Penn State has done it. They have taken the tough call and called it quits with James Franklin, after 10 long years. Something needed to be done to rein in the speed with which the Lions were hurtling towards failure. An era comes to an end at Happy Valley with the former Franklin’s dismissal, who has built an Franklin was 3-3 at the time of his dismissal.

Franklin walks out with $49 million as a buyout. The final nail to his coffin was actually the UCLA game, that sounded the alarm for the HC. Northwestern was supposed to be the cupcake game for PSU, to help put an end to a dangerous losing streak. But the Wildcats outshining Penn State in every element of football was what did it for the top brass. This is now a Penn State that has no hopes for the playoffs. It’s a tough pill to swallow for a team that was the preseason No. 2 in the AP Poll. James Franklin will bid Happy Valley goodbye with a record of 104-45.

Franklin is now one of the best head coaches on the market, as multiple needy programs stand to benefit from him. He could either go to a program that has never seen national recognition, or go to those which have already been established.

James Franklin’s best bet right now is UCLA

Right now, Franklin seems to be a great fit for the UCLA Bruins. Yes, the program has already left a dark blot on his career (and reputation). But being in the Big 10 for so many years, he can be a strong candidate for the open role at Westwood. Imagine the turn of the events if Franklin does turn out to be the coach responsible for Nico Iamaleava’s development (That’s provided the QB stays). Among all the people in contention to secure the job here, Franklin will be difficult candidate to ignore.

UCLA has been struggling for revival since 2014, when it last recorded a double-digit finish under Jim Mora. The program has already experimented with 2 coaches, who have not yielded good results. Franklin has been to the Big 10 championship, and has produced 6 double-digit finishes at Penn State. Westwood might be a good fit for Franklin, but UCLA also has to be wary of the problems that will follow James Franklin here.

James Franklin can take a breather at Virginia Tech

Or, the former Penn State coach can lower the stakes a little by throwing a hat in Virginia Tech’s ring. That’s where his former DC, Brent Pry, coached, and was ultimately sacked. VT last saw major success in the 2016 season, and but has needed a desperate fix as of late. Coaching in the ACC is a comparatively low-risk job, and should allow Franklin some space to truly get over his biggest vices. If he gets to defeating ranked teams here after Penn State, he’ll be doing himself a huge favor. James Franklin needs to prove himself, and Virginia Tech seems to be a good place for him to do that.

The SEC might be out of reach, but not entirely

James Franklin has been in the SEC before, coaching Vanderbilt. That makes him eligible, at the very least, to contend for the role at Arkansas. Bobby Petrino seems pretty much set to secure the role for himself next season. But Franklin entering the chat will push the Razorbacks administration to at least spare him a thought. Petrino has been here, and was the last Hogs HC to bring success to the program. But Franklin will bring with him a lot of attention. He’ll be a flashy hire, and will guarantee at least a respectable result.

Franklin will also be a risky hire, because the SEC is a brutal environment. There will simply be a lot of pressure on James Franklin if he moves to Fayetteville. He couldn’t do it at Penn State when it was needed of him; Arkansas might not be as forgiving as PSU if Franklin falters early on. Among these three jobs, it’s the Arkansas one that is the most dramatic pairing for James Franklin. But it’s not entirely unfathomable either.