Penn State has parted ways with head coach James Franklin after a disappointing 3-3 start to the 2025 season. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel and later confirmed by On3’s Chris Low on Sunday. The decision came following a frustrating loss to Northwestern, marking the end of Franklin’s 12th season leading the Nittany Lions.
Franklin’s tenure in State College began in 2014 and saw a mix of success and unmet expectations. He compiled an impressive 104-45 record at Penn State, highlighted by a Big Ten Championship in 2016 and multiple New Year’s Six bowl appearances. However, recent seasons were marked by inconsistency and struggles against top competition, ultimately leading to administrative change.
Overall, Franklin holds a career head coaching record of 128-60, which includes his three-year run at Vanderbilt where he went 24-15. In the wake of his departure, longtime assistant Terry Smith has been named interim head coach for the remainder of the season as the program begins its search for a permanent replacement.
Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft addressed the coaching change in an official statement, emphasizing the university’s commitment to excellence. He said the decision to part ways with James Franklin was made with the program’s long-term success in mind and reflected the need to uphold the highest standards in all areas of competition. Kraft thanked Franklin for his years of dedication and leadership, noting the impact he made on players and the community, but reiterated that the university’s expectations for its football program remain among the very best in the nation.
Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft expressed appreciation for James Franklin’s contributions while explaining the decision to make a change. “Penn State owes an enormous amount of gratitude to Coach Franklin, who rebuilt our football program into a national power,” Kraft said. “He won a Big Ten Championship, guided us to seven New Year’s Six bowl appearances, and took us to the College Football Playoff last year. However, we hold our athletics programs to the highest of standards, and we believe this is the right moment for new leadership to move our football program closer to winning Big Ten and national championships.”
Kraft went on to emphasize the importance of Penn State football to the university and its global fan base. “Penn State Football is an integral part of our University and holds a special place in the lives of our millions of fans, community members, and alumni worldwide,” he said. “We have the best fans in college football, a proud tradition of excellence, substantial investments in our program, and we compete in the nation’s premier conference. With a state-of-the-art renovated stadium on the horizon, I am confident in our future and in our ability to attract elite candidates to lead this program forward.”
James Franklin entered the 2025 season facing mounting pressure and heightened expectations. After finishing 2-1 in last year’s College Football Playoff, many viewed this season as a national championship-or-bust campaign for Penn State. With a veteran roster and plenty of returning talent, the Nittany Lions appeared well-positioned to make another deep run.
The season started promisingly enough, as Penn State opened with a 3-0 record, cruising past an unimpressive non-conference slate. However, cracks quickly began to show once the competition stiffened. A heartbreaking overtime loss to Oregon halted their early momentum and exposed lingering issues on both sides of the ball.
From there, things unraveled further. Consecutive upsets against UCLA and Northwestern left the program reeling and outside the national rankings. What began as a season filled with championship hopes quickly descended into frustration and uncertainty, ultimately setting the stage for the university’s decision to move on from Franklin.
One of the biggest obstacles in Penn State’s decision to part ways with James Franklin was the massive buyout tied to his contract. As detailed by On3’s Pete Nakos, Franklin signed a 10-year extension in November 2021 that was set to keep him in State College through the 2031 season. The agreement did not specify how quickly the university must pay the buyout, though in most cases, schools are allowed to pay the remaining balance over the duration of the original contract term.
Nakos reported that Franklin’s buyout is estimated to be around $48.6 million a staggering figure that presented a significant financial challenge for the university. The amount was structured to decrease by roughly $8 million after each season moving forward, making the timing of this decision particularly costly.
Had Franklin chosen to leave Penn State on his own following the 2025 season, the terms of his deal would have required him to pay the school $2 million. Instead, with the university initiating the move, the full burden of the buyout falls on Penn State as it begins the process of finding a new leader for its football program.
With James Franklin’s departure, Penn State now faces the challenge of finding a coach capable of elevating the program to championship heights. Franklin brought stability and relevance back to State College, capturing a Big Ten title in 2016 and guiding the Nittany Lions to last season’s College Football Playoff. That postseason run included wins over SMU and Boise State before a semifinal loss to Notre Dame ended their title hopes and a potential rematch with Ohio State.
Despite those accomplishments, Franklin’s tenure was often defined by his struggles in marquee matchups. Under his leadership, Penn State went just 4-21 against teams ranked in the AP Top 10 a statistic that loomed large in discussions about his future. While he consistently delivered strong recruiting classes and competitive seasons, his inability to consistently win the biggest games ultimately overshadowed his successes.
The tension between high expectations and underwhelming results reached its breaking point this fall. Following the upset loss to Northwestern, frustrated fans made their feelings clear, with “Fire Franklin” chants echoing through the stadium. For a program with championship aspirations and significant investment, it became evident that a new direction was needed to push Penn State over the hump.
In the aftermath of the Northwestern loss, James Franklin was immediately pressed by reporters about his future with the program. One question in particular centered on whether he still wanted to remain Penn State’s head coach a topic that had loomed over recent weeks as the team’s struggles mounted.
Franklin didn’t give a direct answer to the question. Instead, he shifted the focus toward his players and his ongoing commitment to them. Speaking with visible emotion, he emphasized his dedication to the team, the relationships he’s built, and his belief in the program’s foundation.
His response lasted nearly two minutes and reflected a coach attempting to redirect attention from speculation about his job security to the people inside the locker room. Still, the lack of a definitive statement about his future only fueled more questions about whether Franklin’s time in State College was nearing its end a question answered decisively just days later.
“Yeah, for me, it’s always been about our players,” Franklin said. “And those guys are hurting right now. And the fans are frustrated. And I get it. I totally get it. I totally get it. We have great fans here. We get unbelievable support. And I understand their frustration, trust me. We’re as frustrated as anybody, the guys in the locker room …
“I love those kids. I am committed to those players in that locker room. I’ve been that way for 12 years. I’ve been that way for 15 years of my head coaching career, and I’ve been that way for 30 years. That won’t change. That won’t change.”
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