The leaves of October hadn’t yet started to fall, but the month’s second week produced a cascading plummet of rooting hopes for a bevy of area fans whose favorite team’s championship aspirations came crashing to the ground.
While the New York Mets, baseball’s biggest spenders, didn’t even make it to October, the Big Apple’s behemoth Yankees fell to the Toronto Blue Jays in four games. It was even worse in Philadelphia. On the same day, the Phillies stars stood by hopelessly in the field as the Dodgers were handed a 2-1 playoff win via a bases-loaded walk and a pitcher’s wild throw to the plate. Hours later, the Eagles were unable to ‘tush-push’ their way past the rookie-led New York Giants, and the Flyers lost their NHL opening game.
A few days later, the State College professional football team played gracious host to Northwestern on Homecoming weekend by falling to 0-3 in the Big Ten with a 22-21 loss in front of a less than appreciative crowd. The fans serenaded coach James Franklin’s exit from the field with some career-changing decision suggestions, accompanied by hand gesturing exercises.
That October 11 afternoon gave way to the discontent of a dark evening for the Happy Valley populace. When the sun rose the next morning, the subject of so much fan infuriation, Penn State coach James G. Franklin, fell victim to his own pre-season hype of a team good enough to play for the national championship and had the keys to the kingdom taken away.
Yeah, October didn’t start well, but for 50 million reasons, I didn’t see this one coming.
The three consecutive losses to Oregon, UCLA, and Northwestern had soured the fan base, and like the old days of the Roman Empire, folks were calling for his head. But Franklin was the recipient of a sweetheart 10-year contract extension generously concocted by outgoing PSU Athletic Director Sandy Barbour in 2022. The deal, which was providing a 2025 salary of $8.5 million, came with a yearly declining contract buyout of $50 million should the coach be dismissed without cause. A three-game losing streak cannot be considered cause.
The joy of winning and the blame for losing is never the result of any one individual. But losing the trust and respect of those around you always leads to trouble. Clearly, Franklin was in that position. But college football is sailing in some choppy waters when ‘an institution of higher learning’ is willing to shell out $50 million for someone not to do a job. Sign me up for that one!
I did not know Coach Franklin, but a few folks I know did. They described him in glowing terms, and he was able to do many things throughout his 12-year tenure that portrayed Penn State in a positive light.
The Franklin firing was BIG news. But it would be very interesting to learn the behind-the-scenes details as to how Barbour was able to sell such an outlandish deal past the Penn State Trustees. However, reports have indicated the amount of the Franklin buyout may be mitigated by language requiring him to seek employment, which could reduce the amount of financial compensation due.
The Penn State Franklin buyout marks the second-highest in college football history behind only the $76-million Texas A&M paid to rid themselves of Jimbo Fisher. It underlines the belief schools hold that they can’t afford their football teams not to be good.
Penn State was good, not just good enough for a university and fan base desiring to reside at college football’s elite address, but Franklin couldn’t find a moving van big enough to get them there. In his 11 1/2 years at the helm, Franklin’s teams posted a 104-45 record, a winning percentage of .698. The problem for a coach mocked as ‘Big Game James’ was that he couldn’t win ‘the big ones.’ He posted a 4-21 record against top ten teams and a dismal 1-15 mark against teams ranked in the top five.
The season will continue, but the road ahead is not an interstate highway; it’s more like a back road with twists, turns, and potholes. Following a bye week after last week’s Iowa game, interim-named head coach Terry Smith faces a two-game gauntlet of top-ranked Ohio State, followed by a home game against Indiana, which beat Oregon, the team that started Franklin’s downfall.
Vanilla platitudes were tossed Franklin’s way on the way out the door.
“Penn State owes an enormous amount of gratitude to Coach Franklin, who rebuilt our football program into a national power,” expressed PSU athletic director Pat Kraft. “He won a Big Ten Championship, led us to seven New Year’s Six bowl games, and a College Football playoff appearance. However, we hold our athletics programs to the highest standards, and we believe this is the right moment for new leadership at the helm of our football program to advance us toward Big Ten and national championships.”
“I am grateful for all that Coach Franklin has done for Penn State football and the university over the past 11+ years. We thank him for his dedication, and we extend our best wishes to him and his family as they move forward into their next chapter,” added PSU president Neeli Bendapudi.
Today’s college football is about as professional and cut-throat as it can get. In this atmosphere, James Franklin had worn out his Happy Valley welcome. A national search will be conducted for his successor, but the next occupier of the coach’s office at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium better be prepared to win more than 69% of his games — and I doubt he will be receiving a $50-million buyout clause.
