What’s next for fired Penn State coach James Franklin? 5 possible landing spots
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- James Franklin will draw heavy interest and offset clauses cut Penn State payout
- Multiple Power Four openings exist; Franklin likely to target SEC or ACC roles
- Top fits include Florida, Florida State, North Carolina, Auburn and Virginia Tech
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Penn State fires James Franklin
The James Franklin era is over at Penn State.
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Former Penn State head coach James Franklin will likely be one of the most sought after coaches on the market this cycle, and should have plenty of opportunity to roam the sidelines again next season. And that should help Penn State financially. According to Front Office Sports, Franklin’s contract has offsets in his buyout, which means any compensation he receives from another school (or media company), will be deducted from the nearly $50 million he is owed after this season.
Where could he go, and where would he fit best? Let’s take a look.
What coaching jobs could be open?
There are already several jobs that have come open with over a month left in the regular season. Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, UCLA and Stanford are the six non-PSU Power Four openings, while Colorado State, Oregon State, UAB and Kent State have all come open at the Group of Six level.
That being said, there are many more that will come open between now and the end of November. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is on the hot seat, with his athletic director John Cohen staying relatively quiet on his coach’s job status. Freeze even said a vote of confidence from Cohen would be huge for him, indicating his awareness of his current status.
Florida State head coach Mike Norvell will at least make it to the end of the season. FSU AD Michael Alford said he would do a “comprehensive assessment” of the program, which will conclude at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell’s team hasn’t scored in two games and his ouster is on the table by the end of the year.
That’s not even mentioning schools like North Carolina, Michigan State, Maryland and Kentucky, who round out the other Power Four schools that are most likely to make a change.
Where would James Franklin fit best?
Franklin is almost assuredly taking a Power Four job if he is coaching next season, which eliminates Colorado State, Oregon State, UAB and Kent State.
Here are the five best fits of the remaining openings — and potential openings.
1. Florida
This is the best job on the market, and it would be a surprise if Franklin’s name doesn’t at least come up. It should be at the top of his list, but this one is more about the program than him. There will be plenty of coaches who have stayed in the south for most of, if not all of, their careers who will receive consideration for one of the top brands in the SEC. This is one Franklin would surely take if offered, but he’d have to be more appealing than coaches like Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz, who will both be options for the Gators.
2. Florida State
This one isn’t open yet, but Alford’s statement about doing a comprehensive assessment shouldn’t give Norvell the warm and fuzzies. Franklin has been linked with Florida State in the past when the job came open, and it would be a surprise if he wasn’t again if it does. This would provide a much easier path to a conference title — and it also might provide a legitimate path to winning a national title. Florida State is one of the best programs in college football when it’s at its best and Franklin would excel recruiting in the southeast.
3. North Carolina
This one also isn’t open yet, but there’s no denying that hiring legendary NFL head coach has been a disaster. The Tar Heels are 2-4 and rumors have already been swirling that Belichick could try and leave, or that North Carolina could try and end his tenure after just one year. Either way, it’s hard to envision this marriage lasting much longer. Franklin would be able to take the Power Four job and coach in the ACC for the first time — with, like FSU, a much easier path to a conference title than the one he had at Penn State. This isn’t necessarily his best recruiting area, but the head coach could still dip into his strong DMV recruiting ties to bring players to UNC.
4. Auburn
There’s a theme here — most of the best jobs for Franklin are the ones that aren’t open yet. This time it’s an SEC job that might be the most likely in the country to come open. Auburn is 3-4 with 6-6 looking like it might be the ceiling for this year’s team — which would tie Freeze’s high in wins with the Tigers. Like Florida State, there’s a legitimate ceiling to competing for a national title. The problem is, the floor is also much lower because of the level of competition in the SEC. Franklin has succeeded in the conference before with Vanderbilt, but expectations at Auburn are much higher. He will almost assuredly not be given much time to succeed like he would at other schools.
5. Virginia Tech
Yet another ACC school, but this one is more like UNC than FSU. Virginia Tech has one of the best atmospheres in college football, and could be looking to return to being a program that can consistently get double-digit wins, like it was during the peak of Frank Beamer’s tenure as head coach. Franklin would be able to recruit the DMV at a high level with the Hokies, and would be beloved in Blacksburg if he were able to get them back to relevance. However, this one could be an awkward fit. The job is open after Brent Pry — one of Franklin’s friends and his former defensive coordinator at Penn State — was fired earlier this season. That being said, there’s no denying the fit, assuming Franklin doesn’t hold a grudge over his friend getting let go.
