The Penn State Nittany Lions fired head coach James Franklin last Sunday, one day after a home loss to Northwestern. On Saturday, Franklin made his first public appearance since the firing, joining the ESPN College GameDay crew on set for an interview in Athens, GA.
Franklin appeared on College GameDay for roughly 10 minutes, and he began by explaining how he learned he was fired.
“That was it. It was that quick.”
James Franklin opens up about the moment he learned he was being fired by Penn State. pic.twitter.com/fehnzSo25N
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 18, 2025
After Franklin offered more input on his experience over the last week and what he accomplished in his time at Penn State, College GameDay analyst Nick Saban called the firing “unfair as hell.”
Nick Saban to James Franklin on ‘College GameDay’: “It’s unfair as hell… For [Penn State] not to show enough appreciation for that, and gratitude for all the hard work you did, I’m saying, it’s unfair.” 🏈🎙️ #CFB pic.twitter.com/xXAayHhqwi
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 18, 2025
“You made the statement it’s not like up to you what’s fair or what’s fair when Rece (Davis) asked you that question,” Saban, a seven-time national championship winner as a college football head coach, said. “I’m going to answer it. It’s unfair as hell. For you to go to the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, get into the Final Four, come out being ranked No. 1 this year, an expectation that you created, by which you accomplished at Penn State. And for those people not to show enough appreciation for that, and gratitude for all the hard work you did, I’m saying, it’s unfair.”
While there’s been speculation that Franklin might look to stick it to Penn State by taking a media job due to offset language in his $49 million buyout (and with College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit thinking Franklin would be a “natural” for television), he seems intent on coaching college football in the future.
James Franklin on his future: “I can’t wait for that next challenge, and we’re going to go win a national championship at the highest level.” 🏈🎙️ #CFB https://t.co/F65KpBfqX9 pic.twitter.com/8pdegKSpat
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 18, 2025
“I don’t know anything else,” Franklin explained. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I don’t have hobbies. I don’t golf. I don’t fish. This has been such a big part of my identity, such a big part of my family. We love it.”
“I can’t wait for that next challenge, and we’re going to win a national championship at the highest level,” Franklin said.
