College Football HQ

Jon Gruden drops as James Franklin rises in battle to be college football team's coach

A historic college football program has a heavy favorite to be the team's next coach. Find out the latest rumors on where James Franklin and Jon Gruden could land.
Jonathan Adams|
Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin walks into Beaver Stadium prior to a game against the Oregon Ducks. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images
Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin walks into Beaver Stadium prior to a game against the Oregon Ducks. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | James Lang-Imagn Images

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Virginia Tech Hokies

As more and more college football programs join the coaching carousel, there appears to be plenty of opportunities for Jon Gruden to return to coaching. The same can be said for James Franklin just months after being fired by Penn State.

Yet, it appears that Franklin is much closer to landing a new gig than Gruden. The longtime NFL coach is a bit more of a wild card. Gruden has spent the majority of his career in the NFL, and has never been a college football head coach.

The former coach turned Barstool media personality has made it clear that he would like to try coaching a college football program. Gruden was tied to Virginia Tech early in the process, being labeled as the favorite at some sportsbooks.

This idea appears to be losing traction as the college football rumors heat up.

Former Penn State HC James Franklin is the favorite to be named the Virginia Tech coach

Kalshi no longer has Gruden listed among the top favorites at Virginia Tech. Instead, Franklin is a heavy favorite with a 72% chance to be named Virginia Tech's next coach.

James Madison's Bob Chesney is a distant second at 19% with USF's Alex Golesh rounding out the favorites at 10%. Franklin's fate at Virginia Tech could depend on any potential mutual interest between the former Penn State coach and the vacant SEC programs, such as Auburn.

"Franklin told the 'College GameDay' crew that he will resume his national championship quest at his next job," ESPN's Adam Rittenberg detailed on Oct. 30. "Does he see a program such as Virginia Tech having that potential? Virginia Tech has committed to fund its program better than it has previously, and the school has an easier CFP path in the ACC. Franklin would be a strong hire there, but the Hokies haven't had an AP top-10 finish since 2009.

"... Other potential vacancies such as Florida State and Auburn could enter Franklin's radar too, especially FSU. He would bring a level of credibility to both jobs."

Jon Gruden appears to be a sleeper candidate at Arkansas and New York Giants

Gruden is still listed among the favorites at Arkansas, but appears to have a lot of ground to make up. Memphis' Ryan Silverfield is a sizable favorite on the field with a 44% chance to land the Arkansas job, per Kalshi.

Gruden is listed a distant fifth in the odds with an 11% chance to be hired at Arkansas. Could Gruden explore a potential return to the NFL?

The Giants moved on from Brian Daboll, and Gruden is being floated as a potential candidate. DraftKings has Gruden as a possible sleeper to watch at +1400 in the odds to be named the next Giants coach. Former Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is a slight favorite at +700.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Jonathan Adams
JONATHAN ADAMS

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports writer who has written for notable outlets and interviewed some of the top athletes for more than 10 years. Since 2015, his sports coverage has been read by tens of millions and has been prominently featured on Heavy, NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and more. Jonathan is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and a voter for the Maxwell Award and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. He has interviewed many of the biggest stars in sports — Bryce Harper, Jayden Daniels, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson and Micah Parsons to name a few — and has traveled the country to cover the College Football Playoff, NFL draft, Masters, March Madness, Senior Bowl, McDonald’s All-American Game and beyond. Jonathan Adams studied at the University of Central Florida and The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. He holds master degrees in sport business management, business administration and theology & culture.

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