James Franklin hired as Virginia Tech's coach, just over a month after Penn State fired him

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — James Franklin was hired as Virginia Tech's coach on Monday, a little more than a month after he was fired during his 12th season at Penn State.

The Hokies became the first Power 4 football program to fill a coaching vacancy this season. Franklin was set to be formally introduced at a news conference Wednesday morning.

He was fired by the Nittany Lions on Oct. 12, a day after they lost at home to Northwestern to fall to 3-3.

The 53-year-old Franklin went 104-45 at Penn State, winning a Big Ten championship (in the 2016 season), a Fiesta Bowl (2017) and a Rose Bowl (2022). Last season, he led the Nittany Lions to a first-round victory in the College Football Playoff.

“I’m honored and humbled to join the Hokie family,” Franklin said in a statement. “My vision is simple: to restore unmatched excellence, to build something that lasts, and to serve this university, the Commonwealth of Virginia and our amazing fan base with honor, integrity, and passion. I look forward to getting to work with our players, our staff, and the entire Virginia Tech community.”

Terms of Franklin's contract were not released. Before he was hired by Virginia Tech, Penn State had been on the hook for a buyout worth nearly $50 million. But Franklin and the Nittany Lions negotiated a settlement under which he'll be paid $9 million instead, according to multiple reports.

Franklin has a 128-60 overall record, including his three seasons at Vanderbilt. In Blacksburg, he takes over for his former Nittany Lions defensive coordinator, Brent Pry, who was fired on Sept. 14 after the Hokies lost their first three games by an average of 18.7 points. Virginia Tech started 0-3 for the first time since 1987.

Pry went 16-24, including 10-13 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, in his three-plus seasons. The Hokies (3-7, 2-4 ACC) have since been led by interim coach Philip Montgomery.

Franklin was maligned at Penn State for not winning big games — he went 4-21 against teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll — but he brings credibility to a Virginia Tech program that has struggled since Frank Beamer retired in 2015 after 29 years at the helm.

Athletic director Whit Babcock first hired Justin Fuente and then Pry in hopes of continuing the success enjoyed by Beamer, but both coaches floundered. That prompted Virginia Tech President Tim Sands to form a search committee to hire the next coach and limit the scope of Babcock’s role.

The Hokies have just four winning seasons since Beamer's retirement and six since since Babcock became the AD in 2014.

The committee landed on Franklin, whose Penn State teams won at least 10 games six times during his tenure. Franklin also showed an ability to recruit in Virginia. In 2023, he signed six of the top 10 prospects in the state, according to various recruiting services, and one of his best players in the past five years was Tyler Warren, a tight end from the Richmond area who was a first-round NFL draft pick by the Indianapolis Colts this spring and is flourishing as a rookie.

“His experience, passion, and record of success embody our commitment to compete at the highest level," Sands said of Franklin in a statement. “His selection is the result of unprecedented collaboration by our athletic administration with university leaders, esteemed alumni, including former NFL coaches and players, and our most dedicated supporters.

“James will provide the leadership and inspiration our student-athletes need, and the performance on the field that our university community, alumni, and fans expect and deserve.”

Virginia Tech has committed to providing Franklin with the resources he needs to be successful. The Board of Visitors approved a plan in late September to add $229 million to the athletic department's budget over the next four years, primarily to bolster the football program. Half of that money, though, is coming from philanthropy and needs to be raised.

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FILE - Penn State head coach James Franklin watches the action against Northwestern during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger,File)

NEW DELHI (AP) — A fire ripped through a popular nightclub in India’s Goa state, killing 25 people, including tourists, the state’s chief minister said Sunday.

The blaze occurred just past midnight in Arpora village in North Goa, a party hub, some 25 kilometers (15-miles) from the state capital, Panaji.

Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said most of the dead were the club’s kitchen workers, as well as three to four tourists. Six people were injured and are in stable condition, he said. All the bodies have been recovered.

The fire was caused by a gas cylinder blast and has been extinguished, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting local police. However, witnesses told the agency that the fire began on the club’s first floor, where nearly 100 tourists were on the dance floor. Several rushed to the kitchen below in the chaos and got trapped along with staff, it said.

Fatima Shaikh said the commotion began as flames erupted, according to the news agency. “We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames,” she said.

The nightclub, located along the Arpora River backwaters, had a narrow entry and exit that forced the firefighters to park their tankers about 400 meters (1,300 feet) away, delaying the efforts, the news agency said.

Sawant said the club had violated fire safety regulations. The state government ordered an inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fire and responsibility, he said, adding that authorities would act against the club management and officials who allowed it to operate despite the violations.

Local village council official Roshan Redkar told the news agency that authorities had earlier issued a demolition notice for the club, which didn't have construction permit from the government. But higher officials rolled back the order, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post called the fire "deeply saddening# and said he spoke with Sawant. Modi said the government “is providing all possible assistance” while offering condolences to the victims’ families.

Accidents, particularly involving gas cylinders and electric short circuits, aren’t uncommon in India and often result in casualties, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols.

“This is not just an accident; it is a criminal failure of safety and governance,” Rahul Gandhi, a top leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, wrote in a social media post. He called for a transparent probe to "fix accountability and ensure such preventable tragedies don’t occur again.”

The western coastal state of Goa is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, known for its sandy beaches.

The nightclub, which caught fire on early Sunday, is seen across an expanse of water in Arpora, in Goa, India, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)

The charred interior of a nightclub, which caught fire early Sunday, is seen in Arpora, in Goa, India, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)

The charred interiors of a nightclub, which caught fire early Sunday, are seen in Arpora, Goa, India, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)