James Franklin made a major concession to Penn State before agreeing to become the new head coach at Virginia Tech.
Franklin and Penn State negotiated the former coach’s buyout down to $9 million recently, according to Brandon Marcello of CBS Sports. That is a huge departure from the $49 million Franklin was originally entitled to.
Penn State and James Franklin recently negotiated his buyout down to $9 million, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) November 17, 2025
His contract called for a buyout of $49 million to be paid through 2031, which could be offset by future earning at another job. He’s now headed to Virginia Tech. pic.twitter.com/cWrg2EfPdJ
This may be something of a hint about what Franklin will wind up making at Virginia Tech. The original $49 million buyout would have been offset by his earnings at a new job. This may simply be formalizing that.
Franklin has agreed to become the new head coach at Virginia Tech, which is a clear statement of intent for the program. Though he has been derided for his inability to get over the top in big games, he is regarded as a good program builder who could make a school like Virginia Tech nationally relevant again. They likely invested a good sum of money in Franklin to get him to take the job.
The Hokies are just 3-7 this season. Former head coach Brent Pry, a former Franklin assistant, was fired in September.
