Virginia Tech signs James Franklin to $41.75M, 5-year deal, dramatically increases staff pay
Virginia Tech’s financial commitment to football is evident in new coach James Franklin’s five-year contract, which guarantees him $41.75 million and dramatically increases pay for assistant coaches and support staff.
The school released the terms Friday afternoon.
Among the highlights:
With base and supplemental compensation, Franklin is assured $750,000 for the remainder of calendar 2025, followed by annual totals of $6 million, $5 million, $4 million, $12.75 million and $13.25 million. The modest totals in his first three full years reflect his buyout from Penn State, which fired him last month after 11-plus seasons.
The salary pool for Franklin’s 10 assistant coaches is $9.5 million, with an additional $6 million for support staff. According to Tech’s most recent NCAA financial report, assistant coaches earned a combined $6.4 million, while staff made $3 million.
For context: Clemson’s NCAA report showed $9.7 million for football assistant coaches, $10.5 million for staff. Florida State was $8.7 million and $6.5 million.
When Bill Belichick became North Carolina’s head coach in December, the Tar Heels created salary pools of $10 million for assistants and $5.3 million for support staff.
Virginia Tech is pledging $3 million toward football recruiting, more than double its $1.2 million of 2024. Clemson and FSU reported $3.1 million and $1.8 million, respectively, in recruiting expenses.
Franklin’s contract includes industry-standard bonuses for benchmarks such as an ACC championship ($150,000), College Football Playoff qualification ($150,000 to $800,000 based on how far the Hokies advance) and national Coach of the Year ($100,000).
He and his staff also will receive bonuses based on wins, with a maximum of $250,000 to Franklin for 12 victories in a season.
In a unique twist, Franklin will earn a bonus if Virginia Tech finishes among the ACC’s top five in television viewership. Those amounts double at each step, $50,000 to $100,000 to $200,000 to $400,000 to $800,000.
That clause reflects the ACC’s new TV revenue distribution formula, 60% of which is based on ratings.
If Virginia Tech were to fire Franklin without cause (translation: for losing), it would owe him all remaining base and supplemental pay, offset by his salary in a subsequent job. For example, if Tech dismissed Franklin after three years, he would be due $26 million.
Franklin’s Penn State buyout was $48 million, but as the Centre Daily Times’ Jon Sauber reported, that was negotiated down to $9 million to reflect his contract’s offset clause.
If Franklin leaves Tech before the contract ends, he owes the university amounts ranging from $8 million (before July 15, 2026) to $1 million (before Dec. 15, 2030).
