Penn State football coach James Franklin on Friday agreed to terms on a new six-year contract that will keep him at the school through the 2025 season.
The agreement was approved Friday by the compensation committee of Penn State’s board of trustees. Penn State did not make terms of the new agreement available, but they “will be released upon execution of the agreement in the near future,” the school stated.
Franklin’s previous contract that was finalized in August 2017 went through the 2022 season.
“It’s not often a coach gets an opportunity to move back to their home state and coach the team they grew up watching,” Franklin said in a statement on the school’s website. “It’s even more rare that it’s a school as rich in history and tradition as Penn State. It’s been an honor and privilege to be the head coach of the Penn State Football program for the last six years.
“It’s gratifying to work at a university where the administration cares as much about what happens in the classroom and community as it does about wins and losses. I love Penn State, our players and our dedicated coaches and staff. I’m proud to continue this journey with them and grateful that [university president Eric] Barron, [athletic director] Sandy Barbour and the Board of Trustees share my vision for continuing our pursuit of excellence.”
Franklin, 47, has led the 10-2 Nittany Lions to their third 10-win regular season in the past four years. With a 41-11 record since 2016, his .789 winning percentage during that period is third among active coaches, trailing only Dabo Swinney of Clemson and Nick Saban of Alabama.
His overall record in six seasons at Penn State is 55-23, and among the highlights are a Big Ten title in 2016 and appearances in the 2017 Rose Bowl and 2017 Fiesta Bowl. Penn State will find out its next bowl destination and opponent on Sunday.
“We wanted to make a strong pledge to James and this program with this new contract,” Barbour said in a statement. “James came to Penn State with a very clear vision and we have seen that grow and prosper. What he has done to bring success to our program, both on and off the field, has been nothing short of spectacular.”
