On Sunday afternoon, a second straight upset loss to an unranked team was the last straw for Penn State administrators, and the university took the bold step of firing head coach James Franklin after 12 seasons in State College. Despite a playoff birth and 13 wins last year, the pressure was on the 53-year-old to finally take the next step and move the Nittany Lions into title contention. He came nowhere close.
Although the results in 2025 were a huge failure for Franklin, he is sure to still garner a lot of interest from programs around the country after posting a .698 win percentage at Penn State. With that in mind, let’s look a six potential landing spots for the coach, including replacing Bill Belichick at North Carolina.
- James Franklin record: 128-60
UCLA Bruins
Last year, UCLA brought in alum and NFL veteran Deshaun Foster to help bring the program back to relevance. Instead, the first-time head coach went 5-10 and was fired after an 0-3 start in his second season. If interim coach Tim Skipper can’t win the job this fall, the Bruins are sure to look for a veteran coach.
The school would be thrilled to get back-to-back double-digit seasons from Franklin, like he did in PSU, after the program’s done that just once in this century (2013 and 2014). Plus, he knows the Big Ten well after being in it the last 12 years.
North Carolina Tar Heels
There is serious doubt that Bill Belichick will make it to year two at North Carolina. The product in the field has been average at best, and he has been a headline maker for all the wrong reasons off the field for months. Including an apparent lack of knowledge of how to build a collegiate program. If he is ousted, the Tar Heels will want a proven college coach who can immediately turn them around and put the Belichick saga behind them. Franklin could certainly do that, and in a far less pressured situation than at Penn State.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Despite having an ultra-talented quarterback in Taylen Green, Sam Pittman got the Arkansas Razorbacks off to a 2-3 start this season. It is why the school recently added him to the list of fired head coaches during the 2025 season. The SEC program badly wants to stand out in the powerhouse conference and get into contention for a playoff spot in the next few years. Despite his shortcomings in big games, Franklin is still one of the best head coaches that will be available this winter and should be at the top of Arkansas’s candidates list.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech’s Brent Pry was in one of the hottest seats entering the season, so it was no surprise when he was fired after a 0-3 start following a 6-7 season in 2024. The university has struggled to replace program legend Frank Beamer. If they ever want to do it, they need to go big with their next leader, and James Franklin should be on their radar. While he struggled against top teams in the Big Ten, he might be able to build a program that can dominate in the ACC.
Stanford Cardinal
Last week, Stanford got a $50 million investment to help bring their football program back to relevance, and soon. The new ACC school would be overjoyed to have a coach with the resume of Franklin. Furthermore, the expectations would be so low since it has been close to a decade since the team was competitive. Plus, the combination of legendary alum Andrew Luck and Franklin overseeing the Cardinal’s could lead to a serious recruiting boom for the football team. It might be a perfect change of pace for the one-time PSU coach.
Auburn Tigers
Auburn is forever in the shadow of Alabama. With just five double-digit win seasons this century, they are desperate to break out and be a force in a tough SEC. Franklin would be given the keys to build the program in whatever way he wants, and with no expectations of being a title contender any time soon. Just double-digit win seasons would make him one of the program’s best coaches in decades. The school is a notable one with little pressure. It sure feels like a good fit for Franklin.
