To no surprise, the Penn State Nittany Lions football program has parted ways with head coach James Franklin.
After the Nittany Lions put together 10+ wins in each of the last three seasons, they were widely viewed as a team that could play for the national championship this season. The Lions won their first three games of the season and played the part, but have been a disaster since, dropping their last three games, and falling to 3-3 on the season.
Following yesterday’s 22-21 loss to Northwestern, the program made the move to move on from Franklin, agreeing to a buyout after ending his 10-year contract that he signed in November 2021. The search to replace him will now be on, as the team looks to focus on the second half of the 2025 season.
$50M buyout. So at least there is that. https://t.co/7kwA1UoH2N
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 12, 2025
Three Potential James Franklin Replacements
Following James Franklin‘s firing, the team has named associate head coach Terry Smith the interim head coach.
Here are three potential coaches that Penn State could target to make its next head coach:
Terry Smith
Let’s start with the man replacing James Franklin. Terry Smith has been by Franklin’s side for all of his success, being his assistant for the last 12 seasons. Smith also played for Penn State from 1988 to 1991 as a wide receiver. He’s a Penn State man at heart, and if he does a good job for the remainder of the season, he could be the guy to replace Franklin.
Manny Diaz
Another former Penn State man, Manny Diaz, served as the team’s defensive coordinator and linebacker coach during the 2022 season. He led the Duke Blue Devils to a 9-4 record last year and is currently 4-2 with them this season.
Ed Orgeron
This one is a wildcard. Ed Orgeon hasn’t coached football since the 2021 college football season. However, he’s come back after each of his head coaching stints after taking breaks, and maybe Penn State phones him, and something can happen. He’s a proven winner and has coached for LSU, USC, and Ole Miss.
Read more:
Nick Saban to Penn State: Is the Ex Alabama HC a Potential James Franklin Replacement?
Is James Franklin Fired? A Look at Penn State’s HC’s Status With the Program
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