Arkansas or Virginia Tech

[Itraindogs]

The better job for James is Virginia Tech as Arkansas will be a hard place to recruit to (limited in state talent) but I like his condition of 30m for roster development.

I know some of you have nothing but contempt for James and want to turn the page, This is for those who are not in the extremes of "he is great" "he is awful."

I am interested in what those with a measured take on James think about where he would be the better fit. For the record, I do think his time at PSU ran its course, but believe he will be successful elsewhere

Bidding War Heats Up for Former Penn State Coach James Franklin

The college football coaching carousel has taken a dramatic turn as former Penn State head coach James Franklin finds himself at the center of a high-stakes bid

razorbackers.com

 

[KingLando]

Agreed Virginia Tech but if I'm him then I'm holding out for a big time job. He's being paid well. Arkansas would be a disaster for James with that schedule. He should work in TV until the right job is available. Neither of those are good.

 

[Nittering Nabob]

The "author" of that planted propaganda piece (Ryan Guthrie) is likely to be on Jimmy Sexton's payroll.

PSU better move with some urgency....I hear that Va Tech is pursuing Bob Chesney because Sean Beamer wasn't interested.

 

[DaytonRickster]

The better job for James is Virginia Tech as Arkansas will be a hard place to recruit to (limited in state talent) but I like his condition of 30m for roster development.

I know some of you have nothing but contempt for James want to turn the page, This is for those who are not in the extremes of "he is great" "he is awful."

I am interested in what those with a measured take on James think about where he would be the better fit. For the record, I do think his time at PSU ran its course, but believe he will be successful elsewhere

Bidding War Heats Up for Former Penn State Coach James Franklin

The college football coaching carousel has taken a dramatic turn as former Penn State head coach James Franklin finds himself at the center of a high-stakes bid

razorbackers.com

Interesting and no surprise. I think it will be VT. Easier league to succeed and win championships. He also already has strong recruiting contacts in the DMV.

 

[DaytonRickster]

The "author" of that planted propaganda piece (Ryan Guthrie) is likely to be on Jimmy Sexton's payroll.

PSU better move with some urgency....I hear that WVU is pursuing Bob Chesney because Sean Beamer wasn't interested.

I continue to hope it's Chesney to PSU. I've previously indicated my reasoning.

 

[LMTLION]

I hope Franklin gets the Arkansas job. I am not sure we want to be directly competing against him for recruits in the mid Atlantic.

 

[psuro]

The "author" of that planted propaganda piece (Ryan Guthrie) is likely to be on Jimmy Sexton's payroll.

PSU better move with some urgency....I hear that WVU is pursuing Bob Chesney because Sean Beamer wasn't interested.

WVU? Less than one year after bringing Rich Rod back they are already getting rid of him? That is gonna be a hell of a payout.

 

[Nittering Nabob]

WVU? Less than one year after bringing Rich Rod back they are already getting rid of him? That is gonna be a hell of a payout.

Thanks for catching my brain fart. I meant VaTech (fixed)

 

[Phlebitis]

For the record, I do think his time at PSU ran its course, but believe he will be successful elsewhere.

I just hope he doesn't pull an Andy Reid on us.

 

[psuno1]

Arkansas putting the full court press on for Franklin. Hope he goes back to the SEC.

 

[razpsu]

I hope Franklin gets the Arkansas job. I am not sure we want to be directly competing against him for recruits in the mid Atlantic.

Why would we not want to compete with him. His avg class last 7 years was 14? At Penn state. Doubt Va tech would be anywhere close to that.
Heard they made an offer to Franklin but he is waiting. Sexton in Arkansas last week.
Hoping for higher than tier 2 school but would be total luck if it happened.

 

[Phlebitis]

He sure would be a lot safer at Va Tech. He could have a Frank Beemer type career and they would never fire him. Who knows, over 25 years he might even catch lighting in a bottle with his own Michael Vick.

 

[Waaaaaaaany]

The better job for Big Game James is Virginia Tech. Only because the competition is easier and he can keep from being exposed as a fraud for a much longer time period.

 

[Phils rug]

Where was his roster development here lol?

 

[PaForest75]

What about Duke after Penn State hires Diaz? Not that I want Diaz, but he has decent odds to get the job. And Duke is kind of like Vanderbilt. Might be better for him. I think VT and Arkansas are places to go be a rented mule for a couple years and then be chopped up into dog food really.

 

[barry j fenchak]

The better job for Big Game James is Virginia Tech. Only because the competition is easier and he can keep from being exposed as a fraud for a much longer time period.

I would love for BGJ to accept an offer from Arkansas. The though of him getting his azz regularly kicked seven ways to Sunday makes me smile. Don't think he would be the least bit successful there, just too hard.

 

[Psumatt85]

I just hope he doesn't pull an Andy Reid on us.

I don’t think an Andy Reid, but I think he will be successful. If he learns from the last twelve years, I think he could actually be very good. He seemed to get tighter as the years went on, and appeared less comfortable and more worried about what others thought if things didn’t work rather than making good decisions. Perhaps the pressure Kraft put on him broke him versus motivating him.

I was always ok with James, but didn’t think he’d take psu all the way. The whole 2025 season was walking in his sleep. He needed to go, especially after NW.

A new start will be good for him, and might help him figure out how to be a better coach

I would not go to Arkansas. I think Virginia Tech,

 

[PrtLng Lion]

I have no contempt for JF. Wish him well (not NC "well" but 8-4, 9-3 "well") in general, but 100% agree with Kraft's decision to seek change. It would be fun to see him beat Miami, FSU, Pitt occasionally if he ends up in the ACC.

 

[BCS PSU]

I would love for BGJ to accept an offer from Arkansas. The though of him getting his azz regularly kicked seven ways to Sunday makes me smile. Don't think he would be the least bit successful there, just too hard.

Just think, the coach that Arkansas fired actually beat Franklin in one of his obligatory bowl losses to a SEC school.

Also, you just know that PSU will play Franklin's new team in a bowl game in the upcoming seasons.

 

[TheWizardofCamelot]

James will get fired within a couple years at Arkansas. Next to no tradition and battling all those SEC powers for recruits and week to week on game day. It's a dead end job.

Tech will at least give him a chance to be successful. He'll upgrade their recruiting and the ACC is dogshit every year. Look at Narduzzi, even he has a successful run here and there just based on easy schedules.

James will never win a national championship though at either of those places.

 

[CyphaPSU]

I have no contempt for CJF and am thankful he was our coach for the time he was here. Arkansas would pose similar uphill battle issues for Franklin that he saw at Vandy in terms of schedule difficulty and recruiting battles against other SEC opponents. Does he want to go back to that type of situation? At VTech, he would have an easier chance to progress that program toward the top echelon of that conference than he would at Arkansas. Coaching in the SEC is more prestigious, though, and I think he's at the level of a coach who belongs in one of the big two conferences.

The bottom line is that Franklin is a program builder whose strengths are in relationships with his players. Either program would do well to hire him to take them to the next level from where they are now. However, I think the ceiling would be harder at Arkansas in terms of wins-losses and playoff opportunities due to the level of direct competition, whereas there's an easier road for those types of possibilities in the ACC. The question comes down to 1) money, 2) which program is going to give him what he asks for in terms of alignment, facilities, and staff, and 3) what does Franklin prioritize these days in terms of conference prestige vs. pathways to a national championship?

James Franklin was big on the idea that Penn State was a destination job (and he was sincere about it), but would he believe the same about either option at this point?

 

[DaytonRickster]

Arkansas putting the full court press on for Franklin. Hope he goes back to the SEC.

Doubt it unless the $ is substantially more than VT. Recruiting at Arkansas would be much more difficult and the schedule much harder. His agent Sexton is probably putting to full court press on VT.

 

[KingLando]

Why would he take either mid-tier job? I'm not understanding the logic

If you're Franklin why wouldn't you hold out for a job equity to Penn State?

 

[Monty2007]

For the few times I met and spoke with James, the one driving force I saw in him was to win a NC. Do you people really think he would take a step back for either the VT or Ark job, I don't. In this cycle, the best choices for that are FL and LSU. I could see him maybe at LSU who have all the resources available to do in 1-2 yrs. Otherwise, wouldn't be surprised if he waits for better choices next year.

 

[leinbacker]

James will get fired within a couple years at Arkansas. Next to no tradition and battling all those SEC powers for recruits and week to week on game day. It's a dead end job.

Tech will at least give him a chance to be successful. He'll upgrade their recruiting and the ACC is dogshit every year. Look at Narduzzi, even he has a successful run here and there just based on easy schedules.

James will never win a national championship though at either of those places.

So James' buyout is $8M/yr from PSU
Say he goes to Arkansas and his buyout is $6M/yr.

He gets fired from Arkansas. Does PSU not pay $8M again, or would it be $2M (with Arkansas paying $6M) ?

 

[Midnighter]

FSU when it opens I think. Boom or bust.

 

[LB99]

For the few times I met and spoke with James, the one driving force I saw in him was to win a NC. Do you people really think he would take a step back for either the VT or Ark job, I don't. In this cycle, the best choices for that are FL and LSU. I could see him maybe at LSU who have all the resources available to do in 1-2 yrs. Otherwise, wouldn't be surprised if he waits for better choices next year.

I’m convinced that the FSU job will come open before the end of the year. I could see him there. Strong recruiting area, ACC, strong tradition.

 

[Nittering Nabob]

So James' buyout is $8M/yr from PSU
Say he goes to Arkansas and his buyout is $6M/yr.

He gets fired from Arkansas. Does PSU not pay $8M again, or would it be $2M (with Arkansas paying $6M) ?

I might be wrong but I think James pays PSU $8 MM. He is still owed the $50 MM from PSU because they fired him (i.e. he didn't quit and sign with another university which would have cancelled the $50 MM obligation).

 

[LB99]

FSU when it opens I think. Boom or bust.

Agree! You beat me by 1 min

 

[RolexKong]

So James' buyout is $8M/yr from PSU
Say he goes to Arkansas and his buyout is $6M/yr.

He gets fired from Arkansas. Does PSU not pay $8M again, or would it be $2M (with Arkansas paying $6M) ?

Arkansas may just be dumb enough to write that sort of contract. On the other hand, they may have learned something.

 

[RolexKong]

FSU when it opens I think. Boom or bust.

Not likely unless their AD is struck with a case of the stupids.

 

[Catch1lion]

Why would he take either mid-tier job? I'm not understanding the logic

If you're Franklin why wouldn't you hold out for a job equity to Penn State?

Maybe Cause he ain’t getting that

 

[Catch1lion]

FSU when it opens I think. Boom or bust.

Nah .

 

[WVilleLion23]

Arkansas has some crazy money donors. Arkansas can commit more $$$$ to Franklin. Walton Family, Tyson Family, Jerry Jones, etc. Franklin may be able to get them to commit more than they ever have.

 

[WVilleLion23]

For the few times I met and spoke with James, the one driving force I saw in him was to win a NC. Do you people really think he would take a step back for either the VT or Ark job, I don't. In this cycle, the best choices for that are FL and LSU. I could see him maybe at LSU who have all the resources available to do in 1-2 yrs. Otherwise, wouldn't be surprised if he waits for better choices next year.

You think Arkansas is a step back? Clearly you have not seen their end zone premium seating, FB Center, etc. If I set my blue tinted glasses aside and remove white out from scenario, I don’t see Arkansas as a step back. Have been to some games there and it is a great atmosphere and a lot of fun. And the coed scenery.

 

[LMTLION]

Why would we not want to compete with him. His avg class last 7 years was 14? At Penn state. Doubt Va tech would be anywhere close to that.
Heard they made an offer to Franklin but he is waiting. Sexton in Arkansas last week.
Hoping for higher than tier 2 school but would be total luck if it happened.

Franklin dramatically increased our recruiting success in DC area and the state of Virginia. That success has helped compensate for some of the decline we’ve seen in western PA high school talent that was a large part if the foundation for our success in decades past.

 

[razpsu]

Franklin dramatically increased our recruiting success in DC area and the state of Virginia. That success has helped compensate for some of the decline we’ve seen in western PA high school talent that was a large part if the foundation for our success in decades past.

He did? When we had Larry Johnson just 2 years earlier we owned dc didn’t we? So of course we would get that back.

 

[KingLando]

Maybe Cause he ain’t getting that

Then why coach? He can work in TV and collect a check from us.
If he takes a job at that level he's setting himself up to fail

 

[KingLando]

Next year Arkansas plays
Georgia, LSU, Mizzou, Tennessee and South Carolina at home
Auburn, Texas, A&M and Vandy on the road
Why would he want that job?
There's at least 6 losses there.

 

[PSUForever]

Why would he take either mid-tier job? I'm not understanding the logic

If you're Franklin why wouldn't you hold out for a job equity to Penn State?

No big program wants him. Florida? No. LSU? No Auburn? Small possibility but I would say No. His best bet could be FSU but they may very well not want him either if Norvell is canned.

The reality is that people see he could not get it done at PSU. He had resources, money, support, etc. These big time programs don't want a guy who can't get them to elite status. Even Auburn, if they really think about it, why do they want a guy who will lose to Bama and Georgia every year?

His best bet in my opinion is FSU. He can talk a good game to them about some BS misalignment in the PSU admin and lack of support or whatever crap he and Sexton concoct. Then he could convince them he can win ACC championships which probably is true. Then he has to hope they buy the fact that in the playoff he could actually win a big game or two. He won't but maybe their wishful thinking will cloud their decision making.