Penn State head coach James Franklin is entering his 12th season at the helm of the Nittany Lions, and he does so with one of the best overall rosters he has had to work with. That has put Franklin in the spotlight brighter than ever before as he looks to take the next step toward being an elite head coach of an elite college football program. Penn State will start the year with national title-contending expectations after a deep run to the College Football Playoff semifinal, and this is a year where many believe Franklin could be on the verge of silencing critics once and for all.
So, how does he look as a Big Ten coach of the year candidate? Pretty good, one would think. Here are our picks for the Big Ten’s coach of the year for the 2025 season.
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Andrew Deal: James Franklin, Penn State
James Franklin finally gets over the “big game” hump this year. Based on my other predictions, Franklin has to be the coach of the year. A pretty favorable schedule has Oregon traveling to Happy Valley for the White Out game. However, the Nittany Lions have to travel to Columbus for a battle with the Buckeyes.
Penn State returns a ton of impact players from last season, while Ohio State will have to fill holes in some key positions. If Penn State goes 11-1 or 12-0, Franklin will have every right to win the Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Sam Woloson: James Franklin, Penn State
This is an interesting one, because the Coach of the Year award has recently gone to the best story, not the best coach overall. Curt Cignetti and David Braun led Indiana and Northwestern to surprise seasons in 2024 and 2023, respectively, but neither team nor coach were the best in the conference. If you wanna go off of the best story, I think James Franklin exorcising his big game demons and winning a conference title could fit the bill, especially if he beats Ohio State to do it.
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Christopher Sheppard: Curt Cignetti, Indiana
It will be hard to repeat his stunning success from last year, but Cignetti has a chance yet again to keep the Hoosiers competitive. While he lost two of his best offensive players in Kurtis Rourke and Justice Ellison to the NFL, his recruiting abilities and retention of key players from last year’s portal haul make the Hoosiers fun and frisky yet again. Fernando Mendoza brings poise and composure to the QB position, throwing for just over 3,000 yards last year. Elijah Sarratt is perhaps the Big Ten’s most underappreciated WR1, and is first among all FBS juniors in receiving touchdowns. And don’t forget about Mikail Kamara and D’angelo Ponds defensively, whose decisions to forgo the draft give the Hoosiers two studs in both the D-line and secondary. Look for the man who had people Googling his name to continue to do things no other Indiana head coach has dared to do. I would not be surprised if Indiana is in the CFP yet again…and maybe even have a Big Ten title game appearance to show for it along the way.
Kevin McGuire: Matt Rhule, Nebraska
I am anticipating big things out of Penn State this season under the leadership of James Franklin, but I also take into account the trend of the Big Ten coach of the year honors going to a coach who doesn’t necessarily start with a loaded roster with national title aspirations. So my pick will go to Matt Rhule, who I believe has the ability to take Nebraska to a 10-win season that flirts with being on the College Football Playoff radar. This can easily blow up in my face in the first month of the season, but I think Rhule continues his trend of program improvement with the Cornhuskers and puts together an impressive season in Lincoln.
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Previously: Our Big Ten defensive MVP predictions
Coming up next: Our Big Ten championship predictions
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Will James Franklin be the Big Ten coach of the year?
