Why Penn State fired James Franklin now | Candidates for the Nittany Lions' next coach

Andy & Ari On3

On3 Media, Inc.

Sports

4.0 • 552 Ratings

🗓️ 12 October 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Penn State has fired coach James Franklin after consecutive losses as a 20-point favorite. It’s a dramatic fall for a program that opened the season with national title aspirations. The Nittany Lions will eat a $48.6 million buyout, but that amount could be reduced if Franklin gets another job. And there is a good chance he will, because he will be a desirable candidate for multiple programs. Meanwhile, who does Penn State hire? Alum Matt Rhule? Matt Campbell? Do the Nittany Lions try to pry Curt Cignetti away from Indiana? Our show is presented by BetMGM! If you haven’t signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code CFB and you will get up to a $1500 First Bet Offer on your first wager with BetMGM! Here’s how it works: 1. Download the BetMGM app and sign-up using bonus code CFB. 2. Deposit at least $10 and place your first wager on any game. 3. You will receive up to $1500 in bonus bets if your bet loses! Just make sure you use bonus code CFB when you sign up! Make this college football season one for the history books. Make it legendary. See BetMGM.com for Terms. 21+ only. US promotional offers not available in New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US). Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). First Bet Offer for new customers only. Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 7 days. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This show is also sponsored by Modelo! Some things in life are just made for each other. Peanut Butter and jelly. Macaroni and cheese. Modelo and college football. If you’re watching this, it means you live and breathe football. All season long. You know what that makes you? A Full-Time Fan. Which means you deserve a Modelo. Because football wouldn’t be the same without you. Modelo is the official beer sponsor of The College Football Playoff. Join On3 today and get one full year of access to The Athletic included! https://www.on3.com/subscribe/C Subscribe to On3! ⬇️ youtube.com/on3sports/?sub_confirmati... Welcome to On3 | The best of college football and recruiting https://www.on3.com/ Listen to Andy & Ari On3 on podcast! Spotify 🎧: https://open.spotify.com/show/5AhQ4d2... Apple 🍎: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Follow Andy Staples on Twitter: / andy_staples Follow Andy Staples on Instagram: / andy_staples Follow Ari Wasserman on Twitter: https://x.com/AriWasserman Follow us on Twitter / on3sports Follow us on Instagram / on3 Like/Follow us on Facebook / on3sports Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari Wasserman Producer: River Bailey Interested in partnering with the show? Email advertise@on3.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Andy and Ari on 3.
0:05.5	You hear the siren.
0:06.5	That's an emergency edition.
0:07.6	We are Andy and Ari on 3 presented by BetMGM.
0:11.7	And holy cow, James Franklin got fired by Penn State, Ari.
0:18.8	James Franklin fired by Penn State on Sunday. They owe him about $49 million in buyout.
0:29.6	I didn't think this is going to happen so quickly. It makes sense. I understand it. But wow, this went fast. Yeah, it was much faster than either of us thought as you were on a walking trail with a six pack of beer under your arm, right? But like at the same time, we both kind of had an idea last night show that this was the end of the road. It's funny because even Audrey Snyder, our former colleague at the athletic asked James Franklin an injury question in the post game last night. He's out for the year. Like, you know how James Franklin is with injuries. It just, it felt like, uh, this was the end of the road. There was no coming back from it. Now, what wasn't anticipating it to happen on Sunday, uh, so quickly, but it just, you know, I guess what needs to be done should be done now. And it just, that's kind of the way it went.
1:12.2	So there's one thing for sure.
1:14.4	This season was always 100% going to be a referendum on his coaching ability, whether you like it or not. 100% coming into the year. You say things like he said in the off season. We've got the best combination of coaching and personnel that we've had at my time
1:28.4	in Penn State. Penn State fans were tired of, you know, being in a position where they were
1:33.9	very good, but not elite. This was the year they were supposed to do it. You know, you lose at home
1:38.5	against Oregon. That's a tough game. You still have, you cannot in a year that's this important,
1:43.9	lose to UCLA, let alone UCLA and
1:45.8	Northwestern exactly a rope it wasn't even the same old same old it was infinitely worse and
1:52.1	there comes a point in the road where you know that's not the road you should be going down and I think
1:56.2	that's it I think they they just figured out that this thing had run its course and and I've got a lot
2:00.1	of text from people since the news broke saying, well, why now? But there was never going to be a good
2:06.4	time. This particular tenure had run its course. Like that what you had with James Franklin
2:14.6	was a coach that could not win the games against the biggest opponents,
2:18.4	but always won the games he was supposed to.
2:20.6	Now you've lost the always win the games you're supposed to.
2:23.4	And then what do you have after that at a program that aspires to win national titles?
	...

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