The sudden firing of James Franklin at Penn State has sent shockwaves across the college football world and the timing couldn’t be more critical for programs like Oklahoma State, which are actively searching for their next head coach. While Franklin’s dismissal may seem like a separate storyline on the surface, it could have significant ripple effects that influence the Cowboys’ search, both directly and indirectly.
A Premier Job Opens at the Worst Time for Oklahoma State
Simply put, Penn State is a more desirable job than Oklahoma State from a national standpoint. It comes with more resources, a larger national brand, deeper donor support, and is part of the Big Ten which is arguably the most stable and lucrative conference in college football. When a job of that stature opens up, it immediately shifts the coaching carousel.
Top coaching candidates who may have been in Oklahoma State’s sights could now view the Penn State opening as a priority. That forces Oklahoma State either further down its candidate list or into a more competitive (and expensive) bidding situation. From a timing perspective, this isn’t ideal for the Cowboys, who may now be caught in a holding pattern while the rest of the coaching market reshuffles itself.
The Snowball Effect: More Openings Could Be Coming
Penn State’s next move could also create more openings that crowd the landscape. If the Nittany Lions hire a sitting Power Four head coach, as many expect, they’ll likely be poaching from another strong program, which in turn will have to launch its own search. That domino effect could lead to even more high-profile vacancies across the country, rapidly thinning the pool of available and willing candidates.
This snowball effect could complicate things for schools like Oklahoma State, which don’t have the same national pull or financial muscle as some of the bigger programs. The Cowboys now face the real possibility that they’ll be recruiting a head coach from a market full of moving targets and rising demands.
Franklin's Firing Sends a Message: No One Is Safe
Another layer to this story is what Franklin’s firing represents. Here was a coach who led Penn State to a College Football Playoff appearance just last season and had compiled a 34–8 record over the last three years. His recruiting rankings had consistently climbed, and the program appeared to be in one of its most stable runs in recent history.
Yet, a rough three-game stretch—starting with a narrow loss to Oregon and followed by flat performances against two unranked opponents which ended up being enough to send him packing. That kind of swift reaction signals a shift in the expectations at blue-blood programs. It also sets a precedent that even recent success won’t protect a coach if the fan base and boosters feel the program is slipping.
This puts added pressure on other coaches at traditionally strong programs who may be just one disappointing season away from being shown the door. Florida, Auburn, Clemson, North Carolina, and others could all soon be considering changes if 2025 doesn’t end the way they hoped. That could quickly lead to more marquee jobs hitting the market and more competition for Oklahoma State in their search.
Oklahoma State Must Be Proactive, Not Reactive
In light of all this, the takeaway for Oklahoma State is simple: don’t wait. The Cowboys must use this moment to evaluate the coaches they truly covet and act with urgency. Letting the carousel spin too long could result in getting left behind while bigger programs make splash hires and scoop up the top candidates.
Whether it’s a rising coordinator, an up-and-coming Group of Five coach, or a Power Five assistant ready to make the jump, Oklahoma State needs to move with a clear strategy. Because if James Franklin can be fired after the level of success he had at Penn State, then no coach is safe and no program should assume it has time to wait.