James Franklin will appear on GameDay
Penn State Football made decision to fire head coach James Franklin after a three-game losing streak, and there might be a chance to tell his side of the story. Franklin is scheduled to appear on Game Day in Athens before UGA and Ole Miss face off, according to ESPN.
Franklin spent 12 seasons as Penn State’s head coach and made some strides with the program, but their recent slump was enough to make them decide to go in a different direction. His dismissal comes after their recent loss to Northwestern, and two weeks prior to that, losses to UCLA and Oregon.
Athletic Director Pat Kraft made a statement after Franklin was fired.
“We hold our athletic programs to the highest standards and believe this is the right time for new leadership at the helm of our football program to advance us toward Big Ten and national championships,” Kraft said.
Longtime Penn State assistant Terry Smith will serve as interim head coach until the end of the season.
Franklin left Penn State with a 104-45 record since taking the job in 2014 and a 128-60 overall record as a head coach, which includes his time at Vanderbilt. He went 2-1 in the playoffs last season, beating SMU and Boise State before losing to Notre Dame in the semifinals. From there, expectations seemed high to start the season, and Franklin couldn’t get them where they wanted early.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Franklin is in high demand for another job after the season, especially given the success he’s had in his career.
It will be interesting for Penn State to see what they do as far as finding a new head coach and who are some of the candidates they are looking at.
2025-10-17 16:39:00
