James Franklin signed a 10-year deal in 2021, locking him into the job until 2031 and that\u2019s just the beginning of what makes the move complicated.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The buyout\u2019s determined by adding Franklin\u2019s $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.<\/p>\n
To do the math for you, even if Penn State waited until his 2029 coaching year, Franklin would be owed $24 million \u2014 that\u2019s still a hard bargain. For comparison, former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher has the highest buyout, topping $75 million after being fired.<\/p>\n
For the current coaches, one who was on the hot seat but beat No. 9 Texas on Saturday, is Florida\u2019s Billy Napier. After the season, his buyout sits at $19.38 million after the season, per CBS Sports. Alabama\u2019s 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\u2019s buyout is $70 million.<\/p>\n
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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)<\/p>\n
John Raoux | AP Photo<\/p>\n
Amid $700 million renovations that were mostly made possible due to generous donors and an uptick in sponsorships, it\u2019s a problem the university likely doesn\u2019t want to have at this moment, even if it becomes the only option.<\/p>\n
The only feasible plan would be if Franklin voluntarily steps down, is fired with cause, or takes another job elsewhere. Let\u2019s be frank, that\u2019s not happening.<\/p>\n
The plan and potential candidates<\/strong><\/p>\n So, Penn State decides to get rid of Franklin and start over. This is where it gets more complicated.<\/p>\n Franklin secured his extension and has remained at Penn State due to his ability to be consistent and win, even if it wasn\u2019t 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 \u2014 that\u2019s not easy to follow up.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Considering the aforementioned AP Poll finishes, that leaves a short list of candidates.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Megan Miller <\/p>\n It\u2019s 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\u2019s Curt Cignetti likely enters the conversation and Syracuse\u2019s Fran Brown is also a potential candidate given his recruiting pedigree.<\/p>\n The buyout plays part in this issue. To get a top guy, Penn State would need the money to pay that guy.<\/p>\n That means the Nittany Lions could be forced to get a Group of Six head coach or Power Four coordinator, like Franklin\u2019s former offensive coordinator, Old Dominion\u2019s Ricky Rahne.<\/p>\n That likely doesn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a scary situation for Happy Valley, and it\u2019s still going to be hard to please its fanbase and donors in that case.<\/p>\n Other considerations<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n At the top of the list is recruiting.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s recruits and plenty of current players.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019 coaching staff has struggled with the team, but all of these guys were known as top coaches at their positions before the season.<\/p>\n Looking at the other side of it, financial struggles could be alleviated by generous donors, but that\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Fans boo the incoming players\u00a0during 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.<\/p>\n Samantha Oropeza<\/p>\n There\u2019s also the fact that not every team is going to win a national championship.<\/p>\n Penn State hasn\u2019t gotten that honor since 1986, and it\u2019s possible that a title just isn\u2019t in the cards for Penn State despite its search for a new head man.<\/p>\n Firing a coach is never easy, but when you consider Franklin\u2019s resume and Penn State\u2019s history, it gets at least 10-times harder.<\/p>\n MORE FOOTBALL COVERAGE<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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