"Adidas drove the James Franklin firing": CFB insider drops stunning details on Penn State sacking legendary HC

College football insider Mike J. Asti shared stunning details on social media with regards to the firing of coach James Franklin at Penn State on Sunday.

Mainstream media reports said that Franklin was given his release papers after the Nittany Lions succumbed to Northwestern 22-21 on Saturday to drop to 3-3 (0-3 in the Big Ten Conference). However, Asti disclosed another angle on X that led to the firing of the former Big Ten champion coach.

A Penn State source told Asti on Sunday that German athletic apparel company Adidas had something to do with the removal of the 53-year-old tactician, who was at the helm for Penn State since 2014.

"I have been told that Adidas drove the James Franklin firing and are why it happened today," the source said. "They committed to pay most or all of the money. They also wanted a new coach before recent losses, but they made it hard for anyone at PSU to argue."

Franklin went 104-45 at Penn State and guided the team to wins at the Fiesta Bowl (2017 and 2024), Pinstripe Bowl (2014), Cotton Bowl (2019) and Rose Bowl (2022).

Last year was his best season ever at University Park, leading the program to a 13-3 record (8-1 in the Big Ten). Penn State went to the playoffs and defeated SMU (38-10) and Boise State (31-14) before losing to Notre Dame (27-24) in the college football semifinal.

The season started with a promise, winning its first three games to peak at No. 2 in the AP Poll for four weeks.

But a string of losses to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern brought them down at the cellar of the Big Ten standings and the poll altogether. Worse, they lost star quarterback Drew Allar for the rest of the season due to a leg injury.

Penn State AD hails James Franklin's achievements despite sudden firing

Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft expressed his gratitude to James Franklin moments after the announcement of his firing went public on Sunday. In a statement, Kraft mentioned the important games that the veteran coach guided the Nittany Lions to victories but he defended the school's decision to oust Franklin.

"However, we hold our athletics programs to the highest of standards," Kraft said. "And we believe this is the right moment for new leadership at the helm of our football program to advance us toward Big Ten and national championships.”

James Franklin's will gain $49.7-million as part of the buyout clause on the 10-year contract extension he signed in 2021 (per USA Today). This ranks second behind former Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher (around $76 million) as the most expensive buyout in college football history.

Franklin's firing was a case of the school quitting on the coach that helped the program come close to the national championship final when its expectations were not met. With this, a lot is expected to the individual who will fill in the shoes of the veteran tactician in the remainder of the season.

Edited by Geoff