By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
Penn State fired head coach James Franklin Sunday, following a 22-21 loss to Northwestern. The loss dropped the Nittany Lions to 0-3 in the Big Ten — their worst mark since 2004.
Franklin led Penn State to a 104-45 record across his 11-plus seasons with five top-10 finishes and New Year’s Day Six Bowl appearances, but what stood out most about Franklin’s tenure was his 4-21 record against top-10 teams.
While frustrations continued to boil over about Penn State’s inability to beat top opponents, Franklin’s firing shows that programs are not afraid to pull the plug on coaches, despite the success they do have.
Franklin — the second-winningest coach in Penn State history — is coming off of his best season as the Nittany Lions’ head coach. He finally got over the hump last season and led his team to the College Football Playoff as the No. 6 seed.
For a coach who has struggled beating top teams, Franklin’s team nearly ran the table. They dominated No. 11 SMU in the first round, 38-10, forcing three interceptions from quarterback Kevin Jennings. The Nittany Lions held Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty to 3.47 yards per carry in their 31-14 second-round win over No. 3 Boise State. Their run came to an end with a 27-24 loss to No. 7 Notre Dame on a last-minute field goal.
Despite the Nittany Lions being three points away from a trip to the national championship game earlier this year, Franklin was let go. Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft said the program needs “new leadership” to “advance us toward Big Ten and national championships.”
While Kraft said that the recent losing streak was not the reason for Franklin’s firing, it could have been the final straw.
The main talking point surrounding Franklin has been his teams’ subpar performances against elite teams. That narrative has put him under the spotlight every time Penn State plays a top team, and it adds a stain to his resume when his team does not win.
With the issue being at the forefront of Franklin’s image, losing becomes magnified, especially in winnable games. The losses to UCLA, which was 0-4 before its meeting with the Nittany Lions, and Northwestern may have been the final nail in the coffin rather than a mere road bump.
For a program that is valued at $1.2 billion — 11th-most in college football, according to The Athletic — expectations are to be nearly perfect. Following the winningest season in school history, Franklin’s squad has fallen short of expectations this season. They are 3-3 overall and 0-3 in conference play, and the rest of the season does not look promising after quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury against Northwestern.
With the evolving landscape of college football, expectations continue to rise for coaches while rosters change at a higher rate than ever. Some coaches who have succeeded with their programs have not met recent expectations.
Mike Gundy—the winningest coach in Oklahoma State history—was fired on Sept. 23 in his 21st season as the Cowboys’ head coach. Sam Pittman, who led Arkansas to three bowl wins and up to a No. 8 AP ranking in 2021, was let go on Sept. 28 after a 2-3 start.
The coaching carousel will continue to turn across college football as teams drastically change. What coaches did in the past, even just a season ago, will play less of a role in their fates. The need to meet expectations will rule.
