Penn State fans are done with James Franklin. The losses in the big games have been tough to take, but losing to an 0-4 UCLA team that looked hopeless in September is inexcusable.
Franklin's buyout is pretty steep — around $50 million, give or take a few dollars. But if Franklin gets fired at Penn State and decides to take another job, the buyout is a lot more reasonable as it basically becomes the difference between his contract with the new program and what Penn State would owe him for the remaining years on the contract extension he signed in 2022.
COLUMN: Penn State can't fire James Franklin, but the cost for him to leave for another job isn't much.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 5, 2025
After an inexcusable loss to UCLA put CFP hopes on life support, it's time to wonder if an amicable parting of ways would be better for both sides. https://t.co/81h0PVtBu6
So where are these places that could give Franklin a soft landing and save Penn State a little bit of coin? Here are five current P4 programs that would consider hiring Franklin:
5) UCLA
Well, this would certainly be interesting. The program that handed Franklin the most embarrassing loss of his career, would also be one that could benefit greatly from hiring him. Franklin would immediately give UCLA credibility, and he would demand investments into football that other coaches didn't have the cache to do. But the likelihood of UCLA being willing to give Franklin a competitive salary seems slim. The last full-time football coach, DeShaun Foster, was the 58th-highest paid coach in the Power 4. It's going to take a lot more than that for Franklin to head to the West Coast.
4) Florida
The wishlist of Gators fans would have Franklin pretty low right now, but he's coached in the SEC before and won, with Vanderbilt no less, so he knows the lay of the land. Franklin is also one of the very few Vanderbilt coaches that can claim a win at the Swamp (2013). He'll recruit well and field very competitive teams, but he'll have to beat rivals like Georgia and Florida State regularly, compete for the SEC and make the playoffs for that fanbase to be content.
3) Auburn
The Auburn football program has made some interesting hires over the years and a lot of them are based on a desire to beat Alabama. Franklin has had more than enough success to justify bringing him onto the plains with the hopes that he's the man that can help the Tigers snap their losing streak to the Crimson Tide, which currently sits at five. Auburn boosters can be an unhinged and impulsive bunch, however, and Franklin isn't one to be pushed around, so that relationship could be one to watch.
2) Arkansas
The Razorbacks have gone with the assistant route in their past two hires (Chad Morris, Sam Pittman), so it makes sense to try an established coach who has a history of winning, like Franklin. The Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek shockingly admitted that Pittman wasn't given the financial resources to succeed in the SEC, but promised the next coach would not have those issues. If Yurachek stays true to his word, Franklin might be the right guy for the job.
1) Wisconsin
From 1993 to 2022, the Badgers never had a team ranked higher than fourth, but only had two losing seasons and 12 seasons with at least 10 wins. It's the sort of high-floor situation that fits Franklin's profile. Wisconsin aren't a demanding bunch, they just want to win enough games to get to a bowl game in a warm environment and hear "Jump Around" in the fourth quarter. Anything on top of that is a bonus. Luke Fickell hasn't worked out, but Franklin is a better coach that will adapt to the style of football that has made the Badgers successful.