Kirk Herbstreit: Penn State is ‘premier’ job in college football

Following a 3-3 start to the season and back-to-back losses to UCLA and Northwestern, Penn State parted ways with James Franklin after 12 seasons on Sunday.

Over his 12 seasons in Happy Valley, Franklin led the Nittany Lions to a 104-45 (64-36) record with six 10-plus win seasons and an appearance in the 2024 College Football Playoff. Last season, Franklin led Penn State to a top-five finish ranked inside the season-ending polls for the first time since 2005. Just six games later however, he is searching for a new job and the program is searching for a new head coach.

This coaching search marks the program’s first since the 2014 offseason, when they brought in Franklin from Vanderbilt after former head coach Bill O’Brien departed for the Houston Texans. Ahead of that search, ESPN‘s Kirk Herbstreit proclaimed Penn State as a ‘premier’ job in college football.

“I still think it’s a premier job,” Herbstreit said on Monday’s edition of ‘The Dan Patrick Show.’ “They spend money. They are willing (to spend money), and that’s sad that that’s how you have to look at it now, not tradition and history and what they’re capable of doing and Joe Paterno and all the wins and championships. Now it’s ‘are they spending money?’ And they are.

“They will be very attractive. Now, this day and age its different in the NFL and college because the noise outside of the building is so much louder. And with the money, guys can be like ‘I gave a million dollars.”

Herbstreit reiterates that Penn State is ready to open the check book

“You’ve got all these money people now that are helping influence and make decisions,” Herbstreit continued. “That’s a slippery slope when it comes to coaches making a decision on ‘should I go to this school?’ Because we’re gonna have some tough times and I need you to be in the corner with me. I don’t need you to throw me out there and leave me by myself.

“I like Penn State. It’s a great campus, great University, great tradition and great stadium. And they’re spending money. I think anybody would go to Penn State if they got the opportunity. That’s just my take.”

Although Franklin led his program to some big-time games, they were just 15-29 against ranked opponents during his tenure. That wasn’t good enough for the brass at Penn State, who will now turn elsewhere for a new head coach. Nebraska‘s Matt Rhule and Duke‘s Manny Diaz have emerged as early candidates for the job.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has even been floated as a potential ‘name to watch’, per On3’s Pete Nakos.