Former Penn State head coach James Franklin made it clear on ESPN's College GameDay that his time in coaching is not over. He said his determination to win a national championship is still there, it just won't be with the Nittany Lions.
James Franklin makes a promise on CGD that may make Penn State regret its decision
On Sunday, a new head coach vacancy popped up on the market. Florida fired head coach Billy Napier after a 3-4 start to the 2025 season.
The SEC opening is something Franklin is unlikely to shy away from.
Franklin has head coaching experience in the SEC. Before Penn State, he spent three seasons leading Vanderbilt from 2011-13. He went 24-15 (11-13 SEC) over that time before taking the head coaching position with the Nittany Lions starting in 2014.
Just because he wasn't successful in accomplishing his goals in Happy Valley doesn't mean he can't be successful elsewhere. Over his 11-plus seasons with Penn State, he took a program from the bottom to almost the very top. His resume is something that can end up in the hands of Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin.
Franklin will be a prime candidate wherever he applies. If he hops back over to the SEC, he'll have a lot of competition to go up against, though. Other in-conference coaches looking to remain with their tried and true, such as Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz and Ole Miss head coach Jane Kiffin, might be more intrigued in the Florida vacancy than any others around the country. The Gators, like the Nittany Lions, have a hot program.
Florida firing Billy Napier raises red flags for Penn State hitting a home run hire
If Franklin is even interested in returning to the SEC, which isn't completely off the table for a position up for grabs at Florida, he'll need to stand out among other SEC coaches and coordinators. His Vanderbilt resume is good to have in terms of experience, but that was over a decade ago.
It's also no secret that he couldn't handle the pressure in the Big Ten. Does that all of a sudden change once he's in the SEC? If anything, he'll have an even harder time overcoming that hump no matter how desperate he is to win a national championship.
So what does he bring to the table that other coaches can't? He didn't just turn Penn State into a winning program, he brought Penn State back to being a serious powerhouse in the college football landscape. Franklin put respect back on the Nittany Lions' name.
He'll be back on the field in 2025 and he might just be back in the SEC too.