James Franklin's Va. Tech Contract Details, Buyout, Salary Revealed After PSU Exit

New Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin's contract details have been revealed.

According to On3.com's Pete Nakos, Franklin signed a five-year contract to join the Hokies with a total compensation of $41.75 million.

Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger also reported that Franklin's salary is expected to begin at $5 million over the first three years of the agreement before jumping to $12 million and $13 million across the final two seasons, respectively.

Virginia Tech hired Franklin to be its next head coach on Monday after he was fired by Penn State on Oct. 12.

His buyout with the Hokies also begins at $8 million before dropping to $6 million next season, per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.

Expectations are high for Franklin as he joins a Virginia Tech squad that currently sits at 3-7, parting ways with former head coach Brent Pry after suffering losses in each of its first three games of the season.

While Franklin was fired following the Nittany Lions' three-game losing streak that dropped them to 3-3 to open their 2025 campaign, his overall tenure with the school was successful.

He owned a record of 104-45 across his 12 years leading the program, including six seasons in which Penn State posted a double-digit win total. The Nittany Lions also won a Big Ten title with Franklin patrolling the sidelines in 2016 and made a 2024 College Football Playoff appearance.

Franklin discussed his expectations for his new role when he was introduced by the school on Wednesday.

"They already had a really good plan put together of what it looks like to be successful in today's college football," Franklin said, via ESPN's David Hale. "Not only in the ACC. That's a mistake people make. Sometimes they benchmark only on their conference. The reality is we should benchmark nationally. If we truly have the expectations and the standards of where we want to go, then our commitment must match those expectations."

The Hokies are looking to blossom into a contender in the ACC under Franklin, as they've compiled a winning record just once in the past five years.