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Nick Saban reacts to James Franklin’s firing, outlines what’s next for Penn State

Stephen Samraby: Steve Samra17 hours agoSamraSource
James Franklin
(Rich Barnes-Imagn Images)

The college football world was rocked earlier this week when Penn State announced it had parted ways with longtime head coach James Franklin. The Nittany Lions were in the midst of a disappointing 3-3 start to the 2025 season.

After back-to-back losses to UCLA and Northwestern, the program made the difficult decision to move on from the veteran leader of Penn State. The reaction around the sport has been swift, and one of the most respected voices to weigh in on the firing was former Alabama great Nick Saban.

He joined The Pat McAfee Show on Friday to share his thoughts on the situation and what he believes will come next for Penn State. Saban expressed both respect and perspective on the challenges that come with building a national contender, highlighting Franklin’s ability as a leader despite his shortcomings.

“Obviously, they’ve got to hire somebody that has a history of having some success — someone who knows how to develop a program, continue to win, and deal with success,” Saban said, regarding Penn State. “You know, one of the things that people talk about with James Franklin is, ‘He couldn’t win the big game.’ Well, how many people beat those teams? You know, people used to get on them about not beating us — but we didn’t get beat very much. So, I mean, there’s some give and take in all that.

“And James Franklin put them in a position to do that, because they weren’t in a position to do it before. He created an expectation that was really difficult for him to live up to, but he created it. So the next person is going to have to do the same thing, but then learn how to deal with success and get the program over the hump. So it’s going to have to be somebody who can win over the people who support the program, as well as win over the people that you need to get in the program, whether that’s coaches or players, to be able to get you to that level.”

Alas, Franklin’s tenure in Happy Valley ended with an overall record of 104–45 (64–36 inside the Big Ten), and that included six seasons of 10 or more wins. His Nittany Lions also made a run in the College Football Playoff last season, but after an inconsistent start to the 2025 campaign, the university was prompted to hit the reset button.

What’s next? Well, Franklin is preparing to speak publicly for the first time since his dismissal on Saturday. ESPN announced an exclusive, live interview with the now-former Penn State coach for tomorrow’s edition of College GameDay, which will broadcast live from the University of Georgia ahead of the Top 10 SEC showdown between No. 5 Ole Miss and No. 9 Georgia.

As for Penn State, the search for Franklin’s successor begins. As Saban noted, whoever steps into that role will inherit not just a proud program but the heavy expectations that Franklin helped create, even if he couldn’t deliver a national title for the Nittany Lions.