For those wondering how James Franklin's staff might look off-the-field, answers are emerging as On3's Sean Fitz is reporting that Penn State director of player personnel Andy Frank and Penn State chief of staff Kevin Threlkel are following Franklin to Blacksburg immediately.
BWI's @SeanFitzOn3 reports that Kevin Threlkel and Andy Frank are following James Franklin to Virginia Tech as expected, and they aren't the only Penn State staffers moving on before the end of the regular season.
— Blue White Illustrated (@PennStateOn3) November 19, 2025
Story: https://t.co/fdAcKflK6V pic.twitter.com/obWi3bvUeL
Frank has been with Franklin since their overlapping times at Vanderbilt while Threlkel and has been with Franklin when he was a head coach at Vanderbilt and Penn State, and he was an assistant at Kansas State and Maryland.
Frank was Penn State's general manager of player personnel and it seems reasonable to expect that he will take on a GM-like role for Franklin. Threlkel will likely also take on a similar role though it could be shared with VT's current chief of staff Michael Hazel
While it isn't surprising to see Franklin bring these staffers with him, it is still impressive to bring in a proven player personnel guy like Frank to take on the leading role. Having that type of hire also sends a clear message that Franklin will indeed bring a more modern approach to his player personnel department led by someone who understands the sport well.
Fitz's report also suggest that more Penn State staffers in the player personnel department are expected to follow Franklin to Virginia Tech with immediate effect. That could be significant for the Hokies as Franklin prepares for a major recruiting weekend this Saturday with lots of former and current Penn State commits and other major targets. You can learn more about that here.
