Penn State has fired head coach James Franklin, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. The news comes after a three-game losing streak for the Nittany Lions, including a 22-21 loss to Northwestern on Saturday. He posted a 88-43 record in 12 seasons in Happy Valley since 2014.
Sources: Penn State has fired James Franklin.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 12, 2025
Franklin has a $49 million buyout in his contract and was reportedly in discussions about parting ways with Penn State before he was fired.
Penn State fell to 3-3 this season with losses to Northwestern, winless UCLA, and No. 3 Oregon in consecutive weeks. Franklin announced after Saturday's game that senior quarterback Drew Allar suffered a leg injury, ending his college career.
Prior to the three-game slide, Franklin has long been criticized for struggling to win big games. But this year put a spotlight on multiple issues with the team. He hadn't lost more than three games in a season since 2021.
The Nittany Lions will try to get back on track in Big Ten play when they visit Iowa next Saturday.
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