Following a shaky 2025 start, Penn State decided to part ways with James Franklin, which came as a shock to the former PSU head coach after investing 11 years of his life in the program. That heartbreak pushed Franklin to contemplate his coaching career. Fortunately, the constant encouragement from his loved ones became the reason he returned as a coach.

“I got a guaranteed contract. I don’t have to work, but my wife [Fumi Franklin] and my agent were like, ‘Look, you need to go work,'” said James Franklin during his May 7 appearance on Next Up with Adam Breneman. “Because not only are you going to drive yourself crazy, you’re going to drive them crazy. And then they both convinced me to go on College GameDay at Georgia.”

When PSU fired James Franklin after a 3-3 record in 2025, he had six more years (from 2026 to 2031) left on his contract, which happened because of the 2021 coaching carousel. LSU and USC pursued Franklin, but Penn State quickly shut down rumors and extended his contract.

Franklin’s $85M contract was validated in 2024, when he led PSU to its first CFP appearance. In fact, PSU made an appearance in the semifinals. Despite that, last year’s rocky start ended his journey with PSU.

The $48M buyout made Franklin’s departure costly for Penn State. The buyout reduction opened a path forward. Franklin’s family push and other factors influenced the coach to take a job at Virginia Tech. After accepting the head coaching job for the Hokies, his PSU buyout dropped drastically. Later, it stood around $9M. But James Franklin had other options, too. Like Kelly, who took a TV role, Franklin could have demanded a full buyout.

Franklin was clear about his next move. When Adam asked if he was really considered for not coaching for a year at that point, the former PSU head coach was candid.

“I think the biggest thing, Adam, is just you want to take this job with a clear mind and a clear heart and not be the bitter ball coach. And I wanted to make sure if I was going to take one of these jobs that I could truly give myself to the program, to the players, and you don’t have a whole lot of time,” said Franklin.

“I think there’s a ton of value in being out of work and being able to go visit people and gain that perspective, or doing TV. I just don’t think I’m ready to do that yet in my career.”

Franklin was worried about whether he could give his all to a program after the post-PSU era. However, he wasn’t ready to leave his own field. Family support worked as a catalyst, and he ultimately ended up at Virginia Tech. While homes change, the goal remains the same. This season, James Franklin will attempt to fulfill his title run dream with the Hokies.