James Franklin receives 6-year contract extension with the Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State’s James Franklin is staying put in Happy Valley.
The board of trustees’ Committee on Compensation unanimously approved a six-year contract extension Friday afternoon that intends to keep Franklin as Penn State’s head football coach through 2025. The basic terms of the deal, including Franklin’s salary, were not immediately disclosed.
According to a news release from the athletic department, those terms will be released “upon execution of the agreement in the near future.”
“I love Penn State, our players and our dedicated coaches and staff,” Franklin said in a written statement. “I’m proud to continue this journey with them and grateful that President (Eric) Barron, Sandy Barbour and the Board of Trustees share my vision for continuing our pursuit of excellence.”
Before Franklin’s extension, his name was tied to the opening at Florida State, and others speculated he would be a candidate for USC — until head coach Clay Helton was retained. But Franklin’s potential interest elsewhere was widely regarded as a negotiating tactic with Penn State.
Franklin, a Pennsylvania native, said Nov. 5 that he loved it at Penn State and didn’t “really see that changing anytime soon.” And, on Saturday when asked about Florida State, Franklin’s response led many to believe that an extension was in the works.
“I’m hoping this is going to be over very quickly,” Franklin said. “Like I told you, I love Penn State, I love our players. I don’t see that changing anytime soon. ... Hopefully all this conversation will be over very shortly.”
Six days later, it appears as if that discussion is finally finished.
“We are thrilled to have James as the head of our football program,” Barbour, the athletic director, said in a news release. “We wanted to make a strong pledge to James and this program with this new contract. James came to Penn State with a very clear vision, and we have seen that grow and prosper. What he has done to bring success to our program, both on and off the field, has been nothing short of spectacular.”
Since arriving at Penn State in 2014, replacing Joe Paterno’s successor in Bill O’Brien, Franklin has boasted six straight winning seasons and a 55-23 overall record. In the three previous seasons, Franklin’s teams have finished no worse than No. 17 and they’ve made two New Year’s Six bowls.
The 2019 Nittany Lions have continued that upward trend and are currently ranked No. 10 after a 10-win regular season. Their bowl destination won’t be revealed until Sunday, but they’re once again expected to make the NY6 — after surpassing expectations with a first-year starting quarterback.
“I think he’s really underappreciated and really doesn’t get enough credit for everything he does for this university,” punter Blake Gillikin said last week.
In 2017, Franklin signed a six-year extension that guaranteed him $34.7 million through 2022. If he chose to leave Penn State, however, he would’ve owed the university just a $1 million buyout. It’s unknown what Franklin’s new buyout might be.
While the basic terms of his new contract have not yet been released, Franklin was already one of the nation’s highest-paid coaches. His $5.65 million salary this season was the 11th-highest in the nation among college football coaches and third-highest in the Big Ten, according to the USA Today coaches’ salary database.
Only Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh ($7.5M) and Purdue’s Jeff Brohm ($6.6M) made more in the conference this year.
“I’m pleased we can look forward to more years of service and accomplishment with James at the helm of our football program,” Barron said. “I’m confident his teams will continue to achieve great success on and off the field.”
This story was originally published December 6, 2019 at 3:53 PM.
