teams, at least one of which we all thought we had to beat. I trust Coach Franklin will not only be ready to bring us to a new level, but to reflect on his and our past and improve.
15. 

    MKD November 25, 2025 at 9:58 AM

    Just overhauling the talent on the team should produce at least 6 wins next year. The other possible 2 to 4 wins will be linked to the O and D coordinators, along with in game coaching decisions.
    1. 

       chagerma November 25, 2025 at 11:44 AM

       I tend to agree with this. With NIL these days, there's a path to immediate success. Indiana, which is not anywhere close to a football school, went from 3-9 to 11-2 the next yr and now they're 11-0 and a lock for the CFP.