Penn State football head coach James Franklin hopped onto the hot seat, at least according to the public, after the Nittany Lions (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) lost to UCLA in Week 5. Chatter about potential coaching changes and who could come into the picture and take over at Penn State is growing. Recently, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule is a name popping up in conversation.
Rhule played for the Nittany Lions in from 1994-97 as a walk-on linebacker and started his coaching career as a volunteer assistant with his alma mater. He was first a head coach at Temple, turning that program into a winning team. In 2024, he led the Cornhuskers to their first bowl appearance since 2016. They went 7-6 overall and only managed three of nine wins in the Big Ten.
This is not the kind of Big Ten head coach Penn State needs. The blue and white need a coach that will give it more than Franklin, not less. While Rhule has a reputation for turning programs around, the Nittany Lions are a big task to take on. Like Franklin, Rhule does not perform well against Top 25 teams. Penn State needs a head coach that can.
Ironically, Rhule also praised Franklin for his work in Happy Valley. During 2025 Big Ten Media Days, the former Nittany Lion said that Franklin and athletic director Pat Kraft have done an impressive job turning Penn State into a consistent, competitive program.
Now, inconsistency plagues the Nittany Lions' season so far in 2025. However, it's still too early to call it quits on Franklin. On top of that, it's nearly impossible to do so. Franklin's buyout is estimated to be around $50 million for a midseason firing. This is a huge obstacle the university faces if it's considering firing him as an option at this point.
Surprisingly, though, a loss to a winless Bruins team may not be enough to give Franklin the boot, especially with that buyout. The Nittany Lions need to fall farther down into the hole they dug themselves to speed the firing process up. If Franklin does not win out and make it to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, the hot seat might burn up and Penn State will have no choice but to face that buyout. The question from there is: Do the Nittany Lions look at other Big Ten coaches or seek a big splash hire that is almost certain to outperform Franklin?