Rece Davis Reveals If Penn State Should Fire James Franklin

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 10:29 AM ET

Key Points

Penn State’s James Franklin under scrutiny after historic upset loss
Franklin’s record: 104–43 overall, 16–29 vs. ranked teams
Buyout reportedly near $50 million, contract runs through 2031
Rece Davis says firing Franklin is “ridiculous” amid fan frustration
Nittany Lions face Northwestern at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1 Saturday

After one of the biggest upsets in college football history, Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin may find himself on the hot seat moving forward.

Franklin has had a successful tenure in Happy Valley, with a record of 104-3 over his 12 seasons. However, he has faced challenges in high-stakes games. His record in bowl games stands at 6-6. Additionally, he has a disappointing overall record of 16-29 against ranked opponents, including a particularly troubling 4-21 against top-10 teams, as reported by The Athletic.

On the "College GameDay Podcast," ESPN's Dan Wetzel suggested it may be time to part ways with Franklin, but Rece Davis rejected the notion.

Penn State coach James Franklin and quarterback Drew Allar react after losing to Oregon. James Lang-Imagn Images

"All of the criticism and critique of Franklin and the program and players and the game is fair," Davis said. "That's fair game. Escalating it to firing, to me, is ridiculous. Because it can always be worse. All you have to do is look at all of the problems that powerhouse programs have had with coaching transitions. They are so easy to get wrong."

The challenge of terminating Franklin stems from his significant buyout. According to USA Today, if he is dismissed without cause, his buyout is nearly $50 million as of Saturday. Furthermore, his annual salary is $8.5 million, and his contract is scheduled to extend until December 31, 2031.

The breakout of his annual pay includes:

Base salary of $500,000
Supplemental pay of $6.5 million
Retention bonus of $500,000 payable each year on Dec. 31.
Annual loan for life insurance of $1,000,000

Despite fan frustration, Franklin’s job security remains largely intact because of his substantial buyout and long-term contract. His $8.5 million annual salary and nearly $50 million buyout make an immediate change both financially and strategically risky for Penn State.

Davis is right to point out that major coaching transitions often backfire, especially when replacing a coach who consistently delivers top-10 recruiting classes and winning records. Still, the noise around Franklin will only grow louder if the Nittany Lions fail to respond. They’ll get that chance on Saturday when Penn State faces the Northwestern Wildcats at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, a must-win game for a program looking to stabilize its season.

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

More must-reads: