The yearly coaching carousel is always one of the more interesting parts of the college football season. But this season has taken it to a whole new level.
After spending over a decade in Happy Valley, Penn State officially cut ties with head coach James Franklin on Sunday. As the coach of the Nittany Lions, he compiled a 104-45 record, leading them to six double-digit winning seasons. That includes three prior to his firing in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Last season, Franklin even brought Penn State to the semi-finals of the College Football Playoffs in its first year of existence.
Franklin lost his job after suffering a terrible start to the season. After knocking off the first three teams on the schedule, Penn State lost a double-overtime thriller against No. 6 Oregon, then fell to a 0-4 UCLA team that had just fired its head coach, and finally, the nail in Franklin's Nittany Navy and White coffin was a 22-21 loss to Northwestern on Saturday.
You can say Jams Franklin never won a big game, but you can’t deny that he took a program that was at an all time low, and within 3 seasons turned them back into a perennial top 10 program. Penn State football would be in a worse place if it wasn’t for James Franklin. Thanks, CJF pic.twitter.com/PUAJTbS2OJ
— Jeremiah Miller (@JeremiahMiller0) October 12, 2025
That's interesting and all, but how does it affect Arkansas? Well, it affects it significantly — twofold, actually.
How James Franklin's Firing Affects Arkansas Football
The first is perhaps the most obvious answer.
Franklin will likely be the hottest commodity on the market, and his name may shoot to the top of the Razorbacks' short list. From his point of view, Arkansas is the best job of the many that opened only halfway through this season. Unless he decides to take a break for a season, the Hogs may be No. 1 for him as well.
Unfortunately, that also means the Penn State job is open. Right now, it's a much better job than Arkansas. The Nittany Lions have all they need to compete for a national championship, while Arkansas isn't in the financial position to do it. That's coming straight from Razorbacks athletic director Hunter Yurachek's mouth, by the way.
If Franklin isn't interested (and he may not be if the financial situation isn't fixed), Arkansas' top candidates' eyes may start to wander from the Cardinal and White.
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