PASADENA, Calif. — A stonefaced James Franklin placed his hands at his side and stared at the confetti raining on the field. Penn State was in California, at the Rose Bowl Stadium but this was no dream nor bowl game.
The Nittany Lions had just lost to UCLA in what’s likely considered the worst loss in the James Franklin tenure, arguably the worst in Penn State history. In turn, just as they did last week, fans are calling for Franklin’s job. From an outsider’s perspective, it’s a more reasonable request this week than ever, but is it realistic for Penn State to do so?
The short answer is: whether it’s due to his contract details or the state of the Nittany Lions, firing Penn State’s head man may be harder than you think.
The buyout
James Franklin signed a 10-year deal in 2021, locking him into the job until 2031 and that’s just the beginning of what makes the move complicated.
If Franklin were to be fired Sunday, or at any time before Jan 1.,2026, without cause, Penn State University would owe him $56 million in buyout money. If done during the offseason, that number goes down to $48 million.
The buyout’s determined by adding Franklin’s $500,000 base salary to his $6.5 million supplemental pay and $1 million life insurance loan, multiplied by the amount of years left on his contract.
To do the math for you, even if Penn State waited until his 2029 coaching year, Franklin would be owed $24 million — that’s still a hard bargain. For comparison, former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher has the highest buyout, topping $75 million after being fired.
For the current coaches, one who was on the hot seat but beat No. 9 Texas on Saturday, is Florida’s Billy Napier. After the season, his buyout sits at $19.38 million after the season, per CBS Sports. Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer is also a name tossed in the hat anytime the Crimson Tide loses, college football writer Matt Hayes reported in August that DeBoer’s buyout is $70 million.
Florida head coach Billy Napier leaves the field after defeating Texas in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
John Raoux | AP Photo
Amid $700 million renovations that were mostly made possible due to generous donors and an uptick in sponsorships, it’s a problem the university likely doesn’t want to have at this moment, even if it becomes the only option.
The only feasible plan would be if Franklin voluntarily steps down, is fired with cause, or takes another job elsewhere. Let’s be frank, that’s not happening.
The plan and potential candidates
So, Penn State decides to get rid of Franklin and start over. This is where it gets more complicated.
Franklin secured his extension and has remained at Penn State due to his ability to be consistent and win, even if it wasn’t the big games. Franklin boasts a 104-44 record while at Penn State, has seen postseason play in all but one season and secured top-10 AP Poll finishes in five campaigns — that’s not easy to follow up.
If Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Pat Kraft and the governing staff is smart, it would need a high-profile coach who can build on what Franklin has accomplished and surpass his legacy.
Considering the aforementioned AP Poll finishes, that leaves a short list of candidates.
ESPN analyst Nick Saban waits to do a mic check before the show at the ESPN College GameDay outside the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 in University Park, PA.
Megan Miller
It’s safe to include who many consider the college-coaching G.O.A.T in Nick Saban as well as NFL legend Jon Gruden in conversation. Both have been rumored to want to get back into coaching. If you want to get a current coach to depart their program, Indiana’s Curt Cignetti likely enters the conversation and Syracuse’s Fran Brown is also a potential candidate given his recruiting pedigree.
The buyout plays part in this issue. To get a top guy, Penn State would need the money to pay that guy.
That means the Nittany Lions could be forced to get a Group of Six head coach or Power Four coordinator, like Franklin’s former offensive coordinator, Old Dominion’s Ricky Rahne.
That likely doesn’t get the job done, and Penn State could be forced to hit the coaching market again in a few years despite having two of its recent head coaches have tenures that span more than a decade.
That’s a scary situation for Happy Valley, and it’s still going to be hard to please its fanbase and donors in that case.
Other considerations
Firing a head coach has plenty of implications, which is why getting a strong guy to replace him is an impossible necessity for Penn State.
At the top of the list is recruiting.
2027 commit Kemon Spell was just ranked the No. 8 player and No. 1 running back in the country. Franklin recruited him, so if you lose Franklin, you likely lose Spell. That goes for the rest of the team’s recruits and plenty of current players.
After this season, Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zakee Wheatley and A.J. Harris are some of many who are expected to take their talents to the NFL. But that also means players with eligibility like wide receiver Devonte Ross, offensive guard Cooper Cousins and linebacker Amare Campbell could hit the portal.
It’s worth mentioning that if it happens during the season, players could depart the program immediately, effectively ending any hopes of postseason play under an interim coach.
On that same accord, highly touted position coaches like tight ends coach Ty Howle, safeties coach Anthony Poindexter and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein would be out the door, too. Recency bias says the Nittany Lions’ coaching staff has struggled with the team, but all of these guys were known as top coaches at their positions before the season.
Looking at the other side of it, financial struggles could be alleviated by generous donors, but that’s a big investment that likely puts tons of pressure on Kraft to produce results fast or face issues with the ones who hold the money in the long term.
Fans boo the incoming players during the Penn State Football game against UCLA at the Rose Bowl Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. The Bruins beat the Nittany Lions 42-37.
Samantha Oropeza
There’s also the fact that not every team is going to win a national championship.
Penn State hasn’t gotten that honor since 1986, and it’s possible that a title just isn’t in the cards for Penn State despite its search for a new head man.
Firing a coach is never easy, but when you consider Franklin’s resume and Penn State’s history, it gets at least 10-times harder.
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