James Franklin (born February 2, 1972) is an American college football coach who currently serves as the head coach at Virginia Tech, having previously led Vanderbilt (2011–2013) and Penn State (2014–2025). A former quarterback at East Stroudsburg University who set seven school records, Franklin began his coaching career in 1995, working his way up through college programs and NFL internships before joining Maryland, where he became a top recruiter and later offensive coordinator and head coach in waiting. At Kansas State (2006–2007), he coached future NFL stars Josh Freeman and Jordy Nelson, and in 2011 he took his first head coaching job at Vanderbilt. After three seasons there, he moved to Penn State in 2014, where he led the Nittany Lions for over a decade, becoming one of the most prominent figures in college football. In 2025, he left Penn State to take over at Virginia Tech, continuing a career marked by strong recruiting and record-setting offensive talent.