Fortuna Files: The first big coaching domino falls
James Franklin and Virginia Tech seem like the perfect fit. Will Lane Kiffin find similar harmony at Ole Miss or elsewhere in the coming days?
News, buzz and thoughts from around the country as the coaching carousel and Playoff race heats up:
1. James Franklin to Virginia Tech feels like the rare win-win-win for everyone. Yes, there are three wins in there: Penn State is now off the hook with simply paying its former coach $9 million as part of his buyout, as opposed to the $49 million figure that Franklin was originally owed. (I’m sure this will stop all the haughty thinkpieces now.)
2. Franklin was never going to sit still. Considering that the guy he is replacing in Blacksburg, Brent Pry, came from Penn State as Franklin’s DC — along with a number of Hokies staff members that Pry brought with him from State College — you knew that Franklin would at the very least be as educated as possible on what he is stepping into. That both sides were able to make this happen this quickly will work to the Hokies’ advantage, as Franklin is already in the process of building out a staff and roster, having brought over GM Andy Frank and chief of staff Kevin Threlkel from PSU. I wouldn’t be surprised Franklin kept current VT chief of staff Michael Hazel on board, too, considering Hazel was his ops director at PSU.