SteelerFury Combined Forum

Let the celebration begin

https://x.com/PeteThamel/status/1977433 ... 0673258678

Mildly surprised but...

...they almost had to do it. Huge outcry and top recruits are decommitting.

...got him out of there before he could wreck Grunkemeyer.

Dammit

I wanted him at State College for life

Anyone know Curt Cignetti’s buyout at Indiana?

Gotta assume Penn State will make a run at that guy

Heard two rumors from a friend with connections to Trace McSorley...not vouching for any of this, but if true, maybe Allar ruined Penn State's season and not Franklin.

First rumor is Franklin's buyout has been negotiated to $20 M.

Second rumor, which applies to my comment, is Allar "found God" in the off-season and became an uncoachable PITA, taking advice and instruction only from his "spiritual advisor".

Who knows? Might explain all the times this season where the coaches showed zero trust in Allar taking the ball out of his hands in key spots.

I will make one comment...none of this absolves Franklin for Penn State's defense falling off a cliff.

Imagine paying someone $40 million to not coach your team after he wins 70% of his games….

Good news: it’s only the 2nd or 3rd most ridiculous decision that PSU has made regarding its football program….

Steel Ubaldo wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 7:26 pm

Imagine paying someone $40 million to not coach your team after he wins 70% of his games….

Good news: it’s only the 2nd or 3rd most ridiculous decision that PSU has made regarding its football program….

You can't bring everyone back, get aggressive in the portal, and then lose to a UCLA team being coached by guys who have never coached before and then Northwestern.

You just can't.

jeemie wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 7:33 pm

Steel Ubaldo wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 7:26 pm

Imagine paying someone $40 million to not coach your team after he wins 70% of his games….

Good news: it’s only the 2nd or 3rd most ridiculous decision that PSU has made regarding its football program….

You can't bring everyone back, get aggressive in the portal, and then lose to a UCLA team being coached by guys who have never coached before and then Northwestern.

You just can't.

Franklin had PSU one game away from the National Championship…LAST YEAR!!!

This is amazing!!!!! I laugh at all of these morons I am forced to live around…

Steel Ubaldo wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 8:37 pm

jeemie wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 7:33 pm

Steel Ubaldo wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 7:26 pm

Imagine paying someone $40 million to not coach your team after he wins 70% of his games….

Good news: it’s only the 2nd or 3rd most ridiculous decision that PSU has made regarding its football program….

You can't bring everyone back, get aggressive in the portal, and then lose to a UCLA team being coached by guys who have never coached before and then Northwestern.

You just can't.

Franklin had PSU one game away from the National Championship…LAST YEAR!!!

This is amazing!!!!! I laugh at all of these morons I am forced to live around…

And Tomlin has the Steelers three games away every year.

Sometimes you need someone else to take the next step.

Steeldrama wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 6:13 pm

Dammit

I wanted him at State College for life

Anyone know Curt Cignetti’s buyout at Indiana?

Gotta assume Penn State will make a run at that guy

I see what you did there

And yes, Cignetti and PSU are a match made in heaven. Whether they can get it done is another story.

ding dong the witch is dead

Steeldrama wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 6:13 pm

Dammit

I wanted him at State College for life

Anyone know Curt Cignetti’s buyout at Indiana?

Gotta assume Penn State will make a run at that guy

Cignetti is 64 years old and IU locked him up for quite awhile.

I'd be worried if Cignetti were 35, but from everything I've heard, dude has absolutely no plans on leaving Bloomington.

I also believe if necessary, IU will throw out the huge dollars to keep Cignetti if that became necessary.

franklin and allar were locked in an eagle-like death spiral. both bringing out the worst in the other.

and big time programs get to 7 wins by sheer volume of talent and half soft schedules. these coaches get 100millioj dollar ten year contracts to win big games ... not go 1-15 in them ... - not babysit and develop young men. if you want that it's fine - be Iowa and be happy about it.
penn state didn't hire and pay franklin to be Iowa

jeemie wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 8:55 pm

Steel Ubaldo wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 8:37 pm

jeemie wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 7:33 pm

You can't bring everyone back, get aggressive in the portal, and then lose to a UCLA team being coached by guys who have never coached before and then Northwestern.

You just can't.

Franklin had PSU one game away from the National Championship…LAST YEAR!!!

This is amazing!!!!! I laugh at all of these morons I am forced to live around…

And Tomlin has the Steelers three games away every year.

Sometimes you need someone else to take the next step.

They were ONE game away LAST year. Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game since…. no since in continuing.

It’s done. It’s hilarious. May the powers that be at State College make the 3rd biggest mistake in that illustrious football program’s history with their next hire….

Second rumor, which applies to my comment, is Allar "found God" in the off-season and became an uncoachable PITA, taking advice and instruction only from his "spiritual advisor".

The palm reader on the boardwalk in Wildwood could do better than 4-17 against Michigan and OSU.

Lol!

Steel Ubaldo wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 10:51 pm

jeemie wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 8:55 pm

Steel Ubaldo wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 8:37 pm

Franklin had PSU one game away from the National Championship…LAST YEAR!!!

This is amazing!!!!! I laugh at all of these morons I am forced to live around…

And Tomlin has the Steelers three games away every year.

Sometimes you need someone else to take the next step.

They were ONE game away LAST year. Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game since…. no since in continuing.

It’s done. It’s hilarious. May the powers that be at State College make the 3rd biggest mistake in that illustrious football program’s history with their next hire….

Two of their top recruits have decommitted

Recruiting was the one thing Franklin could do...if that was spiraling out of control, you couldn't keep him.

College is different from the pros in every way.

Steel Ubaldo wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 8:37 pm

jeemie wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 7:33 pm

Steel Ubaldo wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 7:26 pm

Imagine paying someone $40 million to not coach your team after he wins 70% of his games….

Good news: it’s only the 2nd or 3rd most ridiculous decision that PSU has made regarding its football program….

You can't bring everyone back, get aggressive in the portal, and then lose to a UCLA team being coached by guys who have never coached before and then Northwestern.

You just can't.

Franklin had PSU one game away from the National Championship…LAST YEAR!!!

This is amazing!!!!! I laugh at all of these morons I am forced to live around…

And did so, by still winning ZERO big games. Penn State had by far, the most favorable draw of any of the playoff teams, beating SMU in Beaver Stadium, and then Boise State, before Coach & QB collaborated to lose to an underdog Notre Dame team.

On the road to the playoffs, they lost to Ohio State & Oregon. So not a huge accomplishment.

Oh, and I'll say it again. Franklin is more Tomlin than Tomlin.

News sources are now saying that Adidas was behind the firing and they are eating the money.

I guess losing to Nike in Happy Valley was a really bad look.

Especially given that Nike just lost to IU.

Franklin's big game coaching acumen will be missed in Columbus.

Dan Smith--BYU wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 13, 2025 12:57 am

News sources are now saying that Adidas was behind the firing and they are eating the money.

I guess losing to Nike in Happy Valley was a really bad look.

Especially given that Nike just lost to IU.

I will say if this is true, it is not a good thing.

No way should corporate sponsors have that much power.

Don't get me wrong... Good riddance to James Franklin.

But these decisions should be made for football reasons, not monetary reasons.

Yes I know I'm being naive.

A lot of grief about franklins payout while Penn state is closing branch campuses for financial reasons. Cant argue with that, but begs the question of why Franklin rated that kind of contract to begin with.

swissvale72 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 13, 2025 1:43 pm

A lot of grief about franklins payout while Penn state is closing branch campuses for financial reasons. Cant argue with that, but begs the question of why Franklin rated that kind of contract to begin with.

I get the complaints, but it's a distinct budget, so it's not money that's completely fungible for the university.

Why did he get the contract?

Apparently he ingratiated himself with Sandy Barbour, the previous athletic director, and also made a veiled threat to leave for, I believe, either USC or UCLA (I can't remember which).

Barbour had already ruffled feathers by refusing, until huge public pressure was applied, to give Cael Sanderson a contract extension...and unlike Franklin, Sanderson built an actual championship program (12 team titles and 40 individual titles in college wrestling).

So there's your answer.

jeemie wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 13, 2025 4:27 pm

swissvale72 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 13, 2025 1:43 pm

A lot of grief about franklins payout while Penn state is closing branch campuses for financial reasons. Cant argue with that, but begs the question of why Franklin rated that kind of contract to begin with.

I get the complaints, but it's a distinct budget, so it's not money that's completely fungible for the university.

Why did he get the contract?

Apparently he ingratiated himself with Sandy Barbour, the previous athletic director, and also made a veiled threat to leave for, I believe, either USC or UCLA (I can't remember which).

Barbour had already ruffled feathers by refusing, until huge public pressure was applied, to give Cael Sanderson a contract extension...and unlike Franklin, Sanderson built an actual championship program (12 team titles and 40 individual titles in college wrestling).

So there's your answer.

I also read that Adidas said they would eat the cost of the buyout.

Steeldrama wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 6:13 pm

Dammit

I wanted him at State College for life

Anyone know Curt Cignetti’s buyout at Indiana?

Gotta assume Penn State will make a run at that guy

Only going to say this once....

Stay. The. F. Away.

K_C_ wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 9:30 pm

Steeldrama wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 6:13 pm

Dammit

I wanted him at State College for life

Anyone know Curt Cignetti’s buyout at Indiana?

Gotta assume Penn State will make a run at that guy

Cignetti is 64 years old and IU locked him up for quite awhile.

I'd be worried if Cignetti were 35, but from everything I've heard, dude has absolutely no plans on leaving Bloomington.

I also believe if necessary, IU will throw out the huge dollars to keep Cignetti if that became necessary.

Believe it, we won't let him leave. We'll match every dollar. We've tasted what real success looks like, we won't let it go. Hell, Penn State wanted our DC and we gave him a $350k raise the next day on top of the raise we had already given him. The check books are flowing now that there's confidence in the leadership and the coach at Indiana.

Louis Lipps Service wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 13, 2025 4:37 pm

jeemie wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 13, 2025 4:27 pm

swissvale72 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 13, 2025 1:43 pm

A lot of grief about franklins payout while Penn state is closing branch campuses for financial reasons. Cant argue with that, but begs the question of why Franklin rated that kind of contract to begin with.

I get the complaints, but it's a distinct budget, so it's not money that's completely fungible for the university.

Why did he get the contract?

Apparently he ingratiated himself with Sandy Barbour, the previous athletic director, and also made a veiled threat to leave for, I believe, either USC or UCLA (I can't remember which).

Barbour had already ruffled feathers by refusing, until huge public pressure was applied, to give Cael Sanderson a contract extension...and unlike Franklin, Sanderson built an actual championship program (12 team titles and 40 individual titles in college wrestling).

So there's your answer.

I also read that Adidas said they would eat the cost of the buyout.

Others have pooh poohed this report, but we shall see.

smithessmokin wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 13, 2025 4:57 pm

K_C_ wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 9:30 pm

Steeldrama wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 12, 2025 6:13 pm

Dammit

I wanted him at State College for life

Anyone know Curt Cignetti’s buyout at Indiana?

Gotta assume Penn State will make a run at that guy

Cignetti is 64 years old and IU locked him up for quite awhile.

I'd be worried if Cignetti were 35, but from everything I've heard, dude has absolutely no plans on leaving Bloomington.

I also believe if necessary, IU will throw out the huge dollars to keep Cignetti if that became necessary.

Believe it, we won't let him leave. We'll match every dollar. We've tasted what real success looks like, we won't let it go. Hell, Penn State wanted our DC and we gave him a $350k raise the next day on top of the raise we had already given him. The check books are flowing now that there's confidence in the leadership and the coach at Indiana.

This is the main reason Franklin is out.

For years, he complained he couldn't compete financially with the Ohio States and the Michigans of the Big Ten, and thus given the level of investment, he had actually done quite well.

That changed this year. PSU opened the spigot- Franklin got some expensive portal transfers, got the NIL money for returning stars like Allar, Allen, Singleton and Sutton increased, They went all in...even called this season "The Last Dance".

The AD could probably deal with a double OT loss to Oregon because you are still in play for the championship, but you cannot lose to an 0-4 UCLA team that was headed up by a guy that had never coached before and allow 42 points to an offense headed by a guy who had never called plays before.

And you absolutely cannot follow that up with a loss at home to a 20-point underdog.

It should be illegal for a public university to pay someone tens of millions of dollars to coach football, let alone tens of millions of dollars to not coach football. If I were a PA taxpayer I'd be furious about the whole situation.

jeemie wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 13, 2025 5:33 pm

Louis Lipps Service wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 13, 2025 4:37 pm

jeemie wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 13, 2025 4:27 pm

I get the complaints, but it's a distinct budget, so it's not money that's completely fungible for the university.

Why did he get the contract?

Apparently he ingratiated himself with Sandy Barbour, the previous athletic director, and also made a veiled threat to leave for, I believe, either USC or UCLA (I can't remember which).

Barbour had already ruffled feathers by refusing, until huge public pressure was applied, to give Cael Sanderson a contract extension...and unlike Franklin, Sanderson built an actual championship program (12 team titles and 40 individual titles in college wrestling).

So there's your answer.

I also read that Adidas said they would eat the cost of the buyout.

Others have pooh poohed this report, but we shall see.

Adidas has publicly denied this report.

Looks like Franklin already worked his way down to Zihuatanejo to meet Jimbo
https://www.instagram.com/p/DPwTZkjDrxN/