Penn State’s James Franklin Linked to Potential SEC Job — Here’s What We Know

Is it possible that James Franklin will be able to start his next employment this coming weekend? There is a good chance that this might happen.

After Franklin was officially fired from his position as head coach at Penn State just a few days ago, it is possible that the next big axe in college football head coaching circles is going to be dropped on Billy Napier, who manages the Florida Gators football team. The time that Napier has spent in Gainesville appears to be drawing to a close in the near future, and there is some conjecture that a defeat to Mississippi State this weekend could be the final straw that ultimately leads to his departure. And if Florida is looking for a coach who has previous experience coaching in the Southeastern Conference and has demonstrated that they are capable of recruiting well, then Franklin would appear to be an appealing prospect for the position.

The fact that Franklin would still be burdened with the most load, which is a dismal record versus top-ranked teams, would be tough to sell to a Florida fanbase that is starving for its program to reach back to the top of the SEC in the same way that Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer had them when they were at their peak. There is a solid reason to assume that Franklin would swiftly transform the Gators into a club that is regularly competitive, despite the fact that Franklin might not be someone who fits that description. Under Franklin’s guidance, Florida has the potential to swiftly turn things around if he is able to pull off the same recruiting plan with in-state recruits and around the normal pipeline states.

This position is highly dependent on the timing of the coaching situation at Florida. Following this weekend’s game against Mississippi State, Florida will have a week off before returning to action. While it is possible that Napier may be able to stay in Gainesville for a little while longer if he is victorious over the Bulldogs, it is also possible that a defeat could be the final nail in the coffin for him.

Once Franklin accepted the position of head coach at Penn State in 2014, he had already established a strong reputation for himself as a head coach at Vanderbilt. In the event that a coaching change occurs at Florida as soon as this weekend, it is quite unlikely that Franklin will be named the head coach by this time next week. However, if there is a position available at Florida, Franklin will most certainly be considered for the position.

Penn State’s purchase of Franklin’s remaining contract would be offset by whatever contract Franklin eventually signs with a new employer, as was mentioned earlier this week. This would result in Penn State bearing less of the burden of the substantial buyout fee. Therefore, when a position becomes available at another prospective landing site for Franklin, Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft will be diligently monitoring the situation while simultaneously completing his own coaching search in Happy Valley.

Virginia Tech and, oddly, UCLA are two further schools that could be considered as possible landing destinations for Franklin. As the scenario in North Carolina is a mitigated disaster so far and may not have legs for a second season, it is also worth keeping an eye on the situation in Chapel Hill, where Bill Belichick is currently serving as head coach.

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