Tag: Virginia Tech

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

No. 18 Virginia aims to quell Virginia Tech demons to get to ACC championship

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Almost everything has gone according to plan for No. 18 Virginia this season, but you can’t plan for everything.

The Cavaliers only need to defeat the visiting, struggling rival Virginia Tech on Saturday night to clinch a spot in their first Atlantic Coast Conference championship game since 2019.

What Virginia (9-2, 6-1 ACC) could not have foreseen, however, is the “Franklin factor” that Virginia Tech (3-8, 2-5) is bringing to Charlottesville.

The Hokies will officially close the books on the Brent Pry era and interim coach Philip Montgomery will lead for the final time before former Penn State coach James Franklin takes the wheel.

Virginia Tech has dropped three straight games and is 0-4 against ranked teams this season, including last weekend’s 34-17 loss to then-No. 13 Miami, but emotions will be high for the Commonwealth Clash and anything can happen.

“I know how passionate this state is about this game, and you can’t ask for much more,” said Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris. “It’s the state championship and it’s going to be electric.”

Virginia is coming off a bye week, idle since a 34-17 victory at Duke on Nov. 15. A win Saturday night at home would give the Cavaliers only their second season in school history with double-digit wins (10-3 in 1989).

A win would also lock up a trip to the conference title game for coach Tony Elliott’s team on Dec. 6 in Charlotte. There’s technically a path to the ACC championship game if Virginia loses to Virginia Tech, but it would require losses by SMU, NC State and Pitt.

“The games to remember are the ones in November,” said Cavaliers defensive lineman Jacob Holmes.

Led by Morris and running back J’Mari Taylor, Virginia ranks third in the ACC in total offense (438.0 yards per game) and fourth in scoring (33.7 points per game, tied with Miami).

The Cavaliers have held eight opponents to 21 or fewer points this season. Defensive lineman Daniel Rickert leads the squad with 5.5 sacks and linebacker Kam Robinson has returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Robinson left the win against the Blue Devils with an apparent knee injury and his status for Saturday is unknown.

The Virginia Tech defense is giving up 30.5 points per game, allowing at least 34 points in four of the last five games. Defensive lineman Kemari Copeland has a team-high 4.5 sacks and linebacker Kaleb Spencer leads the Hokies with 60 tackles.

Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones has accounted for 25 touchdowns (16 passing, nine rushing) but failed to find the end zone against the Hurricanes, the first time that had happened since the Aug. 31 season opener.

The Hokies have won the last four meetings with the Cavaliers, including a 55-17 thumping the last time they met in Charlottesville in 2023. In fact, Virginia has only beaten Virginia Tech twice in the 21st century (2003, 2019).

“We’ve got a big test for us coming up,” Montgomery said. “… But I’m excited to get one more opportunity with these men and go down there and let’s roll the ball out and get after it.”

–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

No. 13 Miami maintains mission focus at Virginia Tech

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Miami hopes to find its way into the College Football Playoff, and with help, possibly into the ACC Championship Game.

But that only happens for the 13th-ranked Hurricanes if they win their final two games, starting Saturday afternoon against host Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.

Miami (8-2, 4-2 ACC) has put together back-to-back wins for the first time since its 5-0 start. The Hurricanes were ranked as high as No. 2 in the country before losses to Louisville and SMU put them in their current predicament.

Virginia Tech (3-7, 2-4), losers of four of its past five, is playing its home finale. Already out of the picture even for a bowl game, the Hokies will fall short of finishing a regular season above .500 for the sixth consecutive year.

But Virginia Tech gave its fanbase a reason for optimism. The Hokies hired former Penn State coach James Franklin as head coach starting at the end of the season.

For now, though, the Hokies can only play the role of spoiler after their 34-14 loss at Florida State last Saturday ended any shot at earning bowl eligibility.

“It’s a tough loss. That being said, I feel for those guys in that locker room,” Virginia Tech interim coach Philip Montgomery said. “The way they work, the way they prepare, the way they battle, they’re relentless with their effort. The way they’ve stuck together through everything so far this season, you can never question their hearts.”

Virginia Tech has not beaten Miami since 2019, trail the all-time series 26-15, and haven’t beaten the Hurricanes at home since 2016.

Pulling an upset likely hinges on a team with a minus-5 turnover margin playing mistake-free football to keep the ball away from a tough Miami defense that has the second-most forced turnovers in the ACC (18).

Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones has been a dual-threat bright spot for the Hokies, leading the team with 1,717 yards passing, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for 578 yards and nine touchdowns. Drones ranks second on the team in rushing behind only Marcellous Hawkins’ 677 yards.

Drones will face one of the best pass rushes in the nation led by Reuben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor. The Hurricanes’ front has helped compensate for a short-handed secondary that’s been without starters Keionte Scott, who is dealing with a “serious” injury per coach Mario Cristobal, and OJ Frederique, who has a chance to return Saturday. Several players have stepped up, including defensive back Jakobe Thomas, who has created four turnovers over the past two games.

On offense, it’s unclear whether Miami’s backfield will get starter Mark Fletcher Jr. back from injury. But the Hurricanes have shown off their depth on that side as well, as freshman Girard Pringle Jr. has rushed for 171 yards (7.13 yards per carry) on 24 attempts over the past two games. Miami may also have receiver CJ Daniels back this week as well.

“It’s always a next-man-up mentality, so everybody has to be ready,” Mesidor said. “Everybody takes the same amount of mental reps — maybe not physical, but you’re going to take a ton of mental reps — so you’re ready to step up whenever somebody goes down.”

–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

Thomas Castellanos pilots Florida State past Virginia Tech

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Quarterback Thomas Castellanos ran for two touchdowns and passed for another to help Florida State defeat Virginia Tech 34-14 Saturday night in Tallahassee, Fla.

Castellanos scored on runs of 1 and 15 yards, and tossed a 50-yard touchdown pass to Duce Robinson (six receptions, 134 yards). The Seminoles (5-5, 2-5 ACC) also received a 1-yard TD run from Randy Pittman Jr., and two field goals from Jake Weinberg.

The victory improved Florida State’s home record to 5-2.

Quarterback Kyron Drones had a 4-yard TD run for the Hokies (3-7, 2-4). It was his ninth rushing TD of the season. Virginia Tech’s other touchdown came on an 8-yard pass from Drones to wide receiver Ayden Greene.

It was scoreless after one quarter, but the Seminoles led 10-7 at halftime and 24-7 entering the fourth quarter.

Florida State opened the scoring when Weinberg kicked a 26-yard field goal with 10:56 remaining in the second quarter, but Virginia Tech grabbed the lead when Drones capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive with his 4-yard TD run. John Love’s PAT made it 7-3 with 5:25 remaining in the second quarter.

The Seminoles went in front 10-7 on the 50-yard touchdown pass from Castellanos to Robinson with 3:11 left in the first half.

Florida State extended its lead by scoring two touchdowns in the third quarter. The first TD came when Castellanos scored from a yard away on the opening possession of the second half. It was a 13-play, 63-yard scoring drive, and the PAT made it 17-7 with 9:33 left in the third.

Pittman added a 1-yard TD run with 54 seconds remaining in the quarter that helped stretch Florida State’s advantage to 24-7.

Virginia Tech responded with a 75-yard scoring drive that ended with Greene’s TD catch that helped slice Florida State’s lead to 24-14 with 11:20 to play.

Castellanos ran for his 15-yard TD with 7:31 remaining, and Weinberg ended the scoring on a 34-yard field goal with 4:12 on the clock.

–Field Level Media