Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
It’s certainly no secret that the bad blood between Penn State and former football coach James Franklin runs deep. Both sides have been sure to remind you of that fact at any and every turn.
But it turns out Franklin took things one step further.
The former Nittany Lions head coach was somewhat surprisingly fired in the middle of the 2025 season after a disappointing 3-3 start following a trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
For the most part, Penn State fans were fine to see him go after repeated struggles in big games. But Franklin has stated several times that he doesn’t feel his firing was justified, given the long-term success he had with the program.
Now, in a recent interview, he shared that he wouldn’t even watch his former players after being let go.
James Franklin Couldn’t Stomach Watching Penn State Games
Franklin sat down with Penn State letterman turned college football media member Adam Breneman to discuss both his time with the Nittany Lions and how he’s moving forward with Virginia Tech.
At one point, Breneman asked Franklin about life in the immediate aftermath of his firing, and the coach revealed that he couldn’t stomach watching his former players, even while his wife and daughters would watch games.
“I had a hard time watching college football. Specifically, Penn State,” Franklin revealed. “I couldn’t sit back and watch … I watched college football, I couldn’t watch Penn State, I couldn’t do it. It was just too many emotions.
Franklin explained that he’d hear his wife and daughters screaming about the game, knowing it had to be a Penn State game, but he couldn’t bring himself to watch.
On one hand, it makes plenty of sense. Watching the employer that just fired you has to be pretty difficult.
But Franklin has also talked at length about just how much he cares about his players as individuals, so you’d think he’d want to see them succeed. Especially when multiple players went on to break Penn State program records.
Either way, it doesn’t sound as if the two sides will end up reconciling anytime soon.