James Franklin's Top Landing Spots After Reportedly Being Fired by Penn State

It's officially the end of an era at Penn State.

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, the Nittany Lions have fired head coach James Franklin, who had held the position since 2014.

Despite Franklin's struggles with Penn State, he remains a respected coach who is likely to garner interest from teams in need of a change in leadership.

Let's take a look a look at some of Franklin's top landing spots following his departure from the Nittany Lions.

Florida

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The Billy Napier experiment at Florida appears to have run its course, which could open up an opportunity for Franklin to remain with a big-name program.

Napier, who had losing seasons in two out of his first three years, has led the Gators to a 2-4 record in 2025. Despite showing promise with a win over Texas, Florida appears to have stagnated.

While moving from the Big Ten to the SEC would be a step up in competition, Franklin is an experienced leader who can turn around a program that hasn't competed for a national championship since its last win in 2008.

Franklin is likely to be the biggest name on the coaching market this year, so Florida could eye him if they move on from Napier in their quest to return to prominence.

Maryland

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If Franklin wants to stay in the Big Ten, he could have the chance to remain on the East Coast by joining Maryland.

Since leaving the ACC and joining the Big Ten in 2014, the Terrapins have had seven losing seasons and just five bowl game appearances. Mike Locksley is in his seventh year at the helm and has the team off to a 4-2 start, but it's currently riding a two-game skid.

If Maryland chooses to move on from Locksley, it would be the program's fourth head coaching change since moving to the Big Ten.

Hiring Franklin could give the Terrapins a veteran coach who could steady the ship. However, it should be noted that after his struggles with the Nittany Lions, he could face the same issues of navigating the Big Ten with a new program.

North Carolina

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There have been rumblings that legendary head coach Bill Belichick could be a one-and-done with UNC, which would be a massive shakeup for a program that thought it landed the best leader possible.

Unfortunately, Belichick's first attempt at coaching college football hasn't gone as expected, as the Tar Heels have a 2-3 record, most recently losing to Clemson 38-10.

Parting ways with Belichick after one year would raise questions about UNC's direction, but the program could silence any doubters by hiring an experienced head coach like Franklin.

The Tar Heels have been chasing the chance to become a national powerhouse for quite some time, and Franklin could be next to take on the challenge if they move on from Belichick.