Penn State’s era under head football coach James Franklin officially ended Sunday, leading to Patrick Kraft, Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics, making his first public comments on the “extremely, extremely difficult” decision.
Kraft did not mince words about the high expectations driving the change. “At Penn State, we hold all our programs to the highest standards in our shared pursuit of excellence,” Kraft stated, adding, “My job is to evaluate everything and make hard decisions for what is in the best interest of our athletes, our program, and our department.”
The driving force behind the firing, according to Kraft, is the desire for ultimate success. “Football is our backbone, we’ve 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,” Kraft said.
Kraft also praised Franklin for his many seasons as head coach. “We are all incredibly fortunate to have had James Franklin lead our football program for over a decade and we will be forever grateful to him and his family. We wish them nothing, and I mean this, I wish them nothing but success in the next chapter of their lives,” added Kraft.
The decision follows a catastrophic skid that saw the Nittany Lions lose three consecutive games, sinking the team to a disappointing .500 record. The losses included the high-profile White Out against Oregon, a humbling road defeat to a winless UCLA team, and the subsequent Homecoming Game against Northwestern.
While the athletics director praised the outgoing coach—calling Franklin a “tremendous man,” a “trusted ambassador,” and a “good friend”—the results on the field ultimately dictated the course of action.
Kraft announced that a national search is underway to find a successor who will utilize the program’s “elite level resources” and embody the institution’s core values.
“Our next coach will be someone who embodies everything Penn State stands for: Integrity, accountability, toughness, humility, and an elite motivator,” Kraft said. The new leader must also be willing to adapt to modern college football, specifically by actively recruiting and retaining “elite talent” in the NIL era and by being prepared to “attack” the transfer portal—a strategy Franklin had previously been hesitant to embrace.
Assistant Terry Smith has been named the interim head coach, now tasked with rallying the squad from championship hopes to a .500 reality. The Nittany Lions face a tough road test against Iowa this Saturday, Oct. 18, before battling Ohio State on November 1.
