Virginia Tech Reveals James Franklin’s Contract Length, Salary, Incentives and More

The numbers behind James Franklin’s new contract with Virginia Tech have been announced.

Franklin, who was hired this week to lead the Hokies a little more than a month after he was fired from Penn State, is on a five-year contract running through the 2030 season which will pay a total of $41,750,000, or an average of $8,350,000 annually, according to a release from the university

His extension at Penn State, signed in 2021, would’ve run through the 2031 season and paid him $8.5 million annually plus incentives. The two parties agreed to a $9 million buyout settlement, which means he’ll make roughly $50 million across the next five seasons.

His staff salary pool at Virginia Tech is set at $15.5 million, nearly doubling what it was last season under Brent Pry and in line with the Hokies’ commitment to increase football spending.

The contract is backloaded, with Franklin averaging $5 million for the first three seasons followed by $12.75 and $13.25 million in his final two seasons. He’ll also receive about $700,000 in pro-rated compensation from the date of his hire through the end of 2025.

There are also incentives for winning, with bonuses for both Franklin and his staff beginning at six wins and up to 12 wins, with a maximum of $250,000 for Franklin, $800,000 for his assistants and $575,000 for the support staff.

Other incentives include $75,000 for an ACC championship game appearance, $150,000 for winning it, $150,000 for making the College Football Playoff, $250,000 for making the quarterfinals, $300,000 for making the semifinals, $400,000 for making the national championship and $800,000 for winning the title.

He also has an opportunity for incentives if the Hokies finish in the top five in the conference in total viewership, up to $800,000. Winning ACC Coach of the Year nets him $50,000 while national coach of the year is $100,000.

Franklin and the staff’s annual recruiting budget is set at $3 million, higher than the $2.8 million Penn State spent in the 2024 fiscal year.

Should Franklin leave for another school, his buyout starts at $8 million and drops to $6 million after his first season, $4 million after his second season, $2 million after his third season and $1 million after his fourth season.