Three straight losses brought James Franklin’s tenure as head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions to an end. Despite a successful run with this storied program in College Football, the now-former coach was unable to turn things around, and the front office decided to part ways with him earlier this week.
The decision came as a surprise to many — including Franklin himself. Judging by his recent statements, his goal of winning a National Championship remained very much alive. Now, that dream will have to be pursued wearing different colors.
“I thought we were going to win a national championship there (at Penn State). That goal hasn’t changed. We’re now going to win a national championship somewhere else,” Franklin said, per NBC Sports reporter Nicole Auerbach.
Now officially out at Penn State, James Franklin made an appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay, where he finally broke his silence following his dismissal — making it clear that the decision caught him completely off guard.
“We were a practice Sunday team,” he said, “and we have a team meeting at 1:45. About 1:30, the AD walked in and said, ‘We’re gonna make a change, I’m sorry.’ Was in shock, obviously.
“Really took the next 15 minutes to let my kids know so they wouldn’t find out on the Internet, and then walked down and had a super emotional meeting with the team to tell them I was leaving. Really, that was it. It was that quick.”
Penn State enters a new chapter
The college football world is reeling after Penn State stunningly fired head coach James Franklin, ushering in a dramatic and unexpected new era for the Nittany Lions. Following a disastrous three-game losing streak that dropped the preseason No. 2 team to a mediocre 3-3 record, the university acted decisively.
With Associate Head Coach Terry Smith tapped as the interim leader, the national coaching search is now officially underway, marking the biggest shake-up in the Big Ten this season and leaving the program’s direction firmly in the balance.
Potential candidates for the job
The highly-anticipated Penn State coaching search hit its first major roadblock after Indiana’s Curt Cignetti—a top candidate with Pennsylvania roots and the hottest name in college football—agreed to a massive eight-year, $93 million contract extension with the Hoosiers, immediately removing him from consideration.
Athletic Director Pat Kraft will now shift focus, with Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, a Penn State alum with strong ties to Kraft, and Duke’s Manny Diaz, the former Nittany Lions defensive coordinator, expected to headline the next phase of the search for the next permanent head coach in Happy Valley.