Franklin, O'Brien to coach against each other for first time (copy)
Virginia Tech coach James Franklin walks on the field before the Hokies' matchup against Old Dominion on Sept. 12 in Blacksburg.
Boston College coach Bill O'Brien looks on before a game against Maine on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
BLACKSBURG — Most people who follow college football view the ties between James Franklin and Bill O’Brien as the coaches who steered Penn State in the post-Joe Paterno era. It was O’Brien who took over in 2012 and then handed the reins over to Franklin in 2014, and the Nittany Lions flourished over the next decade under Franklin's watch.
What made Franklin comfortable enough to leave a stable coaching situation at Vanderbilt and take over a Penn State program that had two more years on a postseason ban and scholarship cap? It was talking with O’Brien, who knew Franklin from a two-year stint when they worked on the same offensive staff at Maryland under Ralph Friedgen.
“He did a great job at Penn State when everything first hit,” Franklin said Monday. “Then we were able to have a ton of conversations before taking the job. Had a number of conversations with him about the job, and obviously he did a phenomenal job.
“Very, very appreciative of Billy and what he was able to do there. And also a big part of my decision in taking the job and the information he was able to give us and what we needed to do moving forward.”
The two coaches, who are forever linked to helping Penn State recover from the Jerry Sandusky scandal, will be on opposing sidelines for the first time Saturday afternoon when Franklin and Virginia Tech play O’Brien and Boston College at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
It marks the third straight game Franklin will be coaching against a familiar face. He squared off against former assistant Ricky Rahne when the Hokies topped Old Dominion in Week 2. This past weekend, it was standing across the sideline from Mike Locksley, with whom Franklin worked on Friedgen’s staff at Maryland, and securing the Hokies' first win over a nonconference Power Four opponent since the 2017 season.
“Me and Billy go way back,” Franklin said. “Not only were we at the University of Maryland together, we also lived in the same neighborhood. Our wives were close. He’s just done a really, really good job.”
Franklin and O’Brien were on Friedgen’s staff at Maryland in the 2003 and ’04 seasons. Franklin was the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator and O’Brien was the running backs coach.
O’Brien’s career path has featured stops in the NFL with the New England Patriots (2007-11 and 2023-24) and Houston Texans (head coach from 2014-20).
Those two stints with the Patriots helped with O’Brien being able to take over Boston College. O’Brien’s ties to the region, particularly in the Boston area, have aided in recruiting and building a roster that can be competitive in the ACC.
The Eagles are 2-1 after back-to-back home wins over Rutgers and Maine.
“I got a ton of respect for him. In my mind, he’s like the perfect coach for Boston College,” Franklin said. “That area means a ton to him. He’s got a ton of experience and background obviously as the head coach, but also as the offensive coordinator.
“He’s going to be a difference maker for them as an offensive coordinator. I think he’s doing a good job. Run-game angles, leverage numbers. Same thing in the passing game. He’ll be able to manufacture yards against people based on his background and experience.”
Franklin picked up wins over Rahne and Locksley to help the Hokies improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2017. They also won all of their nonconference games for the first time since the 2017 season when they opened the campaign with wins over West Virginia, Delaware, East Carolina and Old Dominion.
Tech is opening ACC play on the road for the third straight season. It lost in controversial fashion at Miami in 2024 and then secured a two-point win at North Carolina State in 2025.
The Eagles are 1-1 in their ACC opener under O’Brien.
“I think BC is a great place for him. I think they’re fortunate to have him for a lot of different reasons,” Franklin said. “It will be a challenge, and I’m looking forward to obviously traveling up there and playing this game.”
Injury updates
Franklin said Monday that wide receiver Ayden Greene will “be more of a gametime-type decision” after the senior did not play in the second half at Maryland. Greene came out of the game after drawing a defensive pass interference penalty late in the second quarter and did not play in the second half.
Franklin also said that he’ll have more information on the status of left tackle Justin Terry after Wednesday’s practice. Terry suffered an apparent injury on the final play of the first quarter at Maryland. He wore a protective boot on his left foot and needed the assistance of crutches to stand on the sidelines.
Damien Sordelett (540) 981-3124
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Virginia Tech coach James Franklin recaps the win at Maryland and looks ahead to the Hokies' ACC opener at Boston College.
