...
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Penn State abruptly fired James Franklin on Sunday after the Nittany Lions slid from a 3-0 start into a three-game losing streak that included an unexpected 22–21 home loss to Northwestern, leaving the program 3-3 and winless in Big Ten play.
Franklin leaves after 12 seasons with a 104–45 record in Happy Valley, with the athletic department immediately elevating associate coach Terry Smith as interim head coach while opening a national search for a permanent replacement.
That search, according to On3, will include a couple of aggressive pursuits.
Read More on Sports
On Tuesday, Pete Nakos of On3 reported that athletic director Pat Kraft "plans to take a couple of big swings," and one surprise target named by his sources is Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, marking the first public link between Freeman and Penn State.
Financially, Penn State’s decision carries an immediate cost. Multiple outlets report Franklin’s buyout will be roughly $49 million, the second-largest buyout in college football behind only Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher ($76 million).
If Freeman is more than a name on a rumor list, the move would mark a seismic shift in college football.
Freeman, 39, elevated Notre Dame quickly after taking over in 2021, posting a 9-4 record and a Gator Bowl win in his first year (2022) before finishing 10-3 in 2023 and 14-2 last season, ending in a College Football Playoff National Championship appearance (the Irish lost 34-23 to Ohio State).
Notre Dame locked Freeman into a long-term extension in December 2024 that made him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country.
If Penn State were to lure him away, it would likely take one heck of a sell job. Freeman made it clear he was committed to Notre Dame back in January when he was rumored to be a frontrunner for the Chicago Bears head-coaching job that ultimately went to Ben Johnson.
...
Other names already being floated — and expected to be front-and-center in Happy Valley talks — include Nebraska’s Matt Rhule and Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, both of whom have recent track records that match Penn State’s need for an immediate turnaround.
Rhule, a former Nittany Lions linebacker (1994-1997), publicly professed his commitment to Nebraska, while not explicitly shutting down speculation, and Cignetti’s rapid rebuild at Indiana has made him a compelling inner-conference option.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines