ADVERTISEMENT

If you were influential within PSU's Admin, how much would you increase Franklin's pay to keep him?

I don't think there are going to be any negotiations. I think he's leaving and he isn't going to make an effort to stay at PSU.

Up until Saturday, my thinking was that he would likely get an offer from either USC or LSU and use it to negotiate a better package from PSU - his salary, assistant's salaries, facilities upgrades, etc. I think PSU would have responded with an appropriate package and he probably would have stayed.

I think Saturday's loss changes everything. If you and your agent are going to handle your contract negotiations through the national media by attaching your name to every big time opening and then refusing to deny your interest (ala Jimbo, Dabo, and Tomlin) then you better not $hit the bed against a team like Illinois. I think he realizes that loss cost him a lot of support among the fans and probably in the administration too, because of the way he has allowed the media stories to circulate regarding USC and LSU.

He also sees what we see - this team is likely headed for a 2-5 finish after starting the year at 5-0. He's going to lose even more support by the end of the year. Next year isn't going to be easy either - there is a reasonable chance they are 3-3 and perhaps even 2-4 by mid year if they drop the opener on the road at Purdue. His seat will be uncomfortably warm by the end of this year and perhaps even hot by mid year 2022.

So, if he has the opportunity to bolt to LSU for a 5 year guaranteed $45 million, he's going to get out of town for a completely fresh start while he can because he's not getting another offer like that if he goes 4-5, 7-5, and 7-5 in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

I believe LSU will overlook 2020 and the second half of 2021 to get him to Baton Rouge with a very big contract and Franklin will jump on it.

There will be negotiations even if Franklin is intent on leaving, if only to squeeze more money out of a future employer.
 
There will be negotiations even if Franklin is intent on leaving, if only to squeeze more money out of a future employer.
oops. Wrong reply sorry art.

PSUFBFAN said:
I don't think there are going to be any negotiations. I think he's leaving and he isn't going to make an effort to stay at PSU.

Up until Saturday, my thinking was that he would likely get an offer from either USC or LSU and use it to negotiate a better package from PSU - his salary, assistant's salaries, facilities upgrades, etc. I think PSU would have responded with an appropriate package and he probably would have stayed.



Why would lsu do that. Their fans would go nuts. Get rid of the guy that won you a champ for a guy that has been mediocre the past couple of years?
 
No. Jimmy is at $4 million

Harbaugh's is one of the few contracts that is heavy on incentives, $1mm for winning the conference, another mil for a national championship, $500k for winning the division, etc. Beleive the total can reach $3.5mm. Made sense considering how overpaid he was initially.
 
Harbaugh's is one of the few contracts that is heavy on incentives, $1mm for winning the conference, another mil for a national championship, $500k for winning the division, etc. Beleive the total can reach $3.5mm. Made sense considering how overpaid he was initially.
It’s refreshing to find a contract negotiated by university administrators (lawyers) that includes meaningful performance carrots.
 
oops. Wrong reply sorry art.

PSUFBFAN said:
I don't think there are going to be any negotiations. I think he's leaving and he isn't going to make an effort to stay at PSU.

Up until Saturday, my thinking was that he would likely get an offer from either USC or LSU and use it to negotiate a better package from PSU - his salary, assistant's salaries, facilities upgrades, etc. I think PSU would have responded with an appropriate package and he probably would have stayed.



Why would lsu do that. Their fans would go nuts. Get rid of the guy that won you a champ for a guy that has been mediocre the past couple of years?

Franklin's marketability will hinge a lot on how the remainder of the season goes.
 
I mean if you want to be critical. Smart has never won the SEC, never beaten Alabama, never beaten LSU. Since he got there, they've played Bama once in the regular season (lost, didnt make CFP) and they've played LSU once in the regular season (lost, didnt make cfp).

UGA is probably a good representation of what PSU could be if they played in the Big Ten West and basically never played OSU or Michigan or Michigan State unless it was in the BTCG.

UGA made the CFP in 2018 (lost to Bama). But I don't disagree with your second statement, noting Georgia attracts top tier talent that only OSU and Bama rival (right now).
 
It’s refreshing to find a contract negotiated by university administrators (lawyers) that includes meaningful performance carrots.

Harbaugh had a choice: take it or find a job elsewhere. Warde Manuel apparently wasn't uncomfortable with the possibility of finding a new coach. Seems a lot of people here are more confident than I am that Ms. Excellence can find someone better than Franklin.
 
These guys work under a contract and are not "at will" employees. Gonna be tough to get any professional to work under those circumstances.

Who are these "plenty of people who eat what they kill"?
Literally everyone in the auto industry, small salaries, big performance bonuses.
 
I wouldn't increase his salary but I'd make a commitment to invest in the program (facilities, coaches, whatever) - and do it fast.

And @Art - did you explain how OSU generates so much more revenue than Penn State (despite a higher football payroll)? Seems if the schools are getting the same B1G TV money, and ticket sales are probably similar, where is the massive difference in revenue? Branding?

EDIT: I see the contributions are better at OSU - are those 'donations' from alums?
 
Last edited:
The issue is not with Franklin's pay. The issue is with everything else around the program/department financially. See below for what I mean (2020 means the 2019-2020 academic year so Covid doesn't really affect these numbers):

PENN STATE:
YearTotal RevenueTicket SalesContributionsRights / LicensingStudent FeesSchool FundsOther
2020$165,077,390$43,012,270$30,494,428$74,069,396$0$0$17,501,296
YearCoaching / StaffScholarshipsFacilities / OverheadTotal ExpensesOther
2020$60,835,093$21,673,848$27,228,908$157,908,311$48,170,462

OHIO STATE:
YearTotal RevenueTicket SalesContributionsRights / LicensingStudent FeesSchool FundsOther
2020$233,871,740$65,978,534$48,197,862$100,522,273$0$18,134$19,154,937
YearCoaching / StaffScholarshipsFacilities / OverheadTotal ExpensesOther
2020$78,815,629$21,524,454$58,169,068$215,209,566$56,700,415


This is what I was thinking. We've heard CJF mention the upgrade of facilities was needed. In addition to that, assistant coaches salaries. If you want the best, PSU would have to pay. The school/admin needs to decide if they're all in in the new world of college football. We're never going to consistently beat or out recruit the new blue bloods based on the 1970's or 1980's methods.
Do I want CJF to stay, Yes. Will he leave, I think if he sees no other way of getting a national title.
Some alumni and fans have to realize Joe is not coming back. Saban isn't coming to HV. No NFL head coach of value is willing leaving to coach college.
So at best we're a 10-2 program unless something financially changes.
 
This is what I was thinking. We've heard CJF mention the upgrade of facilities was needed. In addition to that, assistant coaches salaries. If you want the best, PSU would have to pay. The school/admin needs to decide if they're all in in the new world of college football. We're never going to consistently beat or out recruit the new blue bloods based on the 1970's or 1980's methods.
Do I want CJF to stay, Yes. Will he leave, I think if he sees no other way of getting a national title.
Some alumni and fans have to realize Joe is not coming back. Saban isn't coming to HV. No NFL head coach of value is willing leaving to coach college.
So at best we're a 10-2 program unless something financially changes.
The counter point is that if Franklin were a better coach Penn State could win with the level of resources that are currently being applied to football.
 
Franklin's marketability will hinge a lot on how the remainder of the season goes.
I agree and he may have put himself into a corner. I do believe he was close to getting a very strong offer from LSU and may have already had one "pending". Now, if PSU finishes 2-5 in their last 7 games and looks really really bad against OSU this weekend, LSU has to rethink their position. The AD may firmly believe Franklin is the right, long term choice (ignoring the year end collapse), but he's going to have a difficult time convincing his fan base that a 4-5 and 7-5 Franklin was the best choice available.

If he hires him, Franklin will certainly win the press conference, but that crowd in Baton Rouge will begin to turn on him immediately after the first loss to Alabama. So, maybe the AD backs off and takes a safer choice like Napier from U of LA.
 

absolutely. Every year the best teams seem to avoid each other and the build up is huge at the sec champ where they finally play someone. The sec overall sucks this year.

The SEC scheduling isnt a coincidence. SEC Schedules are set through 2025. Georgia has no upcoming games with Bama in the regular season and only plays LSU once. They've played Alabama and LSU twice in the regular season in the last decade +. So by 2026 they'll have played Alabama twice and LSU 3 times in the regular season in 15+ years. The best they'll be able to do is 1-4 in those matchups. Perception has become reality but the SEC has absolutely manipulated scheduling to their favor. Playing OSU and Michigan twice a decade would be interesting.

Big ten needs to drop the 9th game and rebalance the divisions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Midnighter2
The SEC scheduling isnt a coincidence. SEC Schedules are set through 2025. Georgia has no upcoming games with Bama in the regular season and only plays LSU once. They've played Alabama and LSU twice in the regular season in the last decade +. So by 2026 they'll have played Alabama twice and LSU 3 times in the regular season in 15+ years. The best they'll be able to do is 1-4 in those matchups. Perception has become reality but the SEC has absolutely manipulated scheduling to their favor. Playing OSU and Michigan twice a decade would be interesting.

Big ten needs to drop the 9th game and rebalance the divisions.

Ha. Got a notification you quoted me but don't see it.
 
After a 4 and 5 season? LMAOROFL. I like him and want him to stay but of I am AD,and he threatened to leave, I would let him. Why 8s his buyout a small fraction of the school's?
 
This link will help you gauge the salaries of other coaches, but you'll need to sort by "Scheduled School Pay".



1. Swinney $9.5 MM
2. Saban $9.5
3. Shaw $8.9
4. Orgeron $8.7
5. Riley $7.9
6. Mullen $7.6
7. Fisher $7.5
8. Smart $7.0
9. Franklin $7.0
10. Day $6.8
11. Patterson $6.1
12. Fitzgerald $5.8
13. Tucker $5.6
14. C. Kelly $5.6
15. Sarkisian $5.5
16. Stoops $5.3. Whittingham $5.2
Winning. You got to spend money to make money
Say what you might about game days, Franklin has made Penn State relevant. He is an accomplished recruiter seemingly specializing in athletes as opposed to earth movers, Before the Clifford injury team had a chance to be in every game and compete for championships. The big is a tough conference with, generally every season playing at least half dozen rated teams, win the conference go to the playoffs. I prefer keeping Franklin, if he is making 7M, move him to 9M, just behind Swinney and Saban. Show him the love. Question, are other Big fan bases as critical of their team and coach?
 
It’s refreshing to find a contract negotiated by university administrators (lawyers) that includes meaningful performance carrots.
IIRC his contract wasn't that way initially. I think he was very highly paid and given that he continued to lose to OSU and not even win the division, he came under pressure and their solution was to rework his contract to a lower salary and high on incentives.
 
IIRC his contract wasn't that way initially. I think he was very highly paid and given that he continued to lose to OSU and not even win the division, he came under pressure and their solution was to rework his contract to a lower salary and high on incentives.
This is correct
 
I wouldn't increase his salary but I'd make a commitment to invest in the program (facilities, coaches, whatever) - and do it fast.

And @Art - did you explain how OSU generates so much more revenue than Penn State (despite a higher football payroll)? Seems if the schools are getting the same B1G TV money, and ticket sales are probably similar, where is the massive difference in revenue? Branding?

EDIT: I see the contributions are better at OSU - are those 'donations' from alums?

No idea. First off, the numbers for PSU are for the Athletic Department as a whole, not just the football program and I can't tell how they are aggregating some of the detail.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Midnighter2
Say what you might about game days, Franklin has made Penn State relevant. He is an accomplished recruiter seemingly specializing in athletes as opposed to earth movers, Before the Clifford injury team had a chance to be in every game and compete for championships. The big is a tough conference with, generally every season playing at least half dozen rated teams, win the conference go to the playoffs. I prefer keeping Franklin, if he is making 7M, move him to 9M, just behind Swinney and Saban. Show him the love. Question, are other Big fan bases as critical of their team and coach?
Which year are you talking about. Clifford was hurt 2019 2020 and this year. He didn’t keep a backup knowing this. What was he thinking.
 
ADVERTISEMENT