Penn State coach James Franklin gets six-year contract extension

After seeing his name connected to jobs ranging from Southern California to Florida State, James Franklin is staying put at Penn State.

The 47-year-old coach agreed to a six-year contract extension Friday that will keep him in State College through 2025.

Terms of the deal were not immediately available but would be released “in the near future,” the university said in a press release.

Under his previous deal, Franklin was the 11th-highest paid coach in the country, making $5.65 million a year.

“It’s not often a coach gets an opportunity to move back to their home state and coach the team they grew up watching,” Franklin said in a statement. “It’s even more rare that it’s a school as rich in history and tradition as Penn State. It’s been an honor and privilege to be the head coach of the Penn State Football program for the last six years.

“It’s gratifying to work at a university where the administration cares as much about what happens in the classroom and community as it does about wins and losses. I love Penn State, our players and our dedicated coaches and staff. I’m proud to continue this journey with them and grateful that President Barron, Sandy Barbour and the Board of Trustees share my vision for continuing our pursuit of excellence.”

Franklin has gone 55-23 in six seasons at Penn State. The Nittany Lions are 10-2 this season, ranked No. 10 in the country.

“We are thrilled to have James as the head of our football program. We wanted to make a strong pledge to James and this program with this new contract,” Barbour, the school’s vice president for intercollegiate athletics, said in a release. “James came to Penn State with a very clear vision and we have seen that grow and prosper. What he has done to bring success to our program, both on and off the field, has been nothing short of spectacular.

“James is a true Penn Stater with a commitment to the complete experience for our students by developing them academically, socially and on the field. Even more, he has embraced and been a pillar of the Happy Valley community since his arrival. James has won many games at Penn State and will continue to win many more, but what is more impressive is the number of lives he has impacted in our program and in our community.”