James Franklin the favorite to be named coach at historic college football program

James Franklin is reportedly a strong candidate for the head coaching position at Virginia Tech, according to predictive markets and reports. Franklin, the former Penn State head coach, is currently favored with a 73% chance to take over at Virginia Tech, as per the predictive market Kalshi. Other candidates include James Madison's Bob Chesney and USF's Alex Golesh, with Jon Gruden also in contention.

Franklin, who was dismissed from Penn State, led the team to significant success, including a 13-3 record and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2024. His potential move to Virginia Tech is part of a broader coaching carousel, with Franklin also being linked to possible openings at Florida, LSU, and Florida State, should the Seminoles part ways with Mike Norvell. Virginia Tech, which has struggled to replicate past successes, is seeking a coach to rejuvenate the program, having not achieved eight wins since 2019. Franklin's previous association with Virginia Tech's former defensive