Kirk Herbstreit has a pretty good idea where James Franklin lands next, and it might not be on a sideline.
Following Franklin’s firing from Penn State on Sunday — which comes with a buyout in the neighborhood of $50 million — Herbstreit floated TV as a natural landing spot during his Nonstop with Kirk & Joey (Galloway) podcast.
“He could do TV,” Herbstreit said. “He would be a natural to do TV if he decides to go that route.”
Franklin can work a room, and the transition from sideline to studio is well-worn territory for former head coaches. But the TV route gets more interesting when you factor in the buyout.
Franklin’s buyout includes offset language that would reduce Penn State’s annual payments if he takes another job in coaching, scouting, or media. But taking a broadcasting position — which would almost certainly pay substantially less than a Power Four head coaching job — would force Penn State to cover most of the $8 million annual payments owed through 2031.
If Franklin wants to take his time, get paid, and make his former employer foot the bill in the process, TV is the perfect vehicle.
A TV job could also buy Franklin some goodwill. His stock took a hit after three consecutive upset losses led to his dismissal. A year or two in the studio could help change the conversation while he waits for the right coaching opportunity to come along.
Still, Herbstreit made it clear he believes Franklin will eventually return to coaching when he’s ready, though the timeline remains murky.
“In my opinion, James Franklin, I don’t know when he’s going to coach again — he’s going to have a million opportunities,” Herbstreit said. “They’ll be a lot of people that want him to be a coach. He will land on his feet. I don’t know if he’s going to take a year or two off. I don’t think he probably knows at this stage in the game. He’s got more money than he knows (what to do with).”
The praise for Franklin’s tenure at Penn State was genuine, even if the ending wasn’t ideal.
“I’m sorry, personally, I loved him at Penn State,” Herbstreit added. “I thought it was a good fit. He did a lot of incredible things there…”
The offset language in Franklin’s contract requires him to make a “good faith” effort to obtain a new job, and taking a media position would check that box while ensuring Penn State pays the vast majority of his expensive buyout. Whether Franklin views that as an added bonus or just the next logical step is anyone’s guess.
For now, Franklin has time to figure out his next move. And according to Herbstreit, he’ll have plenty of people interested when he does.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.