Nittany Sports Now can confirm that James Franklin asked Penn State for a contract extension over the summer.
This was first reported by Nate Bauer of Blue-White Illustrated, who mentioned on the BWI Podcast that Franklin felt he was “not owed, but worthy of a contract extension and renegotiation this summer.”
“That was a thing that Penn State had to deal with,” Bauer said. “Understanding that there were multiple years left—obviously, six years left— on that extension from 2022.”
At the time, it made sense for Franklin to feel this way.
Penn State had just came within a drive of making it to the national championship game and had brought back most of its key players from that team.
That’s what led it to a No. 2 preseason ranking, which some should have felt been one spot higher.
Penn State Receives Highest AP Preseason Poll Rank Since 1997
Then, everything went to hell. Penn State started 3-0, then lost a frustrating but forgivable game to No. 6 Oregon at home.
After that, two unforgivable losses to UCLA and Northwestern did Franklin in.
By 2:00 Sunday, Franklin had been fired.
“You cannot make decisions of this magnitude lightly,” AD Pat Kraft said in the next day’s press conference. “It’s not just, ‘We lost to Oregon and UCLA.’ It’s about: Where are we as a program? Where are we going? How do I give our student-athletes the best chance to win? How do I continue to build this into the best program in the country?”
A good way for Kraft to “continue to build this into the best program in the country” would be by nailing the hire that ultimately will define his Penn State tenure.
For now, Terry Smith is running the program.
What happens next is anyone’s guess.
