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Penn State Nittany Lions athletic director Pat Kraft made the decision to hire head football coach James Franklin, and he told reporters Monday that it wasn’t just the three-game losing streak that led to the decision.
Franklin’s departure comes as a shock to college football, as the locker room leader since 2014 is parting ways with the Nittany Lions, who will have a whopping $50 million buyout to pay him.
Kraft said he was “watching everything” after Penn State’s loss to Northwestern, 22-21, on Saturday.
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Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft gives a big hug to head football coach James Franklin after a 33-24 victory over Indiana at Beaver Stadium Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in State College, Pennsylvania. (IMAGINE)
“I felt like after sitting down on Saturday and looking at everything, where we were in terms of the best interests of the athletes and where the program was going, we had to make a tough decision,” Kraft told reporters, via Sports Illustrated. “Looking at where the program was and where it is and where we want to be, I felt like there was no other course. I felt like it was time.”
This is a Penn State program that was ranked No. 2 in the country before the season started. They went 3-0 early, but have since been in free fall. It came to a head against an unranked Northwestern team, as the fans’ chants to fire Franklin roared even louder than they were when Oregon marched into Beaver Stadium and handed them their first loss.
PENN STATE Fires JAMES FRANKLIN AFTER STUNNING LOSS TO NORTHWEST: REPORT
Kraft and Franklin have a long-standing friendship as well as a professional relationship, which makes firing him difficult on several levels.
“James Franklin is a good friend who has always conducted himself with dignity and represented Penn State with absolute class,” Kraft said. “We are all fortunate to have James Franklin to lead this program for over a decade and we wish nothing but the best for him and his family.”
Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin stands on the field after the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium on October 11, 2025 in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Matthew O’Haren/Imagn Images)
The Nittany Lions will be led by Franklin assistant coach Terry Smith, who has been named interim head coach.
Franklin took over as Penn State’s head coach before the 2014 season after leading Vanderbilt for three seasons in the same role. He was in his 12th season at Penn State, after taking the team to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season.
As the team’s head coach, Franklin had a 104-45 record.
Looking ahead, Penn State will be without quarterback Drew Allar for the remainder of the season due to a leg injury suffered in the loss to Northwestern. They face Iowa next week, but the schedule gets a lot tougher from there.
Athletic director Patrick Kraft of the Penn State Nittany Lions is seen during the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium on September 16, 2023 in Champaign, Illinois. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Penn State faces No. 1 Ohio State on Nov. 1, No. 7 Indiana on Nov. 8, and four or more losses would keep them out of the College Football Playoff this season.
