Despite his recent dismissal from Penn State, James Franklin remains one of the top names on the coaching market. Now, he’s a hot candidate for Florida as the Gators fired Billy Napier following a 3-4 start to the 2025 season.
According to CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello, Franklin previously expressed frustration at Penn State over Ohio State and Michigan having greater resources. That concern could affect his potential in Gainesville, but his chance with Florida remains strong.
Can James Franklin Join Florida in a “Revenge” Move?
In the latest episode of the “Outkick” podcast, Chad Withrow shared a hypothetical scenario where Franklin could join Florida in a potential act of “revenge” against Penn State.
“If I’m James Franklin, I’m going to Florida,” Withrow said on Tuesday. “I’m going to save you about $7.5 to $8 million on what it would take to pay for a coach with my resume.
“You can pay me $500,000 as my coaching salary as long as we can all agree that that extra $7.5 or $8 million that you would be paying for a head coach will then be divided out to players. We’re going to have a bigger war chest now for players to play here at Florida or wherever James Franklin ends up.”
According to Front Office Sports, Franklin’s contract includes offset clauses in the buyout. Any income from a new coaching job would reduce the nearly $50 million Penn State owes him after this season.
Franklin has head coaching experience in the Southeastern Conference, as he also spent three seasons leading Vanderbilt from 2011 to 2013. He went 24-15 with the Commodores and had an average of 8 wins per year, making him an ideal candidate for the Gators.
However, Franklin’s firing is still causing debate among sports enthusiasts. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban labeled it “unfair as hell” on ESPN’s “College GameDay,” while analyst Paul Finebaum strongly disagreed.
“I know one thing–James Franklin should have been fired,” Finebaum said. “Anybody who understands anything about college football, and I think that would apply to everybody on that show, was probably just being nice to Franklin.
“Because when you lose to UCLA, did he lose to Northwestern, you ought to get fired. You start the season with possibly the most talented team in the country, and you do such a bad job that your own boss decides you can’t even coach another game? Don’t throw him a pity party.”
Penn State is currently on a bye week and will face No. 1 Ohio State next on Nov. 1. The Buckeyes are unbeaten this season at 7-0.
