Tag: Franklin

Reports: James Franklin hires Penn St.’s Ty Howle as Va. Tech OC

Posted on | by Field Level Media

James Franklin brought a former Penn State assistant coach with him to Virginia Tech to serve as offensive coordinator, hiring Ty Howle on Tuesday, according to several reports.

Howle had worked on Franklin’s staff at Penn State since 2020, when he joined as an analyst. He’s also a Penn State alum, having played offensive line for the Nittany Lions from 2009-13.

Howle, 34, became the Nittany Lions’ tight ends coach in 2021 and added co-offensive coordinator to his job titles beginning in 2022.

He previously spent four seasons on the offensive coaching staff at FCS Western Illinois.

Despite a disappointing campaign that led to Franklin’s midseason dismissal, Penn State still averaged 31.8 points per game in 2025, which tied for 36th in FBS.

The hire follows another Franklin flip from Penn State last week, when four-star quarterback prospect Troy Huhn became the most high-profile player in the Class of 2026 to change his commitment from the Nittany Lions to the Hokies.

–Field Level Media

Virginia Tech’s James Franklin gets 5-year, $42M deal

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New Virginia Tech football coach James Franklin’s five-year contract is worth at least $41.75 million, according to documents released by the school.

The deal disclosed on Friday is largely backloaded, with Franklin earning $6 million in 2026 and up to $13.25 million in the final year of the agreement in 2030.

Franklin, 53, was hired Monday to replace Brent Pry, his former defensive coordinator at Penn State, who was fired in September after going 0-3 this season and 16-24 over four seasons with the Hokies.

Penn State fired Franklin on Oct. 12 after a 3-3 start to the season. He was 104-45 in 12 seasons there, guiding the Nittany Lions to the 2024 College Football Playoff and a 2016 Big Ten championship.

Franklin’s perks in Blacksburg include bonuses of up to $800,000 annually based on television viewership, as well as bonuses for appearances in the ACC championship game or College Football Playoff.

Virginia Tech also has committed more than $15 million for Franklin’s assistant coaches and support staff. Franklin told ESPN he also anticipates significant facility upgrades and other infrastructure investments.

“I’m going to walk the facility and make it very obvious that, these things are nice and first class, and these things are dated and problematic and we need to get them fixed and fixed fast,” Franklin said. “There’s work that needs to be done. But there’s also promises that have been made. That’s all of it.”

Philip Montgomery has been the interim coach since the firing of Pry. The Hokies are 3-4 under Montgomery with games against No. 13 Miami on Saturday and No. 19 Virginia on Nov. 29 remaining.

–Field Level Media

Aug 30, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall looks on against Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

LSU Next Coach Odds: Surprise early favorite emerges

Posted on | by Field Level Media

One of the most fascinating coaching cycles in recent memory added another marquee opening with LSU’s firing of Brian Kelly, creating a vacancy that is likely to pique the interest of several prominent candidates.

Some immediate potential frontrunners bubbled to the top of rumor mills. Among them being Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin and recently fired Penn State coach James Franklin, who have been mentioned in connection to multiple other openings already.

However, it’s a somewhat lesser known name who emerged as the early frontrunner.

Tulane coach Jon Sumrall was installed as the +150 favorite by at least one sportsbook. The 43-year-old was linked to multiple Power 4 openings last year before signing an extension with the Green Wave last December.

After guiding Troy to a 23-4 record over two seasons, he led Tulane to the Gasparilla Bowl in 2024 and has the Green Wave sitting at 6-1 this season. Sumrall also has SEC ties, having played linebacker at Kentucky, where he returned as an assistant coach from 2019-21 after a year as Ole Miss’ linebackers coach.

The second shortest odds has direct ties to LSU. Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady served as the Tigers’ passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2019, when he worked with Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow.

The next shortest odds belong to Kiffin and Franklin, followed by Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, whose name has also been linked to several prominent openings including Florida and Penn State.

UCLA, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Arkansas, UAB and Colorado State also have ousted their head coaches since this season began.

NEXT LSU COACH ODDS*
Jon Sumrall, Tulane (+150)
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills OC (+200)
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss (+500)
James Franklin, ex-Penn State (+600)
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri (+800)
Jeff Brohm, Louisville (+1200)
Brent Key, Georgia Tech, (+1400)
Jimbo Fisher, ex-Texas A&M (+1800)
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt (+2000)
Urban Meyer, ex-Jacksonville Jaguars (+2500)
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame (+2500)
Rhett Lashlee, SMU (+3300)
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State (+4000)
Jon Gruden, ex-Oakland Raiders (+4000)
Lincoln Riley, Southern Cal (+4500)
Dan Mullen, ex-Florida (+5000)
Dabo Swinney, Clemson (+5000)
Dan Lanning, Oregon (+6600)
Alex Golesh, South Florida (+6600)
Matt Campbell, Iowa State (+7500)
Nick Saban, ex-Alabama (+7500)
*BetOnline.ag odds provided for entertainment purposes only.

LSU athletics director Scott Woodward said that the program will immediately begin a national search for a new head coach.

Kelly, who recorded a 34-14 record with the Tigers, was shown the door one day after his 20th-ranked Tigers turned an 18-14 halftime lead into a 24-point home loss to Texas A&M.

“As a proud alum, and as the current caretaker of our athletics programs, I will not compromise in our pursuit of excellence and we will not lower our standards,” Woodward said in a statement. “I continue to believe that LSU is the best football program in America and that our head coach position is among the best considering our investment, our ability to attract and retain talent, our unbelievable fans, and our institutional and statewide commitment to — and love for — LSU Football.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin walks off the field following the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Report: Penn State can avoid hefty James Franklin buyout

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Penn State could end up paying recently fired coach James Franklin much less than his full buyout, which is in the neighborhood of $50 million, according to a report from Front Office Sports.

The terms of Franklin’s 2021 contract extension, obtained by FOS, include a “duty to mitigate” clause which dictates that whatever salary he receives from a future position will offset what Penn State owes him.

The clause reads: “Should Coach obtain such applicable employment prior to the date this Contract would otherwise have expired, the University’s obligation to make payments to Coach … will be offset by the total compensation earned by Coach from such applicable new position through the end of the otherwise unexpired term of this agreement.”

Essentially, should Franklin take another job in the field, whatever salary the new job pays him, be it coaching or broadcasting, would be taken out of Penn State’s annual buyout number of $8 million each of the next six years through the end of the 2031 season.

The duty to mitigate clause requires him to attempt to find a new job, stating, “Once terminated, Coach is obligated to diligently search for and make a good faith effort to obtain another position appropriate for his skill set and to provide the university upon request with evidence that he is seeking such employment.”

That clause also requires the 53-year-old Franklin “to make good faith efforts to obtain the maximum reasonable salary” at his new job.

Things ended abruptly for Franklin at Penn State, with losses to Big Ten bottom-dwellers UCLA and Northwestern after the Nittany Lions started the season as the No. 2 team in the AP poll. However, he still had quite a bit of success during his 12-year tenure, leading Penn State to six double-digit-win seasons, the 2016 Big Ten title and an appearance in the College Football Playoff semifinals last season.

With prominent jobs such as Arkansas, UCLA, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State already open, and a few even bigger jobs such as Florida, Auburn and others potentially coming open later this year, Franklin could have interest from some high-level teams if he desires to remain in coaching.

–Field Level Media

Sep 17, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin (right) shakes hands with Temple Owls head coach Matt Rhule (left) following the completion of the game at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Temple 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State alum Matt Rhule on rumors: ‘I love it’ at Nebraska

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Nebraska coach and Penn State alum Matt Rhule sidestepped speculation he was interested in returning to his old stomping grounds days after James Franklin was fired as head coach of the Nittany Lions.

“Maybe it’s been awhile here, but this is what happens when you win. I’m not going to talk a lot about job openings when they come. I’m not going to talk about my contract here,” Rhule said Monday. “I absolutely love it here. I want to continue to take the steps needed to turn this place into a beast.”

Nebraska (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) is No. 25 and in the AP poll for the first time this season, but began last year with the same record before winding up 7-6.

“I love Penn State. Met my wife there. It’s my alma mater. Probably had a Penn State shirt since I was born. I love (athletic director) Pat Kraft,” Rhule said. I’m really sad, really sad to see Coach Franklin go. When you think about what he did for my alma mater.

“I love that place. I love James Franklin. But I’m really happy here and excited to get going this week on Minnesota.”

Rhule, who lost three games to Penn State and Franklin from 2014-16 while serving as Temple’s head coach, said he has a great relationship with Cornhuskers athletic director Troy Dannen, and they are in “constant contact” about what it will take to keep Nebraska on a winning track.

Then again, Penn State’s Kraft served as Temple’s AD during Rhule’s time at the university.

“Troy and I are in an unbelievable relationship too. Troy and I are in constant, constant, constant communication about this program and where we’re headed,” Rhule said. “I came here for two reasons. I love the community here and wanted to live here. And I love it here. And I wanted to rebuild Nebraska football. Troy and I understand the steps you need to take to be Big Ten champions, national champions.”

Rhule was 28-23 at Temple when Baylor hired him away. After two seasons and a 19-20 record, the NFL’s Carolina Panthers made a massive offer to bring him to Charlotte. Rhule was fired after going 11-27.

He is 17-14 at Nebraska with an 8-13 Big Ten record.

Penn State (3-3, 0-3) fired Franklin on Sunday after a third consecutive loss. The Nittany Lions were 3-0 and ranked in the top 5 before the skid began with a loss to Oregon followed by a shocking upset at UCLA. Northwestern beat Penn State, 22-21, on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Take 5: Penn State’s top candidates to replace James Franklin

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Penn State opened one of the most coveted head coaching positions in the country when it fired James Franklin following a third consecutive loss, and a few big names have already emerged as potential candidates to take over the Nittany Lions.

The storied program has robust resources, despite being on the hook for a nearly $50 million buyout to Franklin. Penn State figures to draw interest from a bevy of intriguing names, and here are five early top candidates:

5. MIKE ELKO, TEXAS A&M
The Aggies have about as many resources as any team in the nation, so on the surface it would appear a longshot that Elko would leave the program after just two seasons. But Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft just might make the call to test the waters. Elko is a New Jersey native who played at Penn, so the opportunity to take over one of the biggest programs in the Big Ten just might pique his interest.

Opening Odds: +4000

4. MATT CAMPBELL, IOWA STATE
It seems like Campbell’s name has surfaced with every significant job opening over the past several years. He hasn’t been lured away from Ames yet, but might the Ohio native be intrigued by the chance to take over one of the nation’s most prestigious programs? Campbell, who is still only 45 years old despite being a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, started his head coaching career at Toledo and has a 104-68 record while taking his teams to 10 bowl games.

Opening Odds: +1800

3. MANNY DIAZ, DUKE
Diaz was highly respected while serving as Penn State’s defensive coordinator from 2022-23 and has plenty of head coaching experience at the Power 4 level. That includes leading the Miami Hurricanes from 2019-21 and going 13-6 since taking over Duke in 2024. Diaz was fired by the Hurricanes, so a move to his alma mater Florida State might be a bigger draw should that position become available.

Opening Odds: +1000

2. CURT CIGNETTI, INDIANA
Cignetti’s name is going to be tied to nearly every significant coaching vacancy as he has the Hoosiers ranked No. 3 in the nation after Indiana’s impressive win at Oregon on Saturday. Cignetti, 64, has managed to post a 17-2 record through his first two seasons in Bloomington. Kraft played at Indiana, so he has certainly taken keen notice of Cignetti’s surprising success at the traditional basketball power. Cignetti is also a Pittsburgh native who could help the Nittany Lions retain some of their key players while also keeping their recruiting class as intact as possible.

Opening Odds: +600

1. MATT RHULE, NEBRASKA
The ties here are impossible to ignore as the 50-year-old Rhule is a Penn State grad who was the head coach at Temple when his good friend Kraft held the same position there. After orchestrating turnarounds at Temple and Baylor, Rhule returned to the college ranks at Nebraska after an underwhelming NFL stint with the Carolina Panthers. The Cornhuskers are off to a 5-1 start in Rhule’s third season.

“I love it here. It’s awesome,” Rhule told reporters during his Monday press conference. “I’m not going to talk a lot about job openings when they come, I’m not going to talk about my contract here. I want to continue to take the steps needed to turn this place into a beast.”

However, Rhule did also acknowledge that, “I love Penn State. Met my wife there. It’s my alma mater. I love Pat Kraft, and I’m really sad to see Coach Franklin go.”

Opening Odds: +300

For now, the job belongs to interim coach Terry Smith, who has six games left to salvage what is possible from Penn State’s 3-3 start. A longtime Nittany Lions assistant and former Penn State player, Smith could also see his name in the mix if he’s able to galvanize the locker room and steer the program to a strong finish.

It will be a significant challenge with Penn State sitting at the bottom of the Big Ten, dropping its first three conference games after being ranked No. 2 in the preseason. Starting quarterback Drew Allar was also lost to a season-ending leg injury in Saturday’s loss to Northwestern.

“We hold our athletics programs to the highest of 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,” Kraft said Sunday.

Franklin went 104-45 in 11-plus seasons at Penn State and is tied for second-most victories in school history with Rip Engle (1950-65). Last season, the Nittany Lions reached the College Football Playoff semifinals before losing 27-24 to Notre Dame.

Franklin’s teams routinely struggled against highly ranked clubs throughout his tenure and he often was criticized for it. Penn State had troubles against the Big Ten’s biggest heavyweights, going 1-10 against Ohio State and 3-7 against Michigan. Under Franklin, the Nittany Lions posted a 4-21 record against opponents ranked in the top 10.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day celebrates after defeating the Oregon Ducks in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Coaches pocket big bonuses with CFP semifinal runs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A berth in the College Football Playoff championship game will be on the line when Texas and Ohio State meet Jan. 10 in one national semifinal, but so will hundreds of thousands of dollars for their head coaches.

Both Steve Sarkisian of Texas and Ryan Day of Ohio State stand to cash in big bonuses with a win at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas.

According to figures from USA Today, Sarkisian has earned $650,000 so far by qualifying for the semifinal after the Longhorns’ double-overtime win over Arizona State on Wednesday in the Peach Bowl. That’s on top of $250,000 he earned by reaching the Southeastern Conference title game.

Should the Longhorns play in the title game, he’ll earn another $250,000 — and that will be doubled with a win.

As for Day, reaching the CFP semifinal with Wednesday’s Rose Bowl win over Oregon in the quarterfinals has brought him an extra $350,000. If the Buckeyes defeat the Longhorns, he will be guaranteed an additional $150,000 — plus $500,000 more if they win the national championship for a total bonus payout of $1 million.

James Franklin’s Penn State team will face the winner of Thursday’s Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame after their victory over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Penn State and Franklin agreed on a contract amendment in November to account for the revamped, 12-team CFP, and details haven’t been announced. Front Office Sports reported that under the four-team playoff structure, Franklin would have received $400,000 for making the field, $500,000 for a semifinal win, or $800,000 for winning the national championship.

Salary figures for Marcus Freeman, the head coach at Notre Dame, were not available because it is a private school. But at public Georgia, Kirby Smart stands to take home $1.175 million in bonuses should the Bulldogs win the national title. He already has earned $425,000 of that amount.

That’s a lot of money but still far short of the $3 million Jim Harbaugh earned last season for leading Michigan to its first title since 1997.

–Field Level Media

Penn State's two freshman quarterbacks, Drew Allar (left) and Beau Pribula, throw during warmups before the start of the 2022 Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 23, 2022, in State College. Hes Dr 042322 Bluewhite

Penn State, Indiana sideswiped by CFB realities amid playoff prep

Posted on | by Field Level Media

With early Signing Day behind him and the portal open, Penn State coach James Franklin met with his current quarterbacks last week to talk about SMU, the Nittany Lions’ first-round playoff opponent coming to town Saturday.

A rapid reality set in when Franklin realized backup quarterback Beau Pribula was pulled into the transfer portal a week before the team’s first College Football Playoff appearance. That hit was offset by news from starter Drew Allar that he was returning to Penn State, resisting the pull of playing in the NFL for one more year.

“He’s a man’s man. Like, came into my office, had multiple conversations with me about this process. We talked last week, had no intentions of leaving,” Franklin said Monday. “But we’ve got problems in college football. And I can give you my word — Beau Pribula did not want to leave our program and he did not want to leave our program until the end of the season.”

Pribula, who will not participate in bowl practices or preparation this week, told Franklin he felt like he was put in a “no-win situation” because of the timing of the playoff preparation and the potential opportunities awaiting in the transfer portal.

“I agree with him,” Franklin said, “most importantly, for Beau Pribula. I don’t think it’s in the best interests of the student-athlete. I don’t think it’s in the best interests of college football. But I think that’s our challenge right now, right? Who is really running college football and making the best decisions for the student-athletes and for our sport as a whole?”

“Beau should not be put in this position. … To have a transfer portal/free agency going on right in the middle of the playoffs, there’s just a lot of things that don’t really make sense.”

Franklin said he considered making concessions to the blanket portal policy at Penn State that makes entry into the transfer portal a formal goodbye to the team. But he said Pribula realized he wouldn’t be able to prepare for the game “like the starter” as he has all season while also arranging and taking visits elsewhere.

Indiana, the No. 10 seed, is also in the playoff with a visit to Notre Dame on Friday in the first game of the 12-team bracket. But because of the makeup of the college football calendar with early Signing Day and the transfer portal opening hours after bowl announcements and the playoff bracket reveal, the Hoosiers needed a week to realize they were still going.

“I’m glad that week is behind us,” Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti said, outlining his long nights followed by early arrivals — 4:30 a.m. ET — “because you’re dealing with portal evaluations, official visits, and still opponent prep to some degree. Then you’re dealing with your staff and your player retention as well.”

Timing of the recruiting calendar and transfer portal open and close dates are subject to change, but Cignetti admitted he doesn’t have the right answer.

“When you look at it from a player’s perspective, everybody starts school in January, so guys that are switching schools need to have the opportunity to visit prospective schools in December, but yet seasons end at the end of November, championship games the first week of December, and there’s always going to be bowl games, and now there’s the expanded playoff,” Cignetti said. “I don’t really know the answer to that. I don’t think it’s a simple situation, and if it was, it would be remedied by now.”

Franklin said college football could start by electing a commissioner.

“I think it’s pretty obvious we need that. We need somebody running college football,” he said. “We need somebody that is not biased based on a conference and that is out of the financial impacts of it as well.”

–Field Level Media

Apr 13, 2024; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin shakes the hands of fans following the conclusion of the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. The White team defeated the Blue team 27-0. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State coach James Franklin makes appeal for NIL money

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Penn State coach James Franklin made a video appeal to Nittany Lions football fans on Thursday, asking them to contribute to a fund to pay players through the name, image and likeness program.

The funding is key to keeping Penn State competitive in the expanding Big Ten, Franklin told fans.

“Our goal is to compete for championships while doing it the right way. But having an elite NIL program is critical to this mission. A strong NIL program is a foundational component of building and maintaining an elite roster of players that will ensure our program is competitive in today’s college football,” Franklin said.

“Our staff has done an amazing job of bringing in high level players that uphold the standard of wearing the blue and white. Now we must ensure we do everything we can to guarantee our roster is the best it possibly can be for this upcoming season.”

The university said it has raised just 25 percent of its $500,000 goal via donations to Retain the Roar, a campaign run by Happy Valley United, the school’s NIL collective that serves 31 Penn State sports.

“We need your help,” Franklin said. “Every donation matters.”

A study by a Washington, D.C., certified public accountant projected NIL estimates for each of the public Big Ten universities and reported the collective at Ohio State had brought in an estimated $20.3 million, with Michigan second at $16.4 million and Penn State next at $13.8 million. About 75 percent of the money was set to go to football, per the study.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) is tackled by Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin (44) during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Colts sign LB Zaire Franklin to $31M extension

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Linebacker Zaire Franklin agreed to a three-year, $31.26 million contract with the Colts on Monday.

Franklin’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, trumpeted the agreement, which replaces the final year on his deal (2024) worth $3.36 million.

Franklin has 345 total tackles in three seasons, more than any player in the league except Jaguars linebacker Foye Oluokun, who joined Jacksonville after a breakout season with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021.

Franklin, 27, was a seventh-round pick (235th overall) in 2018 and primarily played special teams until entering the starting lineup for Shaq Leonard.

–Field Level Media