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5 most overpaid head coaches in college football for 2022

By Connor Muldowney

Jan 1, 2022; Tampa, FL, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin waits to enter the field before the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the 2022 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2022; Tampa, FL, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin waits to enter the field before the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the 2022 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 18, 2021; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin reacts from the sideline following the head-to-head contact made by Auburn Tigers linebacker Zakoby McClain (not pictured) during the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Auburn 28-20. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2021; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin reacts from the sideline following the head-to-head contact made by Auburn Tigers linebacker Zakoby McClain (not pictured) during the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Auburn 28-20. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports /

5. James Franklin, Penn State ($7 million)

Let me preface this one by saying I think James Franklin could be a solid head coach in the Big Ten if he was a little more consistent. He has as many 11-win seasons at Penn State as seven-win seasons and I think that’s why fans were beginning to question his fit this past season.

Franklin does have a Big Ten title to his name but that came back in 2016 and the Nittany Lions ended up losing in the Rose Bowl to finish 11-3. He went 11-2 the following season with a Fiesta Bowl win and then 11-2 once again in 2019 with a Cotton Bowl win. Since that season, however, he’s just 11-11 overall and 8-10 in Big Ten play.

Rumors began to swirl last season that Franklin could be a top candidate for the USC or LSU jobs and that seemingly led to a monster extension from the Nittany Lions.

Was this deal an act of desperation? It seems that way because Penn State lost a promising coach in the past (Bill O’Brien) and didn’t want to be back to square one with a Franklin departure.

But $7 million per year is steep, especially since it makes him the third-highest paid head coach in the Big Ten. That’s a lot for a coach trending in the wrong direction.

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