Franklin’s Firing By Penn State Puts Added Pressure on Florida’s Decision
The clock was already ticking on Florida coach Billy Napier’s time in Gainesville. But when Penn State fired James Franklin last Sunday, that clock started ticking a whole lot faster.
Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft described Franklin’s firing as “not a three-game thing,” but about the “trajectory of the program.” It’s a phrase that could easily describe the mood at Florida, where Napier’s Gators remain caught between progress and stagnation.
Kraft was blunt about his reasoning.
“Looking at where the program was and where it is and where we want to be, I just felt there was no other course. I felt it was time,” he said. “Now, remember, we’re in a different era of football. And there’s a lot of things that come with this new era and transfers and everything … I did feel like for our student-athletes and the staff and the program and our fans, there wasn’t a choice.”
Those final words, “there wasn’t a choice,” hit especially close to Gainesville this week. Napier’s tenure at UF has been rocky, marked by flashes of progress overshadowed by inconsistent play and mounting frustration among fans. And while Florida’s administration has been deliberate about giving Napier time to build, Penn State’s sudden move might just change that calculus.
Both Napier and Franklin share the same agent, Jimmy Sexton, one of college football’s most powerful dealmakers, and both have massive, guaranteed contracts. Franklin’s 10-year extension in 2021 was fully guaranteed, resulting in a $49 million buyout, the second-largest in college football history. Napier’s deal is 85% guaranteed, meaning Florida would owe about $21 million if it makes a change this week.
Napier acknowledged the volatility of his position Monday.
“It’s what we sign up for,” he said at his weekly news conference. “They pay us well. These are challenging jobs in today’s climate in particular. We live in a production world, and you’ve got to produce. There’s no running from that.”
That “production world” is the same one Kraft alluded to when explaining Franklin’s dismissal. The message to coaches is clear: In an era defined by NIL money, the transfer portal and restless fan bases, patience is evaporating.
For Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, that reality presents a dilemma. Wait too long, and another major program could scoop up one of the few proven coaches on the market. Move too soon, and Florida risks paying 10s of millions without a guaranteed upgrade.
But according to USA Today, Stricklin already met with a “handful of influential boosters” on Tuesday, and a decision could come as soon as this weekend if the Gators suffer another loss.
Meanwhile, the coaching carousel is spinning faster by the day. Penn State joins Arkansas, UCLA, Oklahoma State, Stanford and Virginia Tech among prominent programs that are searching for new leadership.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg even floated the idea of Franklin to Florida back in September, noting that he owns a home in the state and might be seeking a “restart” after 12 seasons in Happy Valley. Whether or not that happens, Franklin’s availability changes the landscape and raises the stakes for Florida.
If Penn State, fresh off a college football playoff semifinal appearance, and staring at a $49 million buyout, can decide it “had no choice,” what excuse does Florida have left?
Category: College Football, Gators Football
