Penn State Football, James Franklin James Franklin surpassed Rip Engle as the second-winningest head coach in Penn State Football history after the NIttany Lions throttled Villanova. (Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images)

James Franklin and Penn State Both Need a Fresh Start | JOHNSON

Originally posted on Nittany Central | By Ethan Johnson | Last updated Oct 4, 2025 10:28 PM ET

After losing to an 0-4 UCLA, the thought of parting ways with James Franklin is not so insane for Penn State Football.

Sure, Franklin’s record at Penn State is 104-43 and he has a conference championship on his resume, but through 2024, 33 of those losses are hints B1G opponents.

We have covered Franklin’s playoff and championship record previously, so there’s no use going into that. But, this is the first time since 1985 that an 0-4 team beat a AP top 10 team.

That’s 40 years. Not a good stat to be attached to.

It’s Time for Penn State Football to Part with James Franklin

It’s time to seriously start thinking about a fresh start at head coach.

That’s not a knock on Franklin, there just comes a point for every program, no matter who the coach is, where things get stale.

Eagles fans, I know this well.

Andy Reid is a familiar parallel to Franklin. Reid guided Philadelphia to four consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances, with one Super Bowl berth. There’s no debate about his ability to win, especially after what we’ve seen from the Chiefs. But for the last couple of years in Philadelphia, Reid couldn’t get anything going.

A refresh was needed and did wonders for Reid (and eventually the Eagles).

It’s time for Penn State to pull the plug and find someone else to steer the ship if we want to stop going in circles.

Is James Franklin’s Contract Too Big a Hurdle?

The big, obvious roadblock here is Franklin’s contract.

To cut ties at this point in the season, Penn State would have to payout $8 million per year for the remaining seven years. If public education served me well, that comes out to a staggering $56 million.

The way around that is to come to a mutual agreement of some kind to negate the contract.

Penn State Football, James Franklin Penn State football head coach James Franklin arrives with the rest of the Nittany Lions before the start of an NCAA football game against Nevada, Saturday, August 30, 2025, in State College, Pa.

If we haven’t convinced you that this is a good idea, let’s review the last two weeks … A loss to 0-4 UCLA and another heartbreak at the hands of Oregon. Enough said?

Enough said and end of rant.

This article first appeared on Nittany Central and was syndicated with permission.

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