By Michael Lipinski, Sports Talk Philly Contributor 
In a surprise move, Penn State and head football coach James Franklin have reached an agreement on a 10-year contract extension worth a guaranteed $70 million. Franklin, who recently switched agents, had been tied to the openings at LSU and USC in recent weeks. The extension should quell those rumors, especially on the recruiting trail.
Franklin Agrees to New 10-Year Contracthttps://t.co/lkVPrQTScU pic.twitter.com/QZlld32D9U
— Penn State Athletics (@GoPSUsports) November 23, 2021
Franklin has been at Penn State since 2014 and has led the Nittany Lions six bowl games, including three NY6 bowl appearances, and a Big Ten Championship (2016). He routinely has Penn State in the top ten recruiting classes according to 247Sports. Franklin’s record as a head coach, including his time at Vanderbilt, is 91-48 overall and 5-4 in bowl games.
Franklin’s buyout is set at $12 million through April 1, 2022 and will fall to $8 million for the remainder of 2022. The buyout drops to $6 million for 2023, to $2 million in 2024, and finally to $1 million in 2026 through the remainder of the deal. The Nittany Lions are locked into Franklin until 2024 at the earliest.
