The college football world had a big shakeup over the weekend when Penn State head coach James Franklin was fired. The Nitany Lions were viewed as one of the preseason favorites to win the national championship. Early in the season, the team looked like it could contend. However, it has since lost three games in a row to Oregon, UCLA, and Northwestern.
On Monday, on a new episode of the “College GameDay Podcast,’ host Rece Davis discussed the possibility of Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti leaving the Hoosiers for the Nittany Lions. While he thinks it is a possibility, he named one major factor for Cignetti to consider before taking the position.
“If you are aspiring to be one of the all-time greats and recognized as such,” Rece Davis said (Timestamp 1:00). “There are a lot of coaches who didn’t coach in these places who are all-time greats but they don’t pop to mind immediately. If he wants that, then some of these quote-unquote big-name, big tradition jobs, big expectations, then you should go there if you aspire to that.
“If your goal was simply to build a program that wins a championship and win find personal satisfaction in that, there’s no reason to listen to Penn State or any other job that might open. If you aspire to be one of the all-time legends of the game, that your name pops to mind immediately, then you do. If your goal was simply to be the best of your era and win a championship in your era, there’s no need.”
Penn State Will Pay James Franklin a $49 Million Buyout
While James Franklin no longer has a job, he does not need to worry about his finances. As a result of being fired, Penn State will pay Franklin a $49 million buyout over the next six years. According to MLFootball, that means he will earn $20,000 per day not to coach the team.
“BREAKING: James Franklin will make over 20 THOUSAND DOLLARS PER DAY from Penn State for the next six years.”
🚨BREAKING: James Franklin will make over 20 THOUSAND DOLLARS PER DAY from Penn State for the next six years.
• Per minute: $15
• Per hour: $913
• Per day: $21,917
• Per week: $153,846
• Per month: $666,666The greatest gig in the world. Getting fired as a head coach.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 12, 2025
The Penn State Nittany Lions will now begin their coaching search after a long tenure under Franklin.
Read More:
Is James Franklin Fired? A Look at Penn State’s HC’s Status With the Program
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