Penn State has made such a drastic decision in firing James Franklin after twelve years with him as a coach on the dominant team. Despite making the College Football Playoff semifinals the previous year, the team began the 2025 season with a 3-3 record. 

This followed an upset loss to a previously winless UCLA team and a double-overtime loss to Oregon. Athletic Director Pat Kraft cited Franklin’s poor record in high-profile games as a factor in the decision, noting that he wants to build a program that can win a national championship. 

Franklin’s record against top-10 teams at Penn State was 4-20.The university will owe Franklin nearly $50 million as a buyout for terminating his contract, which was originally set to run through the 2031 season. 

The expensive buyout has drawn criticism, especially since the university is closing several branch campuses to cut costs.The firing came as a shock to some, given the team’s recent playoff success. However, the decision was met with approval by other commentators, such as analyst Paul Finebaum, who felt the dismissal was justified given the team’s downward spiral.

The high cost of the buyout is coming under fire with anger from fans and coaches. With some wondering why the money isn’t going toward the schooling of state universities. The decision to fire Franklin came after a lot of losses, coming after a three-game losing streak that started with losses to unranked teams. 

Franklin’s contract includes a buyout of more than $49 million, which is the second-largest in college football history after Jimbo Fisher’s buyout from Texas A&M. 

The university has hired Mike Yurcich as the new offensive coordinator and bumped Terry Smith up to head Coach.