Penn State fired coach James Franklin six games into his 12th season with the Nittany Lions. CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz confirms. The decision comes amid a disastrous start to the 2025 campaign, which saw Penn State fall to 0-3 in Big Ten play after a Week 7 loss to Northwestern.
Associate head coach and defensive backs coach Terry Smith will serve in an interim role until the end of the 2025 season.
“Penn State owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Coach Franklin, who built our football program into a national power,” said Penn State Athletic Director Patrick Craft. “He won a Big Ten championship, led us to seven New Year's Six Bowls and an appearance in the College Football Playoff last year. However, we maintain our athletic programs at the highest level and believe now is the right time for new leadership at the helm of our football program to propel us toward the Big Ten and national championships.”
Saturday's loss was the second straight for Penn State to be a favorite of at least 20 points; On October 4, the Nittany Lions were stunned by a loss to previously winless UCLA. Penn State became the first FBS team since 1978 to lose back-to-back games while being a 20-plus point favorite.
Penn State also lost its Big Ten opener in double overtime against Oregon, marking Franklin's 15th straight loss to a top-6 AP team.
Penn State opened the year No. 2 in the AP Top 25 after last season's College Football Playoff appearance. The Nittany Lions were expected to make the playoffs again and compete for the Big Ten title.
Instead, they join a growing list of programs looking for a new coach. Penn State's 3-3 record marks the worst six-game start for a preseason team ranked in the AP's top 2 since Oklahoma in 1964.
Franklin leaves Happy Valley with a 104-45 overall record, including 64-36 in Big Ten play. Penn State made its second appearance in the Big Ten Championship game last season.
The Nittany Lions have won the Big Ten just once (2016) during Franklin's tenure. They have won at least 10 games in six of 12 seasons, including three straight double-digit winning campaigns from 2022-24.
Before transferring to Penn State in 2014, Franklin spent three seasons at Vanderbilt. He led the Commodores to nine straight winning seasons and a top-25 finish in 2012-13.
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