I thought he'd get a mulligan for having several very good years, as well as last season's CFP semifinal appearance. That, plus there was still plenty of time to turn the team around and get them to a bowl game.
Normally, starting out a season 3-3 isn't going to get you fired, but I'm guessing that because he back to back games where PSU was favored by 3+ scores, their Board of Trustees panicked.
His pattern of success was very good, but not elite. If anything, his record looks a lot like Brian Kelly's, maybe even a bit better.
You're very much correct, that he can rebuild a program and get it to top 10 contention. While a lot of the credit for his initial success goes to Bill O'Brien, Franklin still brought in good recruiting, and developed a lot of NFL talent.
He blasted away the weaklings, comfortably beat the average teams, and usually beat the good teams, but when it came to the very good or elite teams, he didn't exactly have the best of success.
2-3 loss seasons became the norm over there, though.
I'm surprised as well
Replies to: "I'm surprised as well"
- PSU fires Franklin. - AlbanyIRISH - 2:09pm 10/12/25
(39) [View All]
- James Franklin will make over 20 THOUSAND DOLLARS PER DAY from Penn State for the next six years. - Jerseymick - 8:53pm 10/12/25
- Surprising but not surprised - croaker - 6:07pm 10/12/25
- Replacement candidates - ndunabomber - 5:16pm 10/12/25
- No - Nigel Tufnel - 5:42pm 10/12/25
- Cignetti is sixty-four - Fisher01 - 8:33pm 10/12/25
- Rhule can't beat ranked teams. - AlbanyIRISH - 5:29pm 10/12/25
- Then they should be used to a guy like him. [NT]
- ndphysics - 6:39pm 10/12/25
- Good one [NT] - ndunabomber - 7:23pm 10/12/25
- Then they should be used to a guy like him. [NT]
- ndphysics - 6:39pm 10/12/25
- No - Nigel Tufnel - 5:42pm 10/12/25
- IU is going to need to increase Cignetti’s salary and terms [NT]
- Shadow_of_the_Dome - 4:09pm 10/12/25
- PSU will beat anything IU can throw out there. - Clem - 5:22pm 10/12/25
- Isn’t his compensation package his full salary plus $50million?!?! [NT]
- Jerseymick - 3:58pm 10/12/25
- No, according to the ESPN article. - PaND - 4:13pm 10/12/25
- Franklin is owed more than $49 million, per his contract, which is the second-biggest in college - whatsamataU - 4:53pm 10/12/25
- They'll happily pay that - ndunabomber - 5:11pm 10/12/25
- Doesn't getting hired at another coaching job reduce these payouts? PSU is on the hook until - jrdjr84 - 4:25pm 10/12/25
- Franklin is owed more than $49 million, per his contract, which is the second-biggest in college - whatsamataU - 4:53pm 10/12/25
- No, according to the ESPN article. - PaND - 4:13pm 10/12/25
- I hate Franklin, but this seems nuts. - jakers - 3:20pm 10/12/25
- Agreed - Six eleven win seasons - Fisher01 - 8:28pm 10/12/25
- Not at all. He's been there 11 years and his inability to beat elite teams is undisputed. The last - MAS - 6:51pm 10/12/25
- But he's basically what Penn State has always been. - jakers - 7:38pm 10/12/25
- He's not what JoePa was, even the last 20 years of his career. - MAS - 8:38pm 10/12/25
- But he's basically what Penn State has always been. - jakers - 7:38pm 10/12/25
- I'm surprised as well - ndunabomber - 5:28pm 10/12/25
- wasn’t it Obrien who took it over? [NT]
- WestCoastIrishFan - 5:25pm 10/12/25
- For one season. Remember, that was a multi-year penalty. [NT] - jakers - 7:31pm 10/12/25
- I agree, it's whacko [NT] - NDQuebec - 4:50pm 10/12/25
- Penn State is a dark cult society. It’s predictably insane. [NT] - Hensou - 3:58pm 10/12/25
- I’m sure PSU has its own Dave Portnoy. The deal with the devil. - LanceManion - 3:58pm 10/12/25
- Terry Pegula [NT] - AlbanyIRISH - 4:06pm 10/12/25
- I agree, they were #5 last year. - PaND - 3:38pm 10/12/25
- He’s laughing all the way to the bank. It’s a $50 million buyout. [NT]
- Hensou - 4:00pm 10/12/25
- Big Bank James… [NT] - TakethetrainKnute - 7:57pm 10/12/25
- He’s laughing all the way to the bank. It’s a $50 million buyout. [NT]
- Hensou - 4:00pm 10/12/25
- Prolly in back room talks with Cignetti for the job. - Clem - 3:32pm 10/12/25
- I’m truly shocked. - irishone - 3:19pm 10/12/25
- So sad! - how about those Hoosiers? [NT] - jimbasil - 3:15pm 10/12/25
- Well, Penn State did transform from preseason #2 to a big Number 2 [NT] - humbaba - 3:14pm 10/12/25
- Surprising timing. Not as to outcome. [NT] - LanceManion - 2:59pm 10/12/25
- Wow. The sport is so screwy right now. - Chris94 - 2:52pm 10/12/25
- Potential impact on our recruiting? [NT] - Curly1918 - 2:43pm 10/12/25
- Priorities. Some things can, and will, be tolerated, but losing football games is a capital offense - Clem - 2:40pm 10/12/25
- Just came out. Well he can buy a nice place in FL and fade away with the buyout - ndphysics - 2:10pm 10/12/25