After his dismissal as the Nittany Lions’ head coach after 12 years, James Franklin is moving forward with the lessons from past failures. In a recent conversation, Franklin reflected on where it went wrong towards the end at Penn State. 

“And although I do think taking on risk is important, I think we took on too much risk in too many different areas, and it left us susceptible for what we do best,” he said four weeks ago on Next Up with Adam Breneman. 

Franklin’s firing was sudden but not surprising. According to ESPN, his .160 winning percentage against AP top-10 teams had tied for the third-worst record by a coach (minimum 25 games) at a program since the “poll era” began in 1936.

In the 2025 season, the Lions witnessed a new low when they lost a road game to the UCLA Bruins. Penn State lost the 42-37 game to a program was winless and hadn’t even held a lead up until that point in the season.

Franklin’s Lions, according to ESPN were surrounded by the “Fire Franklin!” chants at Beaver Stadium, made matters worse by losing to Northwestern 22-21 on their home turf. That loss was the last straw for the decision makers, who fired Franklin following the consecutive losses. 

The preseason No. 2 Nittany Lions fell to a 3-3 record after a 3-0 start and a narrow loss to Oregon, which started their losing streak. 

“With the two losses, Penn State became the first team since the FBS and FCS split in 1978 to lose consecutive games while favored by 20 or more points in each game,” ESPN Research wrote on October 12. 

Franklin is the same coach who taught NFL talent like Micah Parsons and Saquon Barkley. Now, at Virginia Tech, the 54-year-old had decided to start with a clean slate and earn his pre-firing status.

“There’s A Chip”: James Franklin On Starting Over After His Firing From Penn State

The disappointing 3-3 start in 2025 overshadowed Franklin's decade of success with the Nittany Lions. After being fired from the program 11 years later, Franklin opened up about how he took the hit. 

“I’m 54 years old. I didn’t feel I’d be starting over. So, there’s a chip. There’s a chip that I’m in this position. I’ve got a chip on my shoulder that I put my family in this position,” he told Adam Breneman, his former tight end. “And I’ve got a chip that I feel like all those players, I created disruption in their life that we didn’t need, and I’m not going to let it happen again, ever.”

The Nittany Lions’ consecutive losses last season have marred Franlin’s 104-45, 6-4 Bowl game and a Big Ten Championship record. His firing initiated a buyout of nearly $49 million.

Yet, Franklin accepted his new job, leading negotiations between Virginia Tech and Penn State over a final buyout payment of roughly $9 million. 

“We're motivated, No. 1, to prove to people who we are and how we go about our business, but also, to (show) we're Virginia Tech,” Franklin said.

Success at Virginia Tech remains the next benchmark for Franklin's coaching legacy. What are your thoughts?

Read more at the Michigan Football Community!

Written by

Akanksha Biradar