Great post, really well thought out and I agree on directions and probability. I guess to your second point, and I realize I'm in the minority, I truly don't think Franklin will WANT to be here if things head in the direction I think they are. I see a minimum of 2 losses left on the schedule and likely another one(for those that say "no way" lets just see where we end up). We have not recruited that well('27 looks good...for now) and even with next years joke of a schedule, we are aren't likely to compete for NC in 2 or 3 years at the earliest. Franklin will be in his 15th or 16th year by then. Honestly, I think things are going to get uglier and magnified. He has proven to be thin-skinned(lashing out at fans after games), he's extremely aware of the outside media, and he is prideful. If and it's a big one, the money begins to dry up and the fans are screaming "fire Franklin," which I don't advocate.....I don't think he'll WANT to be here anymore. Yes, $ talks and that is a huge buyout, but I just have doubts he'll want his legacy to be bilking PSU out of all that money, staring into half empty seats at Beaver stadium in the cold, and hearing a constant cacophony of negativity both internally and externally. I'll go so far as to plant a flag, I think he takes a major reduction in his buyout and leaves gracefully before this scenario ever is realized. Is that end of the year, end of next year? I don't know, but won't be long now.
Kraft needs to grow a sack and make a statement
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Again, lets look at this realistically...doing what we did from 2000 to 2004 is "epically failing".
I understand that there are 8 month olds out there that have never had the opportunity to watch us in a National Semifinal game...but calling things "epically failing" is a bit much at this point.
It's the world we live in. Freeman was supposed to be fired and was too small to handle the ND job after week 2 last year in the loss to NIU. Knee jerk in the moment reactions are all the rage, but PSU really has to tank this year for folks to get their wish. Buy hey...they could be right with an opinion/hot take so that is probably the most important thing.
Hate to break it to you Fumi, but this kind of dismissal happens all the time in Sports.
And absolutely no one is impressed by beating SMU and Potato State (does make a nice Franklin talking point).
He should have been gone after losing the game to Indiana in 2020.
I am not sure people here are aware of how much of a negative experience Saturday will be…85,000 fans booing their own coach and team? No Bueno!
It's not a waste of money and they have plenty of cash to do so. It's their fault for giving him the contract they did.
So you're not going to fire him over fear? The goal is to win titles. He can't lose games like he lost on Saturday on top of losing every game against teams with a pulse. You could win the games he does.
And no the coach we replace him with doesn't have to be Kirby Smart or Dan Lanning. You hire young and will use NIL. Arbuckle for example
You are right, Lando! This ridiculous view that we can't fire him or push him out because there is no one better is absurd. First of all, what is Franklin known for or why do people defend him? Because he wins the games he is supposed to. Although that is not completely valid. You still can point to his horrible record after losses like Illinois in '21, MSU in '18, '20 after Indiana, was it Maryland etc then this ridiculous one vs UCLA. So, no, he is not infallible in that regard. And then he never beats a good team. So do we really think we are going to get a coach that never beats a good team AND loses to people we should beat at least 1 or 2x a year. So said another way we think a change will spiral us to 8-4 every year? I mean c'mon, get real. We do our homework and we get a guy who is smart and hungry and with our resources and support will easily be able to match Franklin but I see exceeding Franklin. We cannot forget that Franklin never wins big games, never. One time in 12 years and people think the next guy will be worse!
I believe many of us would love this scenario. Can anyone think of a college HC who has actually done this?
Money is meaningless at this level...see A&M...see the TV contract...see all the money this program brings in...I don't understand how anyone thinks they can't afford the payout
Obviously on a smaller scale, but it's pretty much how Ed DeChellis ended up leaving PSU. But not very realistic on the football side at a program like PSU.
The interesting thing is that Franklin has pined for more money and resources for many years. I think part of paying Knowles was “put up or shut up” by the AD.
Franklin has money, the coaches he wants, a team full of upper classmen at key positions and a cream puff non-conf schedule.
Everything he wanted was there this year and he found a way to fail. Again.
He will try to sacrifice AK to divert blame, but that trick won’t work a fourth time. The problem is him. Point blank.
And I think that’s been part of Kraft’s strategy. PSU won’t fire him, but I think Franklin may finally realize he’s not capable of winning here.
Ego-driven individuals typically have a number of non-negotiable needs. One of them is constant love and another is endless appreciation. When critics have their way in numbers, the community becomes polarized and people choose sides. Nobody wants to be not-wanted, especially those who desperately need love and adoration. The critics will upset the Franklin family and no insulation is available. It will be the basis for Franklin leaving sooner than most think
If maybe a Florida, FSU, or Arkansas (USC?) decide he’s worth it maybe they make an offer he can’t refuse? For many programs getting ten wins a few years in a row would be great. We’ve done that - now you either stay put or take a chance on getting better.
Brian Kelly?
Nick Baban?
(Both to LSU, interestingly enough)
Johnny Majors (Pitt to Tennessee)
Jackie Sherrill (Pitt to TAMU)
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That's not the translation...but you're not even sure how to respond to someone so...
In the bank? Where was $ to pay fake accusers drawn from?
From university general fund reserves (tuition, state appropriation, unrestricted investment earnings, etc.; remember what El Rod said about cash). Doubt that using a similar source to pay a whopping coach's buyout would be well received in Harrisburg.
You just explained narcissism (of which Franklin suffers greatly.)
Here's a closer look at the core traits:
- Grandiose Sense of Self-Importance:
Narcissists have an inflated view of their own importance and often exaggerate their achievements and talents.
- Need for Excessive Admiration:
They constantly require praise and validation from others to feel good about themselves.
- Lack of Empathy:
A key characteristic is the inability or unwillingness to recognize or identify with the needs and feelings of others.
- Sense of Entitlement:
They hold an unreasonable expectation of special treatment and that others should automatically comply with their demands.
- Exploitative Behavior:
Narcissists often take advantage of or use other people for their own personal gain.
FWIW, in all 4 of those cases they left far better teams (at the time).
Saban had MSU as a top 10 team (ranked 7th in nation when he left) - and went to an LSU team that had won a total of 7 games (combined) in the previous two years.
Kelly went from a Notre Dame team that was 11-1 (and 55-9 over the previous 5 years) to an LSU team that was a combined 11-12 the previous 2 years.
Johnny Majors from a Pitt team that had just won a national title, to Tennessee team that was 13-10 the previous two years.
Jackie Sherrill left a Pitt team he had just led to three straight 11-1 seasons (all ranked top 7 each year) to a TAMU team that was 11-12 previous two years - and mediocre for much longer than that.
All pretty much exactly fitting the question Midnighter posed. ("2. He decides it’s time for a fresh start and opts for a decent vacancy somewhere in need of programmatic change and desperate for some wins at the end of this year (or if one of said decent schools come calling then sooner").
That said, its all a hypothetical exercise. If Franklin leaves PSU after this year (which I don't expect - barring an epic collapse over the rest of season), it will be for any number of reasons - none of them driven by current "program quality".
I would find that hard to believe too. He has another $50 million owed to him. He’s not just giving that away.
Frankly, he’s damaged goods on a national scale. No major program would hire him given his record of ineptitude at PSU with regard to playing teams with a pulse. He’s not landing at a Bama, Georgia, Oregon, Ohio St type school.
He may end up at a mid major or struggling program like a VA Tech but I think he’s only taking that step down if forced. I could have seen him have some emotional family ties to Washington St years ago but given their effective banishment from major college football even they are out now.
Yup, I think all the scenarios imagined here are pure fantasy. $50m is serious money for all parties and donors would have to pay that fee. I cannot envision a scenario with a budget stalemate in Harrisburg that the school would pay 50m to fire a football coach. The donors are probably steamed themselves that they were already tapped for the NIL required to keep the senior talent on the team, which was like flushing money down the toilet. Yes, Franklin has to go, but there’s no way it’s happening this year or even next. We are in a purgatory now, and the only solution that redeems Franklin is winning the rest of the games on the schedule. That requires sitting most of our senior level NIL stars, starting with Allar, Singleton and Dawkins.
I've sat through plenty of 'negative' experiences in Beaver Stadium. This won't be any different.
There we go ... equivocating raping children and losing a football game.
It would be cheaper to pay folks like you to go away and never utter anything about PSU again.