Penn State Fires Franklin After 3 Losses — $49M Exit Raises Eyebrows

On October 12, 2025, Penn State announced a change in football leadership, naming Associate Head Coach Terry Smith as interim head coach. The decision was introduced publicly by Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft in a media session the next day.

In that transcript, Kraft noted the evaluation covered multiple factors across the program. When asked whether results against top competition played into the decision, he answered, “all of that plays into it,” while emphasizing a national search and Smith’s role in stabilizing the current roster (press conference). For broader season context, recent results included a 42–37 loss at UCLA and a 22–21 loss to Northwestern. For background, Penn State’s most recent New Year’s Six victory was the 2023 Rose Bowl (35–21 vs. Utah). Related coverage on our site can be explored via the Sports archive.

The section summarized the announcement, the interim assignment for Terry Smith, a statement from the athletic department’s transcript, and recent results. Official materials linked above were used for dates, scores, and background. Readers seeking broader team coverage can review the Sports archive and the Penn State Football page.