James Franklin speaks out about Penn State dismissal

James Franklin’s Reaction to Penn State Firing

James Franklin expressed his surprise about being let go by Penn State, stating during an ESPN interview on Saturday that he was “shocked” to learn about his dismissal just 15 minutes before a scheduled team meeting.

“We were preparing for practice on Sunday,” Franklin shared. “The athletic director came in around 1:30, right before our 1:45 meeting, and said, ‘We’re changing things up, sorry.’ I was obviously taken aback. I spent the next little while informing my players to prevent them from hearing it elsewhere, then I held an emotional meeting with my team to announce my departure.”

“It all happened so quickly,” he added.

Franklin, who spoke on “College GameDay” only six days after being suspended following a loss to Northwestern, is in his twelfth season coaching the Nittany Lions. He still has $49 million left on his contract and previously had the team ranked as the second in the nation at the season’s start.

However, following defeats to teams like Oregon State, UCLA, and Northwestern, Penn State decided to move in a different direction.

“Football is our foundation. We’ve invested heavily, and with that comes high expectations,” commented Penn State Vice President of Athletics Pat Kraft on Monday. “I truly believe our new leadership will help us strive for a national championship. Now seems like the right moment for this change.”

The Nittany Lions nearly clinched the national championship last season, managing victories against SMU and Boise State in the College Football Playoff, but ultimately fell to Notre Dame in the semifinals with a score of 27-24.

Penn State has since promoted associate head coach Terry Smith to lead the team for the rest of the season, starting with an upcoming road game against Iowa. This transition comes as the team copes with the loss of Franklin and quarterback Drew Aller, who recently underwent surgery for a season-ending ankle injury.