Micah Parsons calls out Penn State over James Franklin firing: 'Coach deserved better'

Micah Parsons is disappointed to see James Franklin go at Penn State. The Green Bay Packers linebacker played under Franklin as a Nittany Lion for two seasons in 2018 and 2019 before being taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Franklin was fired on Sunday in the midst of his 12th season at the helm, and the move didn’t sit right with Parsons. He spoke out on social media to defend Franklin for what he gave to the program and the role he played in the linebacker’s own development.

“Regardless of the situation at hand, this one doesn’t feel right to me!” Parsons wrote on X. “Coach deserved better! My self and countless others wouldn’t be where we are today without Coach! Thank you.”

Regardless of the situation at hand, this one doesn’t feel right to me! Coach deserved better! My self and countless others wouldn’t be where we are today without Coach! Thank you. #Weareforever! pic.twitter.com/r9XWVdyvxw

— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) October 13, 2025

During his time under James Franklin at Penn State, Micah Parsons recorded 192 tackles and 6.5 sacks across two seasons. He helped lead the Nittany Lions to a Cotton Bowl victory in 2019 and opted out of the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Franklin led Penn State to the College Football Playoff this past season for the first time in his tenure. Not only that, but he managed to win two games before falling against Notre Dame in a semifinal game.

The Nittany Lions entered this year with sky high expectations coming off of that campaign. They were No. 2 in the preseason AP Poll and got off to a 3-0 start beating up on inferior opponents.

They faced their first big test in Week 5 against No. 6 Oregon and ended up losing at home. No one could have predicted how quickly things would go downhill after that.

Penn State faced a winless UCLA team the following week in what seemed like a perfect “get right” spot. However, they came out of the gate flat and trailed 27-7 at halftime in what was an eventual 42-37 loss. The Nittany Lions followed that up with a 22-21 loss to Northwestern this past week that was the final nail in the coffin for Franklin.

James Franklin reached at least 10 wins in six of his 11 full seasons at Penn State and has an overall record of 104-45. However, he was just 4-21 against top 10 opponents and 15-31 against the top 25. Terry Smith will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season.

Now Penn State is left to figure out what direction it will head next after more than a decade under Franklin. His former players, such as Parsons, will remember what he gave to them and the school as both sides move on.