Penn State pulled the trigger!

[PHJIrish]

Why did Penn State fire James Franklin? What to know of football coach firing

[temptation]

Smart move…gives em an inside track/head start on Cignetti.

[Footballking16]

26 minutes ago, temptation said:

Smart move…gives em an inside track/head start on Cignetti.

Don't think he’d take it at this stage but never say never. Matt Rhule or Matt Campbell seem like the most practical candidates at the moment.

[Komets2727]

31 minutes ago, temptation said:

Smart move…gives em an inside track/head start on Cignetti.

I hope not. Think Rhule being an ex player has the inside track

[temptation]

5 minutes ago, Komets2727 said:

I hope not. Think Rhule being an ex player has the inside track

If PSU hired Ruhle, I’d piss myself laughing.

Edited October 12, 2025 by temptation

[Footballking16]

1 hour ago, Komets2727 said:

I hope not. Think Rhule being an ex player has the inside track

I just don’t understand the thought process of a 65 year old, up and switching jobs (again) when he’s got everything he wants and needs in Bloomington. IU is a legit national title contender this year.

[Komets2727]

42 minutes ago, Footballking16 said:

I just don’t understand the thought process of a 65 year old, up and switching jobs (again) when he’s got everything he wants and needs in Bloomington. IU is a legit national title contender this year.

I don’t believe Cignetti is leaving Bloomington. He’s got it made there and is a folk hero. 

Edited October 13, 2025 by Komets2727

[Komets2727]

2 hours ago, temptation said:

If PSU hired Ruhle, I’d piss myself laughing.

Ex Penn State player who comes back to do good

[Yuccaguy]

IU should use a back conversation to make sure Franklin replaces Cignetti.  Make Franklin the highest paid DC and the coach in waiting.

[Komets2727]

45 minutes ago, Yuccaguy said:

IU should use a back conversation to make sure Franklin replaces Cignetti.  Make Franklin the highest paid DC and the coach in waiting.

LMFAO!!!!

[23andCounting]

Right now I've got the chances of Cignetti leaving around 8%. He's making 8.3m/year, he loves Bloomington, and importantly, his wife LOVES Bloomington. He's just getting started. Penn State will throw the farm at him though. 

[Yuccaguy]

8 hours ago, 23andCounting said:

Right now I've got the chances of Cignetti leaving around 8%. He's making 8.3m/year, he loves Bloomington, and importantly, his wife LOVES Bloomington. He's just getting started. Penn State will throw the farm at him though. 

I am NOT saying Cignetti's going anywhere...but let's be serious people.  James Franklin would be a nice replacement for Cignetti when he retires from IU.  

Matt Rhule probably is heading to PSU.  He was the Temple HC when the current PSU AD was also at Temple.  

18 hours ago, Komets2727 said:

LMFAO!!!!

so 2 seasons of Football prosperity, and you think IU is somehow a 'blue blood'?  

[Coach Nowlin]

20 hours ago, Footballking16 said:

I just don’t understand the thought process of a 65 year old, up and switching jobs (again) when he’s got everything he wants and needs in Bloomington. IU is a legit national title contender this year.

I agree completely 

 

[PDB26]

20 hours ago, Komets2727 said:

I don’t believe Cignetti is leaving Bloomington. He’s got it made there and is a folk hero. 

True, although there would be some of that going on at Penn State despite the wildly different historical context.

10 hours ago, 23andCounting said:

Right now I've got the chances of Cignetti leaving around 8%. He's making 8.3m/year, he loves Bloomington, and importantly, his wife LOVES Bloomington. He's just getting started. Penn State will throw the farm at him though. 

21 hours ago, Footballking16 said:

I just don’t understand the thought process of a 65 year old, up and switching jobs (again) when he’s got everything he wants and needs in Bloomington. IU is a legit national title contender this year.

It’s possible he actually doesn’t have everything he wants at IU, although this Penn State situation might be the perfect opportunity to get whatever else he might need there.
 

My guess is it’s most likely to come down to what $$ he has to hire staff and to get players, and whether he thinks his model for player acquisitions is sustainable or if he believes IU can recruit well enough out of high school to sustain this success. The two-deep is littered with transfers and redshirt juniors/seniors and super seniors. It would seem that you can’t live in the portal forever, but who knows.

[Komets2727]

1 hour ago, Yuccaguy said:

I am NOT saying Cignetti's going anywhere...but let's be serious people.  James Franklin would be a nice replacement for Cignetti when he retires from IU.  

Matt Rhule probably is heading to PSU.  He was the Temple HC when the current PSU AD was also at Temple.  

so 2 seasons of Football prosperity, and you think IU is somehow a 'blue blood'?  

Big games James has no appeal to me in the slightest. Please point out where I said IU is a blue blood….

Edited October 13, 2025 by Komets2727

[Irishman]

Someone is investing big bucks in the program at IU to have them competing at this level. Is that happening in Happy Valley? Based on where the 2 programs are at this moment in time, is a job at Penn State a better position than at IU? 

[PHJIrish]

At his age, I think he's content where he's at.  And If it comes to a money decision there are those at, and around, IU with deep pockets.  It's good that IU has finally found out that football can be lucrative!

[Komets2727]

18 minutes ago, Irishman said:

Someone is investing big bucks in the program at IU to have them competing at this level. Is that happening in Happy Valley? Based on where the 2 programs are at this moment in time, is a job at Penn State a better position than at IU? 

No. Massive donors at IU have stepped up at a very high dollar level. More upgrades are coming for the facilities as well. Nobody really knows what Cig wants to do other than him, but I find it highly doubtful that he wants to leave Bloomington 

[Irishman]

1 minute ago, Komets2727 said:

No. Massive donors at IU have stepped up at a very high dollar level. More upgrades are coming for the facilities as well. Nobody really knows what Cig wants to do other than him, but I find it highly doubtful that he wants to leave Bloomington 

I agree on all counts

[gonzoron]

22 minutes ago, PHJIrish said:

At his age, I think he's content where he's at.  And If it comes to a money decision there are those at, and around, IU with deep pockets.  It's good that IU has finally found out that football can be lucrative!

Plus it's pretty evident he's having fun. Why give that up to head into a buzz saw? He's not quite as old as me, but even when I was younger, if I wasn't happy doing what I was doing, I didn't want to do it.

Edited October 13, 2025 by gonzoron

[Footballking16]

2 hours ago, Komets2727 said:

Big games James has no appeal to me in the slightest. Please point out where I said IU is a blue blood….

One of the coordinators will get the IU job once he moves on. 

[PDB26]

5 minutes ago, Footballking16 said:

One of the coordinators will get the IU job once he moves on. 

That’s if they aren’t gobbled up first by some other school looking to pull off a Dan Lanning type hire—defensive coordinator especially.

[Sparty]

5 hours ago, Yuccaguy said:

I am NOT saying Cignetti's going anywhere...but let's be serious people.  James Franklin would be a nice replacement for Cignetti when he retires from IU.  

Matt Rhule probably is heading to PSU.  He was the Temple HC when the current PSU AD was also at Temple.  

so 2 seasons of Football prosperity, and you think IU is somehow a 'blue blood'?  

Did he say it was?

And what did Franklin do with a blue blood program like Penn State?

[Muda69]

On 10/13/2025 at 7:00 AM, 23andCounting said:

Right now I've got the chances of Cignetti leaving around 8%. He's making 8.3m/year, he loves Bloomington, and importantly, his wife LOVES Bloomington. He's just getting started. Penn State will throw the farm at him though. 

Agreed.  And maybe Cignetti can get some of those blue chip recruits who may de-commit to PSU after Franklin's firing.  

 

[Coach Nowlin]

Some noise coming out from Not So Happy Valley, wonder if it was true that Adidas pulled the trigger.......