Penn State, James Franklin come to terms on new 10-year contract

It appears that James Franklin will remain in Happy Valley for the foreseeable furture.

Penn State and the Nittany Lions head football coach agreed to a new 10-year contract on Tuesday that will keep him in State College, PA, until 2031. The deal is reportedly worth $70 million, according to Sports Illustrated. Franklin recently switched representation from Trace Armstrong of Athletes First to super-agent Jimmy Sexton of CAA.

This move comes on the heels of the head coach’s name being linked to several top college football job openings this season, from USC to LSU to the recently opened position at Florida. With this new contract, Franklin has effectively pulled his name off the market for now.

After turning around Vanderbilt, Franklin arrived to Penn State in 2014 and elevated the program back into national prominence in the immediate aftermath of the heinous Jerry Sandusky scandal. He’s compiled a 67-32 record in eight seasons, including three 11-win seasons.

It was speculated this season that the marriage between Franklin and the university had grown stale and both parties were looking to go their separate ways. But this new contract, at least for now, says otherwise.