Texas A&M is Reportedly Interested in James Franklin, But That Doesn't Mean Much
Texas A&M is interested in hiring Penn State head coach James Franklin, according to a report from CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd.
A&M hasn't yet fired Kevin Sumlin, and the Aggies have bounced back from a season-opening loss to UCLA quite nicely, winning their next four and playing Alabama tough before losing 27-19. There's no guarantee that he gets fired—he's 48-23 in five-plus seasons in College Station—but still, A&M has finished 8-5 for three straight seasons, so if Sumlin can't get past eight wins, he could well get the axe.
Let's say he does indeed get fired. Does James Franklin have a compelling reason to leave what he's built at Penn State to join the second-biggest college program in Texas?
Franklin guided the Nittany Lions to the Rose Bowl last season, and he was handsomely rewarded for doing so—in August, he signed a six-year contract extension worth nearly $20 million. This year, Penn State is currently ranked No. 3 in the country and could well be headed for a College Football Playoff berth.
All this goes to say, it's extremely hard to imagine a scenario in which A&M successfully lures Franklin away from Penn State short of doubling his salary. And even then, Sumlin's lack of support from A&M faithful—a university regent released a letter calling for his ouster, and racist mail has been sent to his house—doesn't help the Aggies' pitch.
