The contract of Penn State head coach James Franklin has always been a hot-button issue over the years, but Franklin’s contract has come under even more scrutiny following a two-game losing streak and a historically bad loss by the Nittany Lions. It is no secret that Penn State is investing heavily in its head coach, and his coaching staff, as Franklin remains one of the sport’s highest-paid coaches. But compared to other top programs around the country, Franklin’s pay may not be as high as you might have thought, given the conversation lately.
USA TODAY Sports has updated its database of coaching salaries for 2025, which gives us an annual reminder of just how much Penn State has invested in its head coach. Given the latest headlines surrounding Penn State and Franklin’s supposed job security, it is interesting to take a look at the numbers. You may even be surprised to see which Big Ten coaches are being paid more this year than Franklin (some make sense at least).
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According to the USA TODAY Sports coaching salary database, Penn State is paying Franklin $8.5 million for this season. The exact nature of the bonus pay is not reported in this database, but we have previously broken down Franklin’s incentive bonuses. That includes an annual $500,000 retention bonus every Dec. 31 as long as Penn State keeps Franklin as its head coach. Franklin is also eligible for bonuses based on competing for a Big Ten championship and the College Football Playoff. Those bonuses have been revised to fall in line with the expanded College Football Playoff model.
The number that many will be focusing on right now may be the buyout amount for Franklin’s contract. Franklin is under contract through 2031 and has a buyout pricetag of just under $49 million. That is a price many feel will be too much to take on even if Penn State was interested in moving in a new direction. So if you are wishing for that, you may be in for a little more disappointment for another year.
Is Penn State getting enough out of Franklin for what it is paying him? Fans will say absolutely not, but his annual pay may be closer to on par with the results yielded than you may think compared to others in his pay scale. Take North Carolina and Bill Belichick for example, or Lincoln Riley at USC as another.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: USA TODAY reveals how much Penn State is paying James Franklin in 2025
