It appears the search for the next football coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies is focused on one name: former Penn State coach James Franklin. Yes, you read that correctly. While no deal is official, the smoke is picking up around Franklin and Virginia Tech.

With the matchup a couple days away, we have our first inclination as to who could play, and will not. On Thursday, the ACC released the first availability report for Louisville's matchup vs. Virginia Tech. An updated report will come out at 8:00 p.m. EST on Friday, and a final report will then be released two hours before kickoff.

Virginia Tech is another. However, for the right head coach, it's one of the best jobs available. The Hokies used to be a perennial power in the ACC, even reaching the BCS National Championship game when Michael Vick was the quarterback.

Why did Virginia Tech football's Brent Pry era not work out and what should the Hokies look for in a new coach? As VT's coaching search approaches November with a crowded 2025-26 FBS carousel, 247Sports surveyed established high school coaches from the region.

Any member of Tech’s eight-person search committee with a preconceived notion of who the next coach should be is doing the process a disservice.

After averaging 3.6 wins in his first three seasons at Virginia, Tony Elliott has the Cavs at 7-1 and ranked No. 15 nationally.

Cal finished its 2025 East Coast schedule at 1-1 with its come-from-ahead 42-34 OT loss at Virginia Tech last Friday night.

The Virginia Tech football program was built on defense under Frank Beamer and Bud Foster. The defense has fallen off after the Beamer regime ended, and the Hokies’ identity doesn’t seem to have the same blue-collar mentality Beamer built in Blacksburg.