Penn State Will Pay Him $50M Not to Coach

School fires football coach James Franklin but still owes him lots of money
Posted Oct 13, 2025 6:24 AM CDT
Penn State Will Pay Him $50M Not to Coach
Penn State head coach James Franklin watches the action against Northwestern during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in State College, Pa.   (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

Penn State fired its football coach over the weekend—and it was an expensive move. The school still owes James Franklin nearly $50 million after he signed a 10-year contract in 2021, reports the Guardian.

  • It's the second biggest buyout in the history of college football, behind only the $76 million paid by Texas A&M to get rid of Jimbo Fisher, per ESPN.
  • Sunday's decision came a day after a disastrous 22-21 home loss to Northwestern, which effectively ended the Nittany Lions' chances of making the College Football Playoff. They had been considered contenders for the national title before the season began. The team now sits at 3-3 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten play.

  • Franklin compiled a 104-45 record over more than 11 seasons at Penn State, but he took flak for struggling against elite competition: He was just 4-21 against top-10 teams.
  • Before the Northwestern loss, Penn State fell to previously winless UCLA, thus becoming the first modern team to lose consecutive games in which they were favored by at least 20 points, per ESPN.
  • Assistant coach Terry Smith will step in as interim head coach for the rest of the season.

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