Tag: Hokies

Nov 19, 2025; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Athletic Director Whit Babcock speaks at the press conference announcing James Franklin as head coach at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech AD Whit Babcock moving into new role

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock will end that role on June 30 and move into a position as athletics director emeritus on July 1, the school announced Thursday.

Babcock has been the AD for 12 years, beginning in January 2014. He is the second-longest tenured athletic director in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“I’ve always believed in giving everything you have to this role, and I’m proud of the commitment we’ve made to Virginia Tech over the years,” Babcock said in a news release. “While I had been considering this type of transition, likely next year, the demands of the role and the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics have required a lot of thoughtful reflection regarding my work-life balance, my desire to focus on family, my health and the next chapter for me.

“I know that now is the right time to retire as AD and allow new leadership and new energy to carry the momentum forward. When you can’t continue to give it 100% every day, it was just time.”

One of Babcock’s final hires was landing former Penn State coach James Franklin as the Hokies’ new football coach.

Virginia Tech put together 25 consecutive winning seasons from 1993-2017 — the first 23 under Frank Beamer — but now is in a rut of six losing seasons in eight campaigns.

“It weighs heavily on me that we have not yet reached the level of football success our fans so deeply deserve,” Babcock said. “This program means too much to too many for anything less. I am confident that with Coach Franklin, along with the Invest To Win support, the foundation is in place for our program to elevate and remain at a nationally-elite level.”

Babcock was one of four FBS Under Armour Athletic Directors of the Year for the 2017-18 athletic season.

–Field Level Media

Reports: James Franklin hires Penn St.’s Ty Howle as Va. Tech OC

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James Franklin brought a former Penn State assistant coach with him to Virginia Tech to serve as offensive coordinator, hiring Ty Howle on Tuesday, according to several reports.

Howle had worked on Franklin’s staff at Penn State since 2020, when he joined as an analyst. He’s also a Penn State alum, having played offensive line for the Nittany Lions from 2009-13.

Howle, 34, became the Nittany Lions’ tight ends coach in 2021 and added co-offensive coordinator to his job titles beginning in 2022.

He previously spent four seasons on the offensive coaching staff at FCS Western Illinois.

Despite a disappointing campaign that led to Franklin’s midseason dismissal, Penn State still averaged 31.8 points per game in 2025, which tied for 36th in FBS.

The hire follows another Franklin flip from Penn State last week, when four-star quarterback prospect Troy Huhn became the most high-profile player in the Class of 2026 to change his commitment from the Nittany Lions to the Hokies.

–Field Level Media

Four-star QB Troy Huhn following James Franklin to Virginia Tech

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Four-star quarterback Troy Huhn became the latest player to follow former Penn State head coach James Franklin to Virginia Tech, announcing his commitment to the Hokies’ Class of 2026 Monday.

Huhn, who is ranked as the No. 21 quarterback in the 2026 class by the 247Sports composite, initially committed to Penn State in June 2024. He decommitted four days after Franklin was fired in mid-October when the Nittany Lions — No. 2 in the AP preseason poll — lost 22-21 to visiting Northwestern and fell to 3-3 on the season and 0-3 in the Big Ten.

A 6-foot-4, 215-pounder, Huhn completed 75% of his passes for 2,438 yards and 29 touchdowns with eight rushing scores in his senior season at Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, Calif., per ESPN.

Huhn’s announcement came hours after three-star quarterback recruit Cole Bergeron, ranked No. 34 by the 247Sports composite, decommitted from Virginia Tech.

The move by Huhn marks the fifth player to switch from committing to Penn State to Virginia Tech since Franklin’s move. Others changing uniforms are running back Messiah Mickens, tight end Pierce Petersohn and offensive tackles Marlen Bright and Roseby Lubintus.

–Field Level Media

No. 18 Virginia stuffs Virginia Tech, reaches ACC title game

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J’Mari Taylor rushed for 80 yards and one touchdown and also passed for a score to help No. 18 Virginia roll to an easy 27-7 victory over visiting Virginia Tech in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday night at Charlottesville, Va.

Chandler Morris completed 21 of 35 passes for 182 yards and added a rushing score for the Cavaliers (10-2, 7-1 ACC), who will play in the ACC championship game on Dec. 6 against either SMU or Duke.

Sage Ennis caught a touchdown pass as Virginia defeated the Hokies for just the third time in the past 25 meetings. The other victories came in 2003 and 2019.

Shamarius Peterkin turned a short pass from Kyron Drones into a 57-yard touchdown play to keep the Hokies (3-9, 2-6) from being shut out. Drones completed 4 of 16 passes for 78 yards, one TD and two interceptions for Virginia Tech.

The Hokies lost their fourth straight game and recorded their second three-win season in the past four campaigns.

Ex-Penn State coach James Franklin now takes over the reins of the program.

Virginia had edges of 380-197 in total offense and 25-6 in first downs while cruising to its second ACC title game appearance. The other was in 2019.

The Cavaliers also tied the program record of 10 victories, set in 1989.

Virginia Tech’s first possession ended with Drones being intercepted by Maddox Marcellus and its second was stymied when John Love was wide right on a 45-yard field-goal attempt.

The Hokies then failed to get a first down on eight straight possessions. They went three-and-out and punted on seven consecutive drives before Drones threw a third-down interception to Antonio Clary to end the next one with 9:16 left in the game.

Virginia scored its first points on Taylor’s 1-yard run with 7:26 left in the first quarter.

The Cavaliers went the trickery route for their second score. Taylor took a direct snap and tossed a floater over the linemen to Ennis for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 with 4:33 left in the first half.

Virginia increased its lead to 17 on Will Bettridge’s 27-yard field goal with 7:28 left in the third quarter.

Morris scored on an 8-yard run to make it 24-0 with 46 seconds remaining in the third.
Clary’s interception set up Bettridge’s 32-yard field goal with 6:24 left in the game.

Virginia Tech got its initial first down since the first quarter on its next offensive play when Drones gained 10 yards on a keeper.

Three plays later, the Hokies faced fourth-and-2 from their own 43. Drones tossed a slant to Peterkin, who caught the ball at the Virginia Tech 47 and raced by two defenders and into the clear en route to the touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Virginia Tech’s James Franklin gets 5-year, $42M deal

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New Virginia Tech football coach James Franklin’s five-year contract is worth at least $41.75 million, according to documents released by the school.

The deal disclosed on Friday is largely backloaded, with Franklin earning $6 million in 2026 and up to $13.25 million in the final year of the agreement in 2030.

Franklin, 53, was hired Monday to replace Brent Pry, his former defensive coordinator at Penn State, who was fired in September after going 0-3 this season and 16-24 over four seasons with the Hokies.

Penn State fired Franklin on Oct. 12 after a 3-3 start to the season. He was 104-45 in 12 seasons there, guiding the Nittany Lions to the 2024 College Football Playoff and a 2016 Big Ten championship.

Franklin’s perks in Blacksburg include bonuses of up to $800,000 annually based on television viewership, as well as bonuses for appearances in the ACC championship game or College Football Playoff.

Virginia Tech also has committed more than $15 million for Franklin’s assistant coaches and support staff. Franklin told ESPN he also anticipates significant facility upgrades and other infrastructure investments.

“I’m going to walk the facility and make it very obvious that, these things are nice and first class, and these things are dated and problematic and we need to get them fixed and fixed fast,” Franklin said. “There’s work that needs to be done. But there’s also promises that have been made. That’s all of it.”

Philip Montgomery has been the interim coach since the firing of Pry. The Hokies are 3-4 under Montgomery with games against No. 13 Miami on Saturday and No. 19 Virginia on Nov. 29 remaining.

–Field Level Media

James Franklin: Virginia Tech not going to ‘lead with money’ in NIL era

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New Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin said he still plans to build the football program on long-term player development and old-school values, despite the significant recent shifts in college sports in the NIL era.

“I’m a big believer that this is still a developmental game for young men — developing them on the football field, developing them in the classroom, and developing them to be prepared for the next phase of their lives,” Franklin said in his introductory press conference Wednesday.

“I still believe you can run your program with an old-school perspective. I want this to be transformational, not transactional.”

Franklin, 53, was hired Monday to replace Brent Pry, his former defensive coordinator at Penn State, who was fired in September after going 0-3 this season and 16-24 over four seasons with the Hokies.

Franklin boasts a 128-60 record over 15 seasons at the helm of Penn State and Vanderbilt. He took the Nittany Lions to the 2024 College Football Playoff and won the 2016 Big Ten championship. His 104 wins in 12 seasons at Penn State were second-most in school history, and he is one of just three active FBS coaches with a winning percentage at 68% or higher over the past 14 seasons.

The Langhorne, Pa., native, who served as an assistant at Maryland and James Madison, heavily recruited the I-95 corridor while at Penn State, including the DMV area — a major recruitment area for Virginia Tech.

While saying that Virginia Tech must stay competitive in the NIL environment, he also said money is not going to be one of the top three selling points when it comes to recruiting players.

“We’re not going to lead with money,” he said Wednesday. “I want young men to choose our program because it’s where they want to be. But we do need to be competitive with other schools, because it doesn’t make sense to ask these young people to walk away from significant money.”

Franklin acknowledged the challenges created by the recent dramatic acceleration of movement within the transfer portal and the related focus on NIL by many athletes. However, he said he doesn’t believe the Hokies have to abandon previous ways of building a solid program and that he doesn’t want to become too dependent on the portal.

“In Year 1, we’ll probably use the portal differently than we will in future years,” Franklin said. “… If you’re a portal team and you live by the portal, then every year you’re going to have to live by the portal. It’s hard to ever get out of that cycle.”

Virginia Tech last won 10 games in 2016. Frank Beamer led the Hokies to 10 or more wins in each season from 2004-11.

Philip Montgomery is the interim coach after the firing of Pry. The Hokies are 3-4 under Montgomery with games against Miami and Virginia Tech remaining.

–Field Level Media

Reports: Virginia Tech close to hiring James Franklin

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A month after he was fired by Penn State, James Franklin will soon be the new head coach at Virginia Tech, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

Franklin, 53, boasts a 128-60 record over 15 seasons at the helm of Penn State and Vanderbilt. He took the Nittany Lions to the 2024 College Football Playoff and won the 2016 Big Ten championship.

However, Franklin was dismissed on Oct. 12 after Penn State — No. 2 in the AP preseason poll — lost 22-21 to visiting Northwestern and fell to 3-3 on the season and 0-3 in the Big Ten. Terry Smith was named interim coach and is 1-3 since Franklin was let go.

Franklin succeeds Brent Pry, his former defensive coordinator at Penn State, who went 0-3 this season and 16-24 over four seasons with the Hokies.

To help entice potential coaches to come to Blacksburg, Va., the Hokies’ Board of Visitors passed a plan designed to add $229 million to the athletics budget over the next four years following Fry’s dismissal.

Meanwhile, Penn State, which initially owed Franklin $49 million for his contract, will likely owe him much less depending on the terms of his deal with Virginia Tech.

Arriving in Happy Valley in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal, Franklin guided the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl appearance as the program worked to resurrect its reputation.

Franklin’s main difficulty at the helm of the Nittany Lions was winning the big game, as he finished 4-21 against AP Top 10 opponents. He guided the program to six double-digit win seasons, including three straight from 2022-24.

Virginia Tech last won 10 games in 2016. Frank Beamer led the Hokies to 10 or more wins in each season from 2004-11.

Franklin, who served as an assistant at Maryland and James Madison, heavily recruited the I-95 corridor while at Penn State, including the DMV area — a major recruitment area for Virginia Tech.

–Field Level Media

Report: Virginia Tech in talks with James Franklin

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Virginia Tech is in the “early stages” of talks with former Penn State coach James Franklin, ESPN reported Saturday.

There is “mutual interest between the parties” and a decision could be made in the coming days, per the report.

Virginia Tech fired head coach Brent Pry on Sept. 14 after an 0-3 start to his fourth season in Blacksburg. The final straw was a 45-26 home loss to Old Dominion the day before his dismissal.

The Hokies (3-6, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) are 3-3 under interim coach Philip Montgomery heading into Saturday night’s contest at Florida State (4-5, 1-5).

Penn State fired Franklin on Oct. 12 following a 3-3 start to his 12th season with the Nittany Lions. He ended his tenure with a three-game losing streak against Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern.

Including three seasons at Vanderbilt (2011-13), Franklin owns a career record of 128-60 (.681) that includes an 8-7 record in bowl games. He led Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024.

Franklin, 53, is owed a reported $45 million buyout from Penn State. He also has been linked to the coaching vacancy at Arkansas.

–Field Level Media

Nov 1, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Louisville Cardinals defensive back Antonio Watts (9) tackles Virginia Tech Hokies running back Marcellous Hawkins (27) during the first quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Keyjuan Brown sparks dominant second half as No. 16 Louisville downs Virginia Tech

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Keyjuan Brown scored twice in the second half to lead the No. 16 Louisville Cardinals, who rallied for a 28-16 victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies Saturday in Blacksburg, Va.

Brown needed only 12 carries to get 94 yards. He scored the go-ahead touchdown for Louisville (7-1, 4-1 ACC) with 5:01 left in the third quarter on a 2-yard plunge. Then, on the same drive that leading running back Isaac Brown went down with a leg injury, he sealed the win with a 24-yard scoring run with 2:16 left in the game.

The Cardinals defense, which entered Saturday ranked 14th nationally allowing just 286.3 yards, limited the Hokies (3-6, 2-3) to just 240. Only 99 of those came in the second half as Louisville shut out their hosts after halftime.

Louisville got 231 yards on the ground. Isaac Brown ran 16 times for 126 yards and a 52-yard touchdown, but he grabbed his leg after going out of bounds with 5:40 left in the game.

The Cardinals struck quickly. After forcing the Hokies to punt, they needed just two plays to go up 7-0 on Isaac Brown’s big play just 2:02 into the game. The sophomore who entered Saturday with an FBS-best 8.7 yards per carry now has busted out five runs of 50 or more yards this season.

The rest of the half, though, belonged to the Hokies, who took advantage of short fields and a couple big plays on defense and special teams.

Isaiah Cash picked off a Moss pass, giving Virginia Tech the ball at the Louisville 37. Nine plays later, Kyron Drones tied the game on a 3-yard run with 1:57 left in the first quarter. The Hokies took the lead on Louisville’s next drive thanks to P.J. Prioleau blocking a punt that rolled through the end zone for a safety with :52 to go in the first 15 minutes.

Drones extended the lead to 16-7 with 8:25 left in the first half, throwing a 5-yard scoring pass to Cameron Seldon. That capped an eight-play, 54-yard drive.

Drones completed just 11 of 24 passes for 76 yards. The Hokies quarterback also got 85 rushing yards on 14 carries.

–Field Level Media

Louisville’s Isaac Brown runs the ball against Virginia at L&N Stadium Saturday. Oct. 4, 2025

Ground games on display as No. 16 Louisville faces Virginia Tech

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Although No. 16 Louisville has been anchored by its defense all season, coach Jeff Brohm is hoping that unit can get off to a better start this Saturday when his team faces Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.

That defense ranks second in the conference and 14th nationally by giving up just 286.3 yards per game. However, opponents have been able to put points on the board early against the Cardinals (6-1, 3-1 ACC), with 44 of the 150 points allowed coming in the first quarter.

Boston College scored 10 points on its first two drives last week and led by three before the Cardinals scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the second quarter en route to a 38-24 victory. The Eagles’ success on those early drives was a key reason Louisville’s defense was on the field for nearly 24 minutes in the first half.

Brohm told reporters Monday he thought the defense was “a little more vanilla” than it had been at the start of other games. That allowed the Eagles to move the chains.

“After those first two drives, the ability to get off the field on third down increased and went way higher,” he said. “So I thought we improved as the game went on, but yes, we need to start better.”

Both the Cardinals and the Hokies (3-5, 2-2) are coming off their best offensive ground games of the season. Paced by Isaac Brown’s 205 yards on 14 carries, Louisville needed just 31 attempts to garner 317 yards while the Hokies had a pair of 100-yard rushers as they racked up 357 yards in their 42-34 double-overtime home win over Cal last Friday.

Running back Marcellous Hawkins (21 carries, 167 yards) and quarterback Kyron Drones (21, 137) each reached 100 yards rushing for the first time this season, with the latter scoring twice.

“Both of them did a really nice job, after contact, of picking up yards, too,” interim coach Philip Montgomery said Tuesday. “Ran very physically, did a great job with their vision, and when they had an opportunity for an explosive run, they hit them.”

The Hokies’ running game averages 184.3 yards per game, fourth-best in the conference, but it leads the league with an average of 231 in four ACC games. Louisville’s rushing defense also is fourth-best in the conference, yielding just 105.3 yards per game, and in conference games only, that average drops to 86.8.

Brown ranks second among ACC backs, averaging 93.1 yards per game, and that’s even with him being limited in three games with a lower leg injury. His 8.7 yards-per-carry average leads all eligible players, and that’s due to his big-play capabilities. In a season and a half with Louisville, 48 of Brown’s 240 carries have resulted in a gain of 10 or more yards. The Cardinals are also 8-1 when he records 100 yards in a game.

Saturday marks the first time the Cardinals have made the trek to face the Hokies since joining the conference 11 years ago. They will venture into a stadium where they’ve never won. Louisville is 0-3 in Blacksburg, with the last game there a 41-13 loss in 1991.

–Field Level Media