On Oct. 12, Penn State made the decision to fire head coach James Franklin after a 22-21 loss to Northwestern at home the day before. The defeat dropped the Nittany Lions to 3-3.
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The sudden decision to part ways with Franklin was somewhat curious.
While he struggled in ranked Big Ten games, Franklin led PSU to two College Football Playoff wins last season and an appearance in the CFP semifinal in January. The Nittany Lions lost that game to Notre Dame by a field goal.
Franklin’s resume is drawing interest in the college football world this season. With eight Power 4 jobs available and more likely to come in November, Franklin should be employed by a new school in 2026.
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Per Bruce Feldman and Ralph D. Russo of The Athletic, Virginia Tech has interest in Franklin. However, they suggested Franklin might be biding his time to potentially sign with the Hokies, hoping that Florida State University parts ways with Mike Norvell and Auburn moves on from Hugh Freeze.
Via The Athletic:
“First job off the board? It might be Virginia Tech, as the Hokies have interest in James Franklin, but the former Penn State coach might not want to sign on before he sees whether Florida State or Auburn — or both — come open.”
FSU isn’t expected to decide on Norvell’s future until after the regular season, when the school conducts a “comprehensive assessment.” The Tigers could fire Freeze after his next loss. Starting with Arkansas in Week 9, Freeze appears to be coaching on a game-by-game basis at Auburn.
Both jobs would appear to be better than Virginia Tech on paper.
FSU last won a national title in 2013 (which came in a win over Auburn). The Tigers have won two national titles this century. VT has never won a national championship, though they came close in 1999 when they finished the season ranked No. 2.
It’ll be interesting to see how long the Hokies are willing to give Franklin if they give him an offer. A well-known coach like Brian Kelly, who was fired from LSU on Sunday, could think about going to Blacksburg to resurrect his career.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
