Penn State AD Pat Kraft explains James Franklin firing, what's next

Penn State football addressed its decision to fire James Franklin when athletic director Pat Kraft spoke to reporters Monday.

Kraft, who will lead the Nittany Lions’ search for a new coach, defended the school’s decision of buying out Franklin’s contract, which was the second-most expensive buyout ever at just under $50 million.

Franklin and Penn State entered the season ranked No. 3 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. They not only fell out of the rankings Sunday, after their third consecutive loss, but also did not receive a single vote. The Nittany Lions fell to winless UCLA in Los Angeles and unranked Northwestern at home after falling to No. 5 Oregon in double-overtime Sept. 27.

Franklin finished his Penn State tenure with a 104-45 record and five top-10 finishes.

Here’s what was said at Monday’s news conference:

Franklin firing not based solely on three-game skid

Kraft said while the three-game losing skid to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern weighed on his decision to fire Franklin, it wasn’t the sole reason for his decision.

“I weigh everything when I make a decision. The Ph.D. nerd in me is like, ‘I do data. I do analysis. I do analytics.’ I look at everything. And when you start to look at where you’re going and, yes, how this year had been playing out, all those things, you have to take into consideration,” Kraft said. “We’re all humans. James Franklin’s a human being. It’s a job he loved. And people can say what they want about James, but James, it’s a small world you have when we’re all friends. And so you cannot make decisions of this magnitude lightly.

“So to say, ‘Oh we lost to Oregon, then we lost to UCLA,’ no. It’s about where are we as a program? Where are we going? How do I give my student-athletes the best chance to win? How do I continue to build this to a place that we are the best program in the country? That’s the motivation. And so as you start to put all those things together, you gotta make the call. And that’s where we were.”

While Franklin had six double digit-win seasons at Penn State, including a College Football Playoff berth in 2024, he consistently lost to the Nittany Lions’ toughest opponents. He was 15-29 against ranked opponents and 4-21 vs. top-10 opponents.

Penn State coach must be able to win championship in NIL era

In speaking about what the potential next coach for Penn State, Kraft said the coach first and foremost must model the team he’s leading.

“Our next coach will be somebody who embodies everything Penn State stands for: Integrity. Accountability. Toughness. Humility. And an elite motivator. We’ll find a coach who can achieve at the highest level, doing it with confidence and conviction,” Kraft said. “Recruiting will always be a pillar here. We want someone who will attract elite talent, retain players in the NIL era and make Penn State a destination.”

Kraft also said the coach must be someone who can succeed in the new era of college football, attacking the transfer portal while retaining talent. He described Penn State as having “elite-level resources,” and therefore must be led by a coach who can maximize the investments into the program.

“This is also about the modern era of college football,” Kraft said. “Our next coach needs to be able to maximize elite-level resources, attack the transfer portal and develop at the highest level. This person has to fit Penn State. They need to represent the toughness, the blue-collar work ethic and the class that defines this institution. We want someone who honors our tradition but isn’t afraid to evolve. Someone who understands the weight of ‘We Are’ and leads us forward with a vision of championships.

“We have made significant investments in this program. We compete in the best conference in the country. And we have the best fans and alums in the country, with a renovated stadium on the horizon.”