Where will James Franklin coach in 2026?

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

When Penn State fired James Franklin as its head coach, the general opinion was that Franklin would not be unemployed for long. As the coaching carousel is spinning in full motion, it does appear Franklin will be a head coach somewhere in 2026 as two schools continue to be tied to him in the rumor mill.

Virginia Tech and Arkansas have been the two schools most tied to Franklin rumors in recent weeks as both programs continue to search for their next head coaches. Virginia Tech was one of the first schools to make an in-season coaching change when it fired Brent Pry, a former Penn State defensive coordinator and longtime Franklin assistant. Arkansas is in need of a head coach after parting ways with Sam Pittman.

A pairing of Franklin and Virginia Tech would seem to make a lot of sense for the two, and there is some reported urgency on the Virginia Tech side to potentially secure Franklin before too much more time elapses. That is because there is a sense that Franklin may want to entertain some other possible opportunities that are open now or could be open soon, including the current vacancy at Auburn or Florida, or a possible vacancy set to open at a school like Florida State.

And the speculation continues to swirl about Arkansas making a move for Franklin. It has been reported by 247Sports (subscription required) that Franklin and Arkansas have had some contact about the job, going so far as to discuss how much Franklin could potentially have at his disposal to build his roster with the Razorbacks. All of this while it is still believed Franklin is continuing his discussions with Virginia Tech.

There is no timetable for when to expect Franklin to have his next job officially confirmed, but there are three weeks left in the regular season for most teams around the country, so we could be nearing the final stretch of the job search for James Franklin.

While still focusing on its next move, Penn State and athletics director Pat Kraft will be watching Franklin's next move closely. As previously reported, Franklin's contract requires him to look for a new head coaching job upon his termination from Penn State as his next contract will impact the total buyout cost Penn State will owe Franklin. Penn State is committing to paying Franklin upward of $50 million, but that buyout sum would be reduced by whatever Franklin is set to earn on his next coaching contract.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: James Franklin evaluating options for next job after Penn State

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos