Urban Meyer Suggests Some Names for Penn State's Coaching Search

Urban Meyer said Penn State was "exposed" this season after losing three consecutive Big Ten games, but he still didn't expect the program to fire head coach James Franklin. Particularly with a total cost that could reach perhaps $75 million in replacing one staff and hiring another. Meyer also made a few suggestions for Penn State as it embarks on the search for a new head coach.

Penn State fired Franklin on Sunday, one day after the Nittany Lions lost 22-21 to Northwestern to fall to 0-3 in the Big Ten. Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft said "there was no other course" but to part ways with Franklin after nearly 12 seasons.

Meyer praised Kraft as a strong athletic director and a "football guy" (Kraft played linebacker at Indiana) but also called the decision an "overreaction." The FOX Sports analyst added that this was "one man's call," referring to Kraft, who became Penn State's athletic director in 2022.

"It's a complete flush normally, and [new coaches] bring in their own people, and then when you pay a buyout of the coach, if you're going to hire an established coach, pay that salary, you're talking, and this is what someon told me in the Penn State team, this could be a $75 million transaction," Meyer said on the Triple Option Podcast.

$75 MILLION to move on from James Franklin?! 😳
⁰Urban calls it an overreaction… and Mark says don’t forget what Coach Franklin built. pic.twitter.com/NrZ3CWM0kI
— The Triple Option (@3xOptionShow) October 14, 2025

Meyer's $75 million number referenced a total cost to pay Franklin and his staff the buyouts they are owed. It also referred to severances for staff and the costs related to hiring a new coach.

Penn State owes Frankin $48 million for the remaining six seasons of his 10-year contract plus the rest of his 2021 salary. Franklin's buyout is malleable, though, based on language in his 2021 contract. Front Office Sports obtained a copy of that contract, which states that the buyout would be mitigated if Franklin gets another job in football.

"I didn't think they would do it," Meyer said on the podcast. "... Obviously Pat Kraft knows what he's doing, and Penn State's probably got a heck of a reservoir of money somewhere. The reality is, I was shocked. I always tend to side on the side of the coach, and I think this was an overreaction. And there's plenty of storylines out there where people always think the grass is always greener when you fire someone."

Whose next for the Nittany Lions?

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin stands on the field following the game against the Northwestern Wildcats. — Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin stands on the field following the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

As for who Penn State might hire, Meyer raved about Indiana coach Curt Cignetti ("What he's done is historic") and also suggested UNLV coach Dan Mullen as an option. In Mullen's first season, the Runnin' Rebels are 6-0 and atop the Mountain West Conference standings. The Triple Option podcast panel also discussed Nebraska coach Matt Rhule in depth.

"Penn State's a whole different animal," Meyer said. "I don't think you make that move, with a $75 million expense coming, unless you know who you're going to hire. ... I can't imagine you make that decision without saying, 'I know who I'm getting.'"

Penn State lost three Big Ten games by a combined total of 12 points, including one in double-overtime to Oregon. Still, Meyer said Penn State was exposed in the losses to UCLA and Northwestern, and it wasn't because of talent.

"I'm not in the locker room, obviously, but I've coached long enough to know," Meyer said. "The head coach, obviously he's going to pay the ultimate price. But there are two issues when you lft up the hood and take a look.

"... Number one, there's a locker room issue. Maybe it's NIL. ... I don't know what it is, but I promise you that could be one of them. The second one is, you have a staff issue. Two to three people on the staff that are cancerous or underperforming, and once again I do not know, but there's no other reason. Give me another reason?"

Whose next for the Nittany Lions?

More Penn State Football