James Franklin was dismissed by the Penn State Nittany Lions as their head coach after a dismal start to the season, which recently saw the program get defeated by the Northwestern Wildcats to mark their third consecutive loss. Before losing to Northwestern, Penn State also recorded losses against previously winless UCLA and Oregon. The program was once ranked No. 2 this season.
The sudden firing would also mean that Penn State will owe Franklin $56 million. According to former Ohio State quarterback and 2014 College Football Playoff National Champion Cardale Jones, that’s the job everyone would like to have while roasting the former head coach.
“That’s the dream job! Trick a university to pay you big contract and completely f**k shit up for 4/5 years, get fired, ride off into the sunset with 50 plus million for nothing!!! S/O James Franklin.”
That’s the dream job! Trick a university to pay you big contract and completely fuck shit up for 4/5 years, get fired, ride off into the sunset with 50 plus million for nothing!!!
S/O James Franklin
— Cardale Jones (@CJ1two) October 12, 2025
Franklin was dismissed by the program after 12 seasons. The Nittany Lions entered this season with high hopes of becoming national champions since they went to the College Football Playoff semifinal last season.
James Franklin’s Buyout Details
James Franklin signed a 10-year contract with the program in November 2021. Franklin’s contract included $7.5 million annual salary, excluding bonuses but including the $1 million life insurance policy.
The incentives in his contract were as below:
$350,000: Big Ten championship game
$400,000: Entering the College Football Playoff
$800,000: Winning the national championship
According to On3, had Penn State waited until the end of the 2025 season, the buyout would have been around $48 million.
James Franklin joined Penn State in 2014 after the infamous Jerry Sandusky scandal. In just his third season, he led the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten Championship, where they defeated Wisconsin. He posted an 11-3 record that year and went on to register consecutive 10-win seasons from 2017 to 2019.
His best season came in 2024 when he led the program to a 13-3 record, while clinching a spot in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff field. After registering victories over SMU and Boise State, they went down against Notre Dame in the semifinals.
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