Oct 19, 2025
3 min read
The recently fired Penn State coach made his first public appearance on "College Game Day."
James Franklin breaks silence on fairness of Penn State firing, plans to rethink coaching style
Franklin says he'll look in the mirror after the stunning end to his 12-year tenure in Pennsylvania.
The James Franklin era at Penn State came to an end last week when the Nittany Lions fired their coach of 12 years.Franklin left an indelible mark on the program in almost all the right ways, turning it into a perennial Big Ten and national championship contender after some turmoil.But his struggles in the biggest games and the Nittany Lions' shocking fall from a No. 2 preseason to 0-3 in Big Ten play created a dilemma.
Is it worth a pencil status to travel from a programs in the project program in the program program?
"'Fair' is not for me to decide," Franklin said Saturday on ESPN's "College GameDay" in his first public comments since his dismissal."That's for other people to decide. The decision that was taken, it was difficult for me to understand at the time. But what I want to do is I want to focus on everything that we promised."
To tell the time if Penn State has been doing the right movement to ask a change of guide.Perhaps the other company can achieve the Franklinting goals.
Ultimately, there was always a gap between Franklin's results and the program's expectations.The story of Penn State's big games is as well-documented as anything in college football, but for good reason.Franklin had the second-worst mark against AP top-6 teams in the polling era, 2–21, and was just 15–31 against top-25 teams.They defeated Ohio State and Michigan a total of four times during his tenure and won the conference once.
Anything that didn't click when the lights were on, Frenklin said he would work to make it look like a dangerous version of his style.
"There are things that I know we've done that nobody in the country has done," Franklin said.That's all, you have time, and how can we do more than.How can we do more than just work?
Sometimes a cry is better for both parties.The Lions' recent records and lack of results have created an unpleasant situation for Forklin.In the state of Pelin, perhaps he will be a very strong person, perhaps to estimate the expectations of supporters.Franklin will definitely find a solid landing spot in the valley where he grew up, free from the strain he grew up with.The question is less whether the fork will return to the trainer and more.
"I don't know anything else," Franklin said."I've been doing this for 30 years. I have no hobbies. I don't play golf. I'm not fishing. It's such a big part of my identity, such a big part of my family. We love it.
Franklin is the biggest name in the coach market and will almost certainly remain so as long as he turns the carousel in 2025.Arkansas, UCLA and Virginia Tech would no doubt be happy to have him.However, better jobs may open up in the coming weeks.Will Franklin go to Florida if the opportunity arises?His phone will ring.It's just a matter of which caller he likes best.
