When James Franklin was fired at Penn State earlier this year, there was a noticeable divide within the Nittany Lions' fan base. Some were excited to see changes, but most were wondering what was really going on behind-the-scenes with Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft and the school's decision makers.
Franklin had the program in the midst of a 3-3 record, but was also coming off one of the best seasons during his tenure and a run in the College Football Playoff. So, firing him amid success and a slight setback made no sense at all. Every program takes a dip from time to time, and consistent success isn't always promised.
Nonetheless, Kraft made the decision to move on from Franklin, setting the stage for the veteran coach to become the next coach at Virginia Tech on Monday. While the terms of his new contract aren't known at this time, what we do know is Penn State agreed to a reduced buyout with Franklin of $8 million. A win-win for both parties as they move forward in seperate directions.
Well deserved! Congratulations Coach Franklin!!! Https://t.co/mIiUaIkhJt
— Patrick Kraft AD (@PatKraftPSU) November 18, 2025
Kraft offered his well-wishes to Franklin with a social media post on Tuesday. As expected, the standard congratulations brought out the best from the keyboard warriors. Kraft wrote, "Well deserved! Congratulations Coach Franklin!!!"
This struck a nerve with one commentator saying, "What goes around comes around Pat. Not sure the list of candidates out there you have to choose from are better than Coach Franklin who by the way will be stealing some recruits. Well deserved Penn St."
Another one stating, "Well deserved, he fired him. Lol." That was before "Thanks for setting the program back 5 years" was written by another fan. Those were some of the most tame on X, with many others extremely revved up.
Obviously this isn't a good look from Kraft, but it's likely Franklin will get the last laugh, if he hasn't already. Penn State looks toward the future with no clear frontrunner for the one-time powerhouse.
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