The rapid fall of the Penn State football program has been astonishing to witness. Entering their Week 4 home matchup against fellow Big Ten heavyweight Oregon, the Nittany Lions were 3-0 and riding high. However, since their narrow 30-24 loss to the Ducks, the Penn State football team has swiftly fallen to the bottom of the Big Ten standings. After firing long-time head coach James Franklin following their 22-21 loss to Northwestern at home, it's fair to say that athletic director Pat Kraft and the school have a hefty buyout to pay. However, college football analyst Todd McShay broke down on his podcast that the figure could be over nine figures.
“I’ll just give you some of the numbers based off of my sources,” McShay explained. “$56 million for Franklin. Another $14 to $18 million to clean out the staff and what they’re owed. I believe it’s around $10 million just for the coordinators. Andy Kotelnicki and Jim Knowles, who just came in. Knowles is like $6 million, and Andy is around four, whatever those numbers are. So that right there is 14 to 18 million. $35 million for a new head coach and buyout and new staff, and branding. Those are just the numbers I’m getting, okay. So, you’re talking about a $105 million decision that was made.”
After almost 11 and a half years, Franklin is no longer in charge of the Penn State football team. Now, Kraft and the Nittany Lions need to ensure that their next head coach can lead the Nittany Lions past the hump they are currently in. The Penn State football program has two of college football's highest-paid coordinators in offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Will Kraft end up hiring one of them as Franklin's successor? Or will he look outside the program?
Who will lead Penn State football into the future?
Whether it's Kotelnicki, Knowles, or an outside candidate like Indiana's Curt Cignetti or Nebraska's Matt Rhule, it's clear that after three disappointing losses, each one worse than the last, it was time for Franklin to leave. For a team that expected to once again compete for not only the Big Ten title but a College Football Playoff berth as well, these last three weeks have been a nightmare.
Now, it's up to Kraft and the Penn State leadership to get the football program back on track. Losing starting quarterback Drew Allar for the season especially stings in the wake of Franklin's firing. Can interim head coach Terry Smith, Kotelnicki, and Knowles get the Penn State football team back on track with a win next weekend?
