“The first call I would make is Nick Saban”: Fox Insider asks Penn State to “take a big swing” after James Franklin's firing

Penn State will play a game without James Franklin for the first time since 2014. The Nittany Lions are searching their next head coach after firing Franklin on Sunday, and former Alabama coach Nick Saban's name also popped up in the list.

Football analysts Joel Klatt and Collin Cowherd spoke on Franklin’s potential replacement on Wednesday, and Klatt took Saban's name.

“I think that Pat Kraft, the athletic director at Penn State, is going to take a big swing,” Klatt said on Wednesday. “I don't think that anybody is off of his list, to be quite honest with you. “And if I was Pat Kraft, I would start with the biggest swing possible. I know this sounds crazy, but I think the first call I would make is Nick Saban. And just make sure that that's not going to happen.”

Saban holds the all-time record for most national championships with seven, has won 11 Southeastern Conference titles and holds an 84.7% win rate at Alabama and LSU, the highest in SEC history. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2024.

Meanwhile, Klatt also suggested that Penn State could consider Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman as potential candidates.

Draft analyst backs Penn State’s firing of James Franklin

Penn State entered the season ranked No. 2 in the preseason polls and started strong with three wins, matching expectations. However, James Franklin's squad couldn’t win a single game following Week 3 and fell 3-3.

Draft analyst Todd McShay spoke with OutKick, supporting the decision to fire Franklin following PSU's disappointing stretch.

“I’m thrilled Penn State made the decision they did,” McShay said. “Image, selfishness, agenda — eventually that kind of leadership rears its ugly head. I think James Franklin got away with it entirely too long.“I don’t trust James Franklin. And for those saying you just hate James Franklin, you hate Penn State, nah. This is business, and with business, you make business decisions.”

The Nittany Lions are also 0-3 in Big Ten play for the first time since 2020.

Edited by Maliha