FC: New James Franklin article in The Athletic.
- Thread starter Midnighter
- Start date
Me too- I should have bailed when they fired Joe.
Franklin and his representation engaged in multiple conversations with other programs while at Penn State, most notably with USC in 2021. Franklin also was mentioned as a potential candidate for the LSU job that year.
Franklin used those flirtations to land a 10-year contract with Penn State that would guarantee him $85 million over its lifespan. Penn State and Franklin ultimately negotiated asubstantially lower buyout after his firing.
In a series of interviews dating to the spring, Franklin has spoken about his firing as a thing that was abruptly, unjustly delivered upon him. Franklin told Adam Breneman that he felt hedeserved more "grace" from Penn State leadership after the team's 0-3 start to the Big Ten schedule in 2025.
"When you give yourself to a place for 12 years and you turn down a bunch of jobs and you build it back to pretty much a consistent top-10 program competing for championships, that's where you felt blindsided and you felt like you'd earned at least that, right? A conversation," Franklin told Breneman in an interview.
Franklin repeated that idea with Russo of The Athletic, calling his firing "unheard of."
"Well, it's unheard of because people have had challenges and had a chance to fix it," Franklin told The Athletic. "What makes it what you described is we didn't get a chance to fix it."
Indeed, Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft fired Franklin one day after the Nittany Lions' 22-21 loss to Northwestern at Beaver Stadium. However, Kraft later said that his decision did not reflect solely Penn State's three-game losing streak to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern.
This is not just a three game thing," Kraft said in October. "This is really diving into where we were as a program. What is the trajectory of this program? And you all know, and I'm not shy to admit it, I'm here to win national championship. I believe our fans deserve that, and I wake up every day trying to achieve that goal."
The Athletic article also highlights some unique differences between Penn State and Virginia Tech, notably how Blacksburg viewed Franklin's availability on the coaching market. Whit Babcock, Virginia Tech's former athletic director, said he told Franklin that he wants the school to build a statue of Franklin next to one of Frank Beamer at Lane Stadium.
Franklin used those flirtations to land a 10-year contract with Penn State that would guarantee him $85 million over its lifespan. Penn State and Franklin ultimately negotiated asubstantially lower buyout after his firing.
In a series of interviews dating to the spring, Franklin has spoken about his firing as a thing that was abruptly, unjustly delivered upon him. Franklin told Adam Breneman that he felt hedeserved more "grace" from Penn State leadership after the team's 0-3 start to the Big Ten schedule in 2025.
"When you give yourself to a place for 12 years and you turn down a bunch of jobs and you build it back to pretty much a consistent top-10 program competing for championships, that's where you felt blindsided and you felt like you'd earned at least that, right? A conversation," Franklin told Breneman in an interview.
Franklin repeated that idea with Russo of The Athletic, calling his firing "unheard of."
"Well, it's unheard of because people have had challenges and had a chance to fix it," Franklin told The Athletic. "What makes it what you described is we didn't get a chance to fix it."
Indeed, Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft fired Franklin one day after the Nittany Lions' 22-21 loss to Northwestern at Beaver Stadium. However, Kraft later said that his decision did not reflect solely Penn State's three-game losing streak to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern.
This is not just a three game thing," Kraft said in October. "This is really diving into where we were as a program. What is the trajectory of this program? And you all know, and I'm not shy to admit it, I'm here to win national championship. I believe our fans deserve that, and I wake up every day trying to achieve that goal."
The Athletic article also highlights some unique differences between Penn State and Virginia Tech, notably how Blacksburg viewed Franklin's availability on the coaching market. Whit Babcock, Virginia Tech's former athletic director, said he told Franklin that he wants the school to build a statue of Franklin next to one of Frank Beamer at Lane Stadium.
It’s not too late (for all of us….). Honestly. CFB is nauseating these days.
I'm not sure I can quit cold turkey- my plan for the coming season is to root against the teams with the top 10-15 NIL budgets. And to root for no one.
BGJ will be whining for the rest of his life.
The regular genius had an epiphany. I'm taking great joy in learning that the sideline huckster is having difficulties adapting to his firing and subsequent demotion.
It couldn't happen to a more deserving person.
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I truly have no thoughts about CJF other than he isn't the Penn State HC. The Portal, NIL have greatly diminished my interest. College football is gone...replaced by semi-pro teams with revolving rosters. I still root for PSU but with less enthusiasm.
In your head, in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
What's in your head, in your head?
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie-ie, oh
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
What's in your head, in your head?
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie-ie, oh
Jesus Christ, right?In your head, in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
What's in your head, in your head?
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie-ie, oh
Despite his "demotion" he has managed to best PSU with it's "elite resources" in both 247 and Rivals recruiting rankings.
PSU isn't in a position to look down on anyone.
I am in a wait and see regarding recruiting. Let's see where each program is after lets say three years. I still watch and love college football and love Penn State football.
The insincerity is absurd. He knew when he lost to Northwestern he was done. That was clear to everyone. He wasn't blindsided and there were conversations. James simply hates accountability. Always has.
In today's college football, it's likely that 3 years is all a coach will get. That's my point exactly. With no 2026 class and a #20 2027 class, what is the trajectory of the PSU program for 2027 and 2028? The question isn't what Virginia Tech may do, it should be will PSU do better than 11-2,10-3 and 13-3? Because after those 3 seasons 3-3 got a coach fired.
The experts here insist that simply changing coaches will bring improvement. Indeed, the record will tell the tale. It isn't going to be easy to do better than 37-11 in roughly the next 50 games. Remember that future schedules will feature Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana.
and the standard IS the standard! LOLChampionships are the standard.
The one thing that bothered me and I believe I’m in the majority is that Franklin and staff were outcoached often, too often. That’s it. He never addresses that issue when interviewed. It’s a simple discussion really. Can you coach better than most? Why should the answer be yes based on the track record?
Greed and choking, BGJ accomplishments.
He should have known he was done when he went around PK to beg Neeli for an extension....especially when he was only halfway through his existing overvalued contract!
"Big Game James" is right about staying at Penn State too long. He should have been fired years before he was.
That’s rich. He mentions staying too long and negotiating a 10-year contract in the same interview.
PK and CJF were most definitely not a marriage made in heaven. Usually those situations come about due to issues from both sides. I expect that is clearly the case here. That dog (PK and HCJF) clearly was not going to hunt.
That said:
There would be - without a doubt - far more ADs that would welcome HCJF to be their football coach, than there would be Head Coaches who would wish to work with a guy like PK.
Exhibit A:
HCJF had no trouble sorting through options and picking a next destination after PSU. For even more money than his PSU deal (that is a whole 'nother story, and symptomatic of the insanity of current "college" football)
Exhibit B:
PK was representing one of the Blue Blood football programs, and in the midst of spending +/- $1 BILLION on the program, and promises of huge annual budget allocations - despite all that, he ran through his entire rolodex, to the point of begging a "horrendous fit" coach from BYU to take the job, before finally someone (not PK) convinced HCMC to allow PSU to buy his services (at a huge increase in compensation).
What is the analogy here? There is a very apt one, that is probably not SFW, so lets just say "Couldn't lead a starving dog to a meat wagon"
QED
That said:
There would be - without a doubt - far more ADs that would welcome HCJF to be their football coach, than there would be Head Coaches who would wish to work with a guy like PK.
Exhibit A:
HCJF had no trouble sorting through options and picking a next destination after PSU. For even more money than his PSU deal (that is a whole 'nother story, and symptomatic of the insanity of current "college" football)
Exhibit B:
PK was representing one of the Blue Blood football programs, and in the midst of spending +/- $1 BILLION on the program, and promises of huge annual budget allocations - despite all that, he ran through his entire rolodex, to the point of begging a "horrendous fit" coach from BYU to take the job, before finally someone (not PK) convinced HCMC to allow PSU to buy his services (at a huge increase in compensation).
What is the analogy here? There is a very apt one, that is probably not SFW, so lets just say "Couldn't lead a starving dog to a meat wagon"
QED
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That is the real story - Franklin thought since he had been at PSU longer than Kraft, he had the moxie to ask Neeli for more money by going around Kraft, or if you will, over the head of Kraft. But he was nowhere near the end, let alone middle of the current contract. And his bluster was not good enough. He lost big time, now with excuses for anything involving PSU.
When you make 7 Mil. a year and it's not enough. 
Here we go again. Same old same old; different day. Franklin made in game bad coaching decisions like every coach. I have repeatedly asked this board how Franklin was “out coached” a few years ago when a Michigan TE went 60 some yards for the go ahead TD late in the game on a simple crossing pattern. My personal favorite was the reporter who claimed that Franklin’s decision to not go for it on 4th down near midfield in the first quarter after already being down 7-0 on a snowy day at Michigan State LED to MSU then driving 99 1/2 yards to go up 14-0. If I recall correctly, MSU scored the winning TD with about one minute left in that game when Franklin’s poor coaching decision caused a DB to let a receiver make that catch on 4th and something like 15. One of Franklin’s other bone headed coaching decisions caused Allar to throw a pick late in a playoff game on FIRST DOWN.
Yeah Kraft was so butt hurt that he was looking for the first chance to fire Franklin even without any plan to have his replacement lined up. Total amateur hour.
BGJ is like any other head coach, just remove reason and accountability
Yep so Kraft showed him whose boss by firing him with no replacement plan and kissed away an entire recruiting class. Sheer genius huh?
It's apparent that Va Tech didn't share your expert insight into coaching. Why didn't they consult the BWICAC?
College football coaching hire rankings: James Franklin, Lane Kiffin lead
oops...where is Matt Campbell? Just keep scrolling down. LOL
