Penn State fired James Franklin after he went 104-45 overall and 64-36 in the Big Ten through 12 seasons. He had brought the Nittany Lions to three straight seasons of at least 10 wins and led them to their first college football playoffs in program history.

What Franklin has failed to do is win the big game, something Penn State is going to look for in his next coach. Regardless, there are teams all over the country that would kill to be a consistent 10-win team, where the former Penn State head coach could end up.

While some think Franklin should go sit on a beach somewhere and bask in his $50 million buyout, his contract actually forces him to try and find a job in coaching or broadcasting. This is because Penn State will only owe him the difference between $8 million and his new contract.

With that in mind, here are some of the most realistic landing spots for Franklin after being forced out at Penn State.

Arkansas

According to BetOnline’s odds, Franklin has the best chance to land in Fayetteville after they fired Sam Pittman. Arkansas has struggled to take the next step under the Pittman regime, with the best season ending 9-4 in 2021.

One of the issues with the Razorbacks has been the lack of following the new era trends, such as NIL. Arkansas ranks No. 10 in the SEC in total spent on NIL in the 2023 season, with just over $11.5 million. To get to the top of the top, you need to spend closer to $20.

For many, getting Arkansas to the top, or at least competing for it, is unrealistic in 2025. If there is one person who can do it, it’s Franklin. The former Vanderbilt coach has proven he can win with less in the SEC and the Big Ten.

He is also famous for turning the Nittany Lions program around, mainly by consistently demanding more from the school in terms of facilities and spending money. If Franklin could do the same in Fayetteville, maybe he would wake up a sleeping giant.

Virginia Tech

Another job that just makes sense is at Virginia Tech. The Hokies are also dealing with a midseason firing, after former Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry failed to beat Old Dominion at home, pushing the team to a 0-3 record.

The difficulty in this is that Virginia Tech may not believe in the Penn State/Franklin system. Pry joined the Hokies after a successful five-year stint with the Nittany Lions and likely brought some of Franklin’s pillars with him.

Outside of that, though, this seems like the best fit for the former Penn State head coach. Virginia Tech has struggled in recent years with only one eight-win season since 2017. Regardless, some of the most passionate fans in the country reside in Blacksburg, and the school has shown evidence of success.

Along with this, the Hokies have decided to take a step up when it comes to athletic spending. They will add $47.1 million to the budget in the current fiscal year and eventually get to $212.1 million total spending for 2029-30.

Franklin has also shown an ability to recruit Virginia at an elite level. In the 2023 class, the Nittany Lions took five of the top 10 players from the state. The Hokies didn’t land a single one.

Auburn

Auburn is an interesting job, but it has been linked to Franklin multiple times in the past few days. While Hugh Freeze currently holds the head coaching job, he has struggled over the past three seasons, never reaching the seven-win mark.

If the job were to open up, the War Eagles could look to bring in a guy like Franklin to get back into that national spotlight. While fans will be quick to point out his struggles in big games, something that is really important in the SEC, Auburn hasn’t had nine wins since 2019.

It may make more sense for Auburn to go after a guy who will bring stability and elite recruiting back to the school before they attempt to make a run for the national championship again.

Wisconsin

Another job not available yet, but will likely open up at some point this season, is the head coaching job in Madison, Wisconsin. Luke Fikell has led the Badgers since he joined them in 2023 from Cincinnati.

Since taking over, Fikell has gone 7-6 and 5-7. Wisconsin is now 2-4 with no easy wins left on the schedule. Some believe Fikell has not been fired yet because there could be more change than just a head coach firing coming.

If this does happen, whoever the Wisconsin athletic director is will no doubt give Franklin a call. Badger fans would kill to have their first nine-win season since 2019. The expansion of the Big Ten has not been kind to those in Madison, and a coach like Franklin could get them back to a highly respected Big Ten team.

Vanderbilt

Current Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea has brought the Commodores back into the national conversation. After taking over from Derek Mason in 2020, Vanderbilt has improved every season. In 2024, Lea’s work paid off with a win against then-No. 5 Alabama. This season, Vanderbilt is 5-1 and ranked No. 17 in the country.

The reason the job may be available is due to Lea’s links to other jobs, including Florida and Penn State. If he were to leave for a school with more resources, the Commodores may try and ride the momentum he would leave to bring in Franklin.

While Vanderbilt does not traditionally pay its coaches as much as Franklin would need, the buyout guarantees he gets at least $8 million a year through 2031. He could take a pay cut for that reason.

Franklin joined Penn State after an ultra-successful three seasons with Vanderbilt. He went 24–15, the most wins in three years in school history.

“An exceptional motivator and tireless worker, Franklin exudes an unmatched passion for his program in everything he does,” Vanderbilt’s website says. “In a short time, he has completely changed the team’s internal culture, as well as its regional and national reputation, through his strong leadership, infectious personality, and on-field results.”

A reunion just makes sense.

The NFL

Technically, another option for Franklin is a job in the NFL. If he were looking to take a step back, while still working, he could be an analyst at the professional level. Franklin has experience with the Green Bay Packers as a wide receiver coach in 2005.

While unlikely, there are also going to be a ton of NFL head coaching jobs open by the end of the season. Brian Callahan was the first of the coaches to go, getting fired from the Tennessee Titans on Monday.

Franklin has seen interest from NFL teams in the past. In 2014, the Browns and the Washington Commanders requested the right to interview Franklin for the head coaching job at Vanderbilt.

The Media

Franklin’s contract also allows him to look for a job in broadcasting, similar to what Nick Saban and Urban Meyer did.

It is hard to see that the former Penn State head coach wants to give up coaching at the age of 53. He could use media as a way to take a step back from coaching for a few years while he rides out the extra money from the buyout. Franklin is not the guy to rush into another head coaching job if he does not think it is the right fit.

---

In general, Franklin will be one of, if not the most sought-after, coaches in the market this year. There are plenty of schools like NC State, UCLA, Stanford, and Florida that might also want to fill vacancies with an experienced leader.

If it is college football Franklin wants, there will be a race to get him, and he will likely be paid a lot of money because of it. While the buyout seems like a lot now, there is a reasonable outcome where Penn State owes very little money to Franklin.