Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft acknowledged Monday that James Franklin's record in big games played a role in the Nittany Lions moving on from the 12th-year head coach.
"I'm here to win a national championship," Kraft told reporters. "And I believe our fans deserve that."
With championship or bust expectations in 2025, Penn State opened the season No. 2 team in the AP Poll. The Nittany Lions jumped out to wins over Nevada, Florida International and Villanova but lost a heartbreaker to Oregon in overtime, 30-24. The defeat dropped Franklin to 4-21 against AP top-10 opponents, including a 1-18 mark against top-10 Big Ten teams in conference matchups. According to ESPN Research, Franklin's .160 winning percentage in those games is tied for the third-worst by a coach at a single school since the poll era began in 1936.
Following its loss to Oregon, Penn State fell to then-winless UCLA, which hadn't held a lead all season despite facing UNLV and New Mexico in nonconference competition. Then, the Nittany Lions fell to Northwestern at home. With the two losses, Penn State became the first team since the FBS and FCS split in 1978 to lose consecutive games while favored by 20 or more points in each game, according to ESPN Research.
Penn State's freefall proved to be the final nail in Franklin's coffin, as Kraft said Monday that the school's decision to fire him was based on the program's current trajectory.
"This is not a three-game thing," Kraft said. "This is really diving where we are as a program — what is the trajectory of this program?"
Kraft said Penn State will cover the $49 million buyout it owes Franklin. It's the second-largest buyout in college football history behind Jimbo Fisher's $76 million buyout from Texas A&M. Still, Kraft said Penn State will look to acquire the best coach available when hiring the Nittany Lions' next program leader.
"We want someone who will attract elite talent, retain players in the NIL era and make Penn State a destination," he said. "Our next coach needs to be able to maximize elite-level resources, attack the transfer portal and develop at the highest level."
Later, Kraft added, "Football is our backbone. We have invested at the highest level. With that comes high expectations. I believe a new leader can help us win a national championship -- and now is the right time for this change."
