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Penn State reportedly fired head football coach James Franklin on Sunday.
The decision came after the Nittany Lions suffered an upset loss to the Northwestern Wildcats, ESPN reported. It was the school’s third straight loss and second consecutive shocking defeat. The team lost to the UCLA Bruins on the road last weekend.
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Penn State head coach James Franklin reacts during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in State College, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
The school reportedly owes Franklin more than $49 million. Assistant coach Terry Smith was named the interim head coach, according to ESPN.
Franklin took over as Penn State’s head coach before the 2014 season after he spent three years with the Vanderbilt Commodores, leading the school to back-to-back nine-win seasons.
He was in his 12th season at Penn State. He led the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season, finishing 13-3.
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Penn State head coach James Franklin leaves a press conference following an NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in State College, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Barry Reege)
Franklin was 104-45 as the school’s head coach.
The shakeup came as the school announced that quarterback Drew Allar, who was thought of as a possible NFL prospect, was out for the season. Allar suffered a leg injury in the team’s 22-21 loss to Northwestern.
Penn State will now try to salvage its season as it continues into the thick of its Big Ten schedule. The Nittany Lions will be on the road for a game against the Iowa Hawkeyes, but it gets more difficult from there.
Drew Allar (15) of the Penn State Nittany Lions practices passing before the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium on Oct. 11, 2025 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
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The Nittany Lions will have No. 1 Ohio State on Nov. 1 and No. 7 Indiana on Nov. 8. Four or more losses will likely keep Penn State out of the College Football Playoff this season.
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