James Franklin was among the college football head coaches who lost their jobs during the 2025 season. Unlike many coaches who are fired because of poor overall records, he was reportedly let go largely because he couldn't deliver wins against top-tier opponents.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian made eyebrow-raising comments on Franklin's Penn State firing during the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Florida, on Tuesday. He said he watched a coach get fired five games into a season last year, after leading his team to the semifinals the year before. While he didn't explicitly take Franklin's name, he said the firing was "concerning" to him about the health of the sport.
Former Penn State offensive tackle Landon Tengwall later expanded on the topic in a detailed social media post. Tengwall acknowledged that Franklin deserves significant praise for reviving Penn State early in his tenure and restoring the program. He also pointed out that Franklin received patience and support after the Nittany Lions went just 11-11 across the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but his tenure started collapsing after that.
"Then he went on to have three seasons in a row with 10+ wins, but lost to OSU and Michigan each year and still couldn't get over the hump," Tengwall wrote. "Before Franklin was fired, it was widely agreed upon that drawing SMU and then Boise State in the 2024 CFP would forever be the easiest route to a CFP Semifinal game that there will ever be. Enter 2025: Franklin had been "pounding the table" for full support and alignment, and he finally got it. He went out and got the highest-paid DC in CFB history and had the opportunity to spend whatever he wanted in the portal.
"Franklin himself said the 2025 staff and roster was the most talented group he's ever assembled, and for most people Penn State was the Natty favorite going into 2025. Franklin went on to coach Penn State into the greatest collapse in College Football history, losing back to back games where his team was favored by more than 20 points. There's your context for why a coach was fired after making it to the CFP semifinals."
As Penn State hired Matt Campbell as Franklin's successor, the Nittany Lions are slowly but surely working their way toward their Sept. 5 season opener against Marshall in Beaver Stadium. Penn State is already rumored to potentially secure a 10-2 season in 2026 due to a manageable schedule and the addition of Rocco Becht, who finished last season with a 78.6 score in the PFSN College Football QB Impact.
As for Franklin, he is set to begin a new chapter at Virginia Tech in 2026 after the program finished 3-9 last season. ESPN has already predicted that the Hokies could become a surprise College Football Playoff contender in 2026 due to the continuity and talent Franklin is expected to bring with him to Blacksburg.
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