Why Steve Sarkisian's Concern About James Franklin's Firing Is Misplaced

Penn State's decision to fire Franklin was not a referendum on the State of College Football.

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

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian still apparently feels some existential dread about James Franklin's firing from Penn State last October. Or maybe he senses that it could happen to him too.

At the annual SEC meetings this week in Florida, Sarkisian lamented Franklin's firing more than seven months later without saying his name. Discussing his discomfort with further expansion of the College Football Playoff, Sarkisian said that Franklin's dismissal should have been a warning.

"I watched a coach get fired five games into a season last year after being in the semifinals the year before," Sarkisian said told reporters at the meetings. "That's concerning to me about the health of our sport."

Clearly the reference was to Franklin, whom Penn State fired (following six games, actually) after the former second-ranked team in the country fell to 0-3 in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions, built with what some estimates called a budget above $20 million, had lost consecutive games as 20+ point favorites to UCLA and Northwestern. They were no longer contenders for a playoff bid.

After the 22-21 loss to the Wildcats at Beaver Stadium, Franklin tried to explain the game through what could be described as an out-of-body experience. He looked distant and detached, said things like "I take full responsibility for what's happened this season" and seemed to understand what was coming. His Penn State career would end soon; Franklin knew it.

James Franklin was asked if he still wants to be the head coach at Penn State.

He didn’t answer the question.

“I’m committed to the guys in the locker room.” pic.twitter.com/j1CHz2LVD1

— Chase Fisher (@chase_fisher4) October 11, 2025

Yet Sarkisian framed Franklin's firing as proof of college football's unchecked, unrestrained growth into a machine that values only winning and revenue. Which is a quaint perspective for a coach whose athletic department spent a record $375.9 million in fiscal year 2024-25.

Penn State's decision to part ways with Franklin after 11.5 years had nothing to do with the "health of the sport." Rather, it was a personal decision within an athletic department that seldom makes them.

In announcing the "change in football leadership" on Oct. 12 Penn State actually made program history. Pat Kraft became the first Penn State athletic director to fire a football coach during the season for performance-based reasons. Remember that Penn State's Board of Trustees fired Joe Paterno during the 2011 season after Jerry Sandusky was charged with child sexual abuse.

This was an unprecedented move for Penn State, born from the expectations Franklin himself set. At the Big Ten media days last summer, Franklin sang praise for his team's talent and depth. He pointed to a coaching staff with multiple rings (college and NFL) constructed to win it all. Franklin also suggested that Penn State had as many as a dozen NFL draft picks on its roster.

Franklin said recently that he regretted that bravado approach.

"I'm a big 1-0 guy, ... almost to the frustration of a lot of people," Franklin told Andy Staples of On3. "And last year, trying something different, trying to be a little more aggressive, [we] allowed our team and our coaches to talk more big-picture than we ever have.

"So there are things like that that we learned from that experience and grew from that experience and a number of others. There's some risk that you're going to have to take in any business model, but there's also some risk that I would not take again."

Big guest on the show today. James Franklin joins and is honest about having a huge chip on his shoulder after the way things went down at Penn State last year. pic.twitter.com/kxxAI966rs

— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) April 2, 2026

Once Penn State lost to Northwestern, the program had reached critical mass. Franklin walked out of Beaver Stadium to a cascade of boos and a post-game soundtrack that included the Imagine Dragons song "It's Time." It seemed everyone knew what was coming.

"My job is to evaluate everything and make hard decisions for what is in the best interests of our athletes, our program and our department," Kraft said. "Football is our backbone. We have invested at the highest level. With that comes high expectations. Ultimately, I believe a new leader can help us win a national championship, and now is the right time for this change.

"... This is not just, this is not a three game thing. This is really diving into where we were as a program. What is the trajectory of this program. And you all know, and I'm not shy to admit it, I'm here to win national championship. I believe our fans deserve that, and I wake up every day trying to achieve that goal. So, long-winded answer, it was kind of on a Sunday, and this is probably the time."

College football currently is a well funded food fight desperate for direction. Clearly, there are big-picture issues. As Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde wrote, this offseason is "highlighting the growing divide between what’s best for college football and what’s best for the people running it."

However, Penn State's decision to fire Franklin in 2025 was not a referendum on the State of College Football. It was instead a major athletic department making the difficult decision to change the course of its biggest brand. Perhaps that's what Sarkisian is really worried about.

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