Penn State head coach James Franklin has been fired.
This follows three straight losses, including two major upsets. It started with the Nittany Lions losing a close one to Oregon before dropping two close contests to major underdogs UCLA and Northwestern.
The loss to the Northwestern Wildcats happened at home.
Franklin was in his 12th season coaching the Nittany Lions, and he had the Lions in the No. 2 ranking entering the season. Penn State was considered a national title contender in 2025.
During Franklin’s tenure, the Nittany Lions had six double-digit win seasons and won five New Year’s Six bowl games. Penn State also was in the field in 2024 for the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, in which the Nittany Lions lost to Notre Dame 27-24 in the national semifinal Orange Bowl.
Penn State struggled against top-tier opponents. Franklin’s teams were just 1-11 against Ohio State and 4-21 against Top 10 opponents. Franklin finishes with a 104-45 record.
A contract extension signed in 2021 would suggest that Franklin will get a $56 million buyout, but the terms were amended in 2024 and it’s unclear if Franklin would still be eligible for the buyout.
With Franklin gone, Notre Dame might have some success flipping Penn State recruits to bring them to the Fighting Irish.
Breaking: Penn State has fired James Franklin, sources told @PeteThamel.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: James Franklin is fired — can Notre Dame flip certain PSU recruits?
