Penn State football watched James Franklin become Virginia Tech bound Monday. But details of Franklin's contract buyout at PSU surfaced.
Will PSU need to pay the full amount of more than $49 million? Brandon Marcello of CBS Sports dropped clarity there after the Hokies hired Franklin.
“Penn State and James Franklin recently negotiated his buyout down to $9 million, sources tell CBS Sports,” Marcello posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
Marcello added how PSU needed to pay up the $49 million through 2031.
PSU managed to leverage a deal that allowed Franklin to walk and find new work. He'll now take over a Hokies team seeking relevancy across college football again. Virginia Tech hasn't won more than seven regular season contests in the 2020s decade, plus has delivered one 10-win season after Frank Beamer's retirement after the 2015 season.
Where do things stand in Penn State HC search post James Franklin?
Meanwhile in State College, a former NFL head coach is getting a push for the open HC job.
Former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll earned a ringing endorsement from Pat McAfee and others. Even The Athletic's Bruce Feldman and Ralph Russo added context into Daboll's reported interest between he and PSU.
“The 50-year-old is believed to have an interest in the job and is expected to get some consideration in Happy Valley,” both wrote. “We’ve heard some former NFL players with strong ties to Penn State have pushed for Daboll to get in the mix.”
Daboll has experienced the college level before. He served as offensive coordinator under Nick Saban at Alabama in 2017 and owns a national championship. He eventually joined the Buffalo Bills coaching staff from 2018 to 2021 in unlocking Josh Allen.
Daboll also is familiar with the Big Ten Conference. He served as a graduate assistant for Michigan State in 1998 and 1999 — when Saban led the Spartans. Daboll isn't the only name to monitor, though.
Bob Chesney of James Madison isn't just linked to UCLA, with Rick Neuheisel of CBS Sports mentioning the Nittany Lions as another possibility for the Pennsylvania native.
