Penn State’s Fires Remorse: Kraft’s Coaching Dilemma

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By John McManus | Last updated Nov 13, 2025 11:34 AM ET

Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft relieved James Franklin of his head coaching duties on Oct. 12 with the goal being to upgrade that position. That decision included a $49 million buyout. Was it worth it or will Kraft experience fires remorse?

Years ago, I heard about how Nick Saban would have his bride, Miss Terry, prepare the same lunch for him every single day, thus saving him from having to make that daily decision. Never mind the six national championships, I think that’s the most brilliant thing I attribute to arguably the best college football coach of all time.

Let’s face it, making a decision no matter how big or small, uses up brainpower and adds stress. So when Kraft had to make the difficult decision after Penn State’s loss to Northwestern (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) the second weekend of October, I gave him a lot of credit.

Personally, I would have given coach Franklin the Iowa game to try to right the ship. He ran a class program for 12 years and at least deserved that but I’m sure the pseudo-owners (big boosters) called for carnage after Penn State’s first three-game losing streak since 2021.

Sooner Rather Than Later

So Kraft’s first major decision is now over a month in our rear view mirror and it’s time to hire a new head coach sooner rather than later. The early signing period ends next month and the transfer portal closes the month after. His next decision could come down to either winning the press conference or finding the best coach or both.

That decision, however, is becoming more and more difficult each day. Dare I say even impossible?

If Penn State (3-6, 0-6) wants to have someone in place in order to take advantage of the early signing period and transfer portal window while their list of decommitments seems to grow by the day, they might need to look for a coach who is currently not coaching or at least not headed to the College Football Playoff. The latter will not win the press conference. So I think we all agree the best candidate could be the one that meets the following criteria:

Someone with Penn State ties who can keep most of the current returning roster and salvage the 2026 recruiting class
An excellent recruiter
A coach who can get to the CFP

Franklin, anyone?

Don’t Envy Kraft

Who else is out there who is a guaranteed upgrade? The answer is no one. Yes, including the aforementioned Saban. Sure he would win the press conference but we’re already seeing another G.O.A.T. struggle at North Carolina.

Would a Brian Hartline or Joe Brady win the press conference? Maybe, maybe no but still no guarantee that we have the next Kirby Smart (Georgia) or Dan Lanning (Oregon). There’s no guarantee Bob Chesney (JMU) is the next Curt Cignetti (Indiana) and do we believe Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri) and Jeff Brohm (Louisville) is an upgrade from Franklin? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, I don’t envy Kraft.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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