Penn State head coach James Franklin reacts during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
STATE COLLEGE, PA. - Penn State has fired Head Coach James Franklin following the team's loss to Northwestern on Saturday, according to ESPN, which first reported the news.
The team has lost its last three games, all in the Big Ten Conference. Their record for this season is currently 3-3.
‘[S]econd-winningest coach in the history of Penn State football’
What we know:
The school's athletic department said in a press release that Associate Head Coach Terry Smith will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Franklin was with the team for more than 11 seasons. His overall record is 104-45, "tying him for the second-winningest coach in the history of Penn State football."
"Penn State owes an enormous amount of gratitude to Coach Franklin, who rebuilt our football program into a national power," Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Patrick Kraft said in a statement. "He won a Big Ten Championship, led us to seven New Year’s Six bowl games and a College Football Playoff appearance last year."
"However, we hold our athletics programs to the highest of standards, and we believe this is the right moment for new leadership at the helm of our football program to advance us toward Big Ten and national championships," Kraft added.
According to the details of Franklin's contract, the school still owes Franklin $49 million.
What's next:
Penn State's next game is this coming Saturday, Oct. 18. They play the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The Source: Information was sourced from ESPN and a press release from Penn State's Athletic Department.