(OT) Penn State Football - James Franklin no longer

[zambonir]

None of this - nor the possibility Penn State could be mediocre and cycle through 2-3 coaches over the next eight years - doesn't mean it wasn't time to fire Franklin. But the possibility is real.

https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/1pcqi0v/the_penn_state_coaching_search_the_modern/?rdt=64217

Nebraska botched it twice, after Bill Callahan, Pellini went 67-27 but still couldn't win a conference or compete at national level, so they gassed him and are currently on their third try (with Rhule not doing that much better than Mike Riley, somewhat better than Frost).

[bigegypt0417]

It feels at this point PSU may have been "saved" by the Mormon Church...Sitake was a good choice but it seems like he turned that in to an elite payday for a school that almost always struggles to be in the top 20 in recruiting. BYU will always be limited by their code of cunduct as well as location...IMO.

Penn State has two really choices going forward...take a guy like Daboll who has HC experience but also has a reputation as an innovative offensive mind.

OR

You go with the up and coming coordinator...Hartline will take alot of money to leave OSU but it doesn't seem like Day is going anywhere soon or you take a guy like Stein who will probably be the "cats meow" in the next hiring cycle.

Hartline is known as an elite recruiter and develops WR's and QB's and Stein is an elite play caller...

I'm fine with any of those 3.

[zambonir]

Stein has already taken the Kentucky job. He's from there. And unlike Kraft their AD knew who he was going to hire before he fired Stoops.

One of those Reddit commentators speculated, I think correctly, that Sitake has probably been Kraft's top candidate, or among them, for quite some time. Maybe that's because it was just the guy he liked, maybe there's some truth to the Sexton thing. But either way, he wasn't missing out on some of the guys (like Fitzgerald or Chesney) because he had a first choice, and had managed to keep it under wraps. But then it fell apart.

I just don't think "offensive mind" is as important as "can run a program." That was clearly the appeal of Sitake, who would have done even better freed from those BYU constraints. The same might still be true of Campbell, I don't think he's a bad choice. Brohm would give you both but it's thought he's getting an extension.

And, LOL, South Florida just hired Hartline.

[zambonir]

At this point hard to tell the difference between Internet fodder and what Kraft is actually doing. UH has just as much money as Texas Tech and BYU to keep him. Plus he's 65 years old. Amazing coach who won two national championships and built Tulane. But you may as well just poach K.C. Keeler (who succeeded Fritz at Sam Houston and has won three national championships and is a PA native) from Temple.

Could Willie Fritz be the next rising option for Penn State?

[bigegypt0417]

And, LOL, South Florida just hired Hartline.

Yeesh...at this point...just hire Terry Smith and call it a day...the cycle passed them by so try to salvage what you can.

At this point...I find it hard to believe Kraft will keep his job.

[zambonir]

I'm not sure I'd want the job if I were Smith at this point. It would probably be a semi-insulting offer (both years and money) and a doomed path. What if they are 6-6 again next year?

If Kraft fired Franklin because of pressure from the trustees those same trustees can't turn around and fire him. You'd just be setting the program back in the same way the Franklin firing did. And if the trustees or the president don't think Franklin should have been fired, that's not a healthy program either.

If you're gonna fire him you have to do it before the new coach is hired. Hire Jimmy Sexton's favorite search firm, let Smith coach the bowl (which he is going to anyway), hire a new AD in winter.

[flyers19rw]

There's more to the Athletic Department than the football program. The rest of the teams are doing well and, in many cases, improving. Overall Kraft has been doing well.

[bigegypt0417]

I don't think Smith would say no...he either takes it or he walks away which doesn't seem like something he'd do. I'm sure they would give him a nice buy-out.

At this point, it's a foregone conclusion this will be a mediocre team next year....they currently have 3 commits who haven't signed with another school.

You're punting on the first year of a new deal with Adidas...it feels like that's a poor look.

[bigegypt0417]

Agreed but he's flubbed the aspect of the department responsible for 50% of the revenue flowing in.

[zambonir]

I don't think all is lost yet. There are still plenty of coaches who would take this job, and perhaps risky hires (including the NFL guys with little college experience, FCS guys, lesser-name coordinators) who could do a decent job. But I think it has to be a sitting FBS coach to salvage next year.

I wonder if leaving Nike for adidas also affected the search! There was the rumor adidas wanted Franklin out but Nike is also tied to so many coaches (and agents, presumably).

[bigegypt0417]

In some weird news...not a bad pickup
.

Penn State lands ex-Auburn QB commit Falzone

[dicemen99]

I would like to see them hire Daboll. He’s a good HC, I think he was undone by the GM there and the Giants management in general, which is subpar.

I think he’s the right kind of guy for PSU, would get the donors behind him. And I think he’ll recruit. He’s just a couple of years removed from being the NFL coach of the year, has demonstrated development, and he’d build a squad and staff differently than tOSU, like Harbaugh did, instead of trying to be tOSU lite like Franklin.

[zambonir]

Key is also off the board. This story says the administration is now getting involved.

https://www.footballscoop.com/2025/12/03/jeff-brohm-turns-down-penn-state-remaining-at-louisville

[bigegypt0417]

The Penn State coaching search has netted about 370 million dollars for the coaches rumored to be on the list.

lol

[andyb]

Mike Tomlin getting mentioned now. Not sure Penn State can wait till he's available which is looking more likely these days.

[bigegypt0417]

There is thought they're still working on someone who has a game this weekend...if deboer loses i wonder what happens in Alabama...

[zambonir]

I don't know that Bama misses the playoff with a loss though.

Chesney still included in "coaches who have a game this weekend."

[bigegypt0417]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6863734/2025/12/04/matt-campbell-penn-state-coaching-search/

[zambonir]

I am actually fine with this. They could have saved themselves a lot of embarassment if he'd been the fourth choice to begin with (assuming Rhule and Cignetti and Elko came first). He has consistently done more with less talent and is known as a program/culture guy. Give him Penn State's brand and money (and status as the biggest program in its state, unlike ISU) and he can undoubtedly do just as well as all these other guys they somehow missed out on.

Make Daboll coordinator, he can be near his kids and take off for a college HC job or return to the NFL after a year or two (but otherwise, just pay top dollar for an OC).

[bigegypt0417]

Yeah...I'm good with this direction if he actually takes the job