Has Penn State Football Coach James Franklin Already Outperformed His Extension?
Fresh off of leading Penn State Football to the Nittany Lions‘ first College Football Playoff, and winning two playoff games in 2024, head coach James Franklin may have had his best offseason yet as the head coach at Penn State.
Franklin turned the loss of two key assistant coaches into two home-run hires and brought back an enormous cohort of rising seniors looking to take Penn State to even higher heights next season.
If you would have told people that this is where the Nittany Lions program would be just three years removed from Franklin, 53, signing a massive contract extension coming off of two seasons with a combined 11-11 record, many fans may not believe you.
However, now heading into the fourth year of Franklin’s 10-year extension, he is massively outperforming his contract.
James Franklin’s Contract Situation
When Franklin signed his extension in November 2021, the Nittany Lions were coming off of back-to-back disappointing seasons and were just 11-11 in their last 22 games. With that, some of the details of James Franklin’s contract could now create issues for Penn State.
For example, James Franklin’s buyout to leave Penn State for another job in either college football or the NFL sits at only $1 million for the remaining six years of his current extension.
Another example is James Franklin’s salary, which ranked eighth at the time that Franklin signed his extension but now ranks well outside of the top 10 in the country at $8.5 million per year.
After Ryan Day and Steve Sarkisian’s contract extensions this offseason and Bill Belichick’s move to North Carolina, eight college football head coaches now sit at over $10 million a year or more.
Even Brian Kelly and Mark Stoops are paid over $9 million despite disappointing results yearly for both programs.
James Franklin’s contract, with an annual pay of only $8.5 million, is currently a steal for the Nittany Lions, as Franklin and the Nittany Lions have proven they can sustain top-10 success.
The Key to Penn State and James Franklin’s Bright Future
Over the past three seasons, Penn State has finished fourth, tenth, and eleventh in the final college football playoff rankings. Under Franklin, Penn State looks to remain a powerhouse in the new 12-team college football playoff format.
While Penn State’s new alignment under athletic director Pat Kraft may give James Franklin plenty of reasons to be happy staying in Happy Valley, it’s safe to say that Penn State is getting its money’s worth with Franklin’s long-term contract.
“I believe we’re better positioned now,” Franklin noted in November 2023. “Than ever before, based on the alignment that I think we have for the first time.”
Alignment with Pat Kraft helped him secure the ability to hire offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, pry defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from Ohio State, kicked off major Beaver Stadium renovations, and is leading Penn State into the NIL era.
This program alignment has been extremely important for launching Penn State back to the top of college football to rejoin the national powerhouses. If Penn State can prove staying power at the top, Pat Kraft will need to take another look at James Franklin’s contract to make sure he is compensated at the level of coach he is proven to be to ensure he stays in Happy Valley as long as possible.
