Nick Saban Blasts Penn State's Decision to Fire James Franklin

On ESPN College GameDay, the former Alabama called coach Franklin's firing "unfair."

Penn State coach James Franklin talks with Nick Saban on the set of ESPN College GameDay before the Penn State-Oregon game. | Allen Kee/ESPN Images

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban came to James Franklin's defense Saturday during ESPN College GameDay, calling Penn State's decision to fire Franklin "unfair." Further, Saban's wife Terry weighed in on the Saban-to-Penn State rumors that are dancing around the internet.

Franklin made his first public comments Saturday about being fired from Penn State on Oct. 12, one day after the Nittany Lions lost their third straight Big Ten game. Franklin spent much of the interview looking forward, saying that he planned to go "win a national championship somewhere else now."

During the interview, host Rece Davis asked Franklin whether he felt Penn State treated him fairly. Franklin said that was "for other people to decide" and did not mention Athletic Director Pat Kraft by name during the interview. However, Saban answered Davis' question more directly.

'You made the statement, it's not up to you to decide what's fair or unfair when Rece asked you that question? I'm going to answer it. It's unfair as hell," Saban sid. "You go to the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, get in the Final Four, come in being ranked [No. 3] this year, an expectation that you created by what you accomplished at Penn State.

"And for those people not to show enough appreciation for that and gratitude for all the hard work that you did? I'm saying it's unfair."

Saban also asked Franklin whether he thought the preseason expectations, which the former head coach embraced, affected his team.

"I think, coach, you understand this better than anybody, right?" Franklin said. "You've used the phrase 'rat poison,' right? The negative is rat poison that you've got to get everybody to tune out, and the positive is rat poison. But that creates a ton of pressure, and pressure that we've earned. We created that pressure, and I think that's the thing that I'm most proud of.

"When I took over the program 12 years ago, it was in a very different situation than it is now. And that's something I take great pride in. The program was in a very, very difficult position [after] one of the most historical sanctions in NCAA history, and we got them back to being a consistent contender. So you understand how hard that is and the work that went into it. But the expectations, we created them. So I take pride in that."

Nick Saban to Penn State?

"I haven't heard a number yet."

Ms. Terry on if Nick Saban would take the Penn State head coach job 😂 pic.twitter.com/o87FG3zqQ0

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 18, 2025

Penn State's coaching search hasn't even reached a week but already is prompting manic reactions. Witness Saturday's GameDay broadcast, during which Pat McAfee floated the name Jon Gruden and put Saban on the spot.

Though he didn't pose the question directly to Saban, McAfee asked Terry Saban whether her husband would be interested in taking the Penn State job if offered $50 million per year.

"Look, Pat, I have no doubt if Nick wanted to go back to coaching, he could win his eighth national chapionship," Terry Saban said. "But we're having too much fun. And we wouldn' want to take that opportunity from all of our baby coaches like [Georgia's] Kirby [Smart] and [Ole Miss'] Lane [Kiffin]. Too much fun. I haven't heard a number yet, Pat."

Saban has not been mentioned as a realistic candidate for the Penn State job, though the search is only six days old, and Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft is keeping his cards close. In defining his hiring parameters, Kraft said he wants a coach with skills navigating NIL, the transfer portal and the "modern era of college football."

"Our next coach needs to be able to maximize elite level resources, attack the transfer portal, and can develop at the highest level," Kraft said.

Franklin, meanwhile, made his GameDay appearance about his next job.

"So I think it was, take a deep breath, kind of in shock, surreal for a moment," Franklin said. "And then it's, 'Hey, we've got to get back to doing what we do,' which is help young people achieve their dreams, get a great education and still balance what college football has become, the student-athlete experience and big-time business. But there's a way to do that, and I can't wait for that next challenge, and we're going to go win a national championship at the highest level."

Penn State returns to the field Saturday night against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Peacock.

“We’re just going to go win the national championship somewhere else now.”

The goal hasn't changed for James Franklin 👀 pic.twitter.com/RUzsBPDK4y

— ESPN (@espn) October 18, 2025