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Virginia Tech is still conducting a national coaching search as the team prepares to travel to play Florida State on Saturday. More News: College Football Playoff Contender Has Heartbreaking Loss on Friday Night The Hokies were one of the earliest Power 4 programs to fire a head coach, parting ways with Brent Pry on Sept. 14 following a 0-3 start to the season. The head start in the coaching search hasn't yielded quick results, and VT is now competing with eight other Power 4 programs for a hire in Week 12. More News: Jon Sumrall Sends Serious LSU Message Former Penn State head coach James Franklin has been tied to the Hokies in recent weeks. But the former Vanderbilt coach has also been linked to Arkansas and Auburn. During an appearance on the "ESPN College GameDay" podcast on Monday, Rece Davis alluded to Franklin's candidacy in Blacksburg, asking Pete Thamel if VT was in purgatory waiting for Franklin to decide on a landing spot. “Who's going to be the first to hire somebody? Virginia Tech, or they still, I know what they're trying to do," Davis said. "Are they going to have to wait for a while? Everyone knows what they're trying to do. That's like the worst-kept secret in the coaching carousel.” Thamel suggested that VT would need to have some patience this month. However, conversations are expected to ramp up within the next two weeks. “They have been most aggressive in going out and trying to seek somebody," Thamel said of VT. "Nobody has been hired yet, but I do feel like those conversations the next seven to 10 days at places like that." Franklin has no reason to rush the process. He has plenty of leverage and can pit offers against other programs to accept a better deal. Franklin, who made the College Football Playoff seminal final last season, wants to make sure his next program has the funds to compete for a CFP. Virginia Tech will have to show a serious commitment to challenge SEC programs in order to convince Franklin to sign.
