Report: James Franklin has talked to Florida State about Seminoles’ head coaching job
The Seminoles are looking for a replacement for Willie Taggert, who was fired on Nov. 3. Minnesota's P.J. Fleck is also considered to be a candidate.
Penn State’s James Franklin is being considered as one of the main targets of Florida State in its search for a head coach, according to a report Wednesday in the Orlando Sentinel.
Florida State has communicated with Franklin, and there is “mutual interest between the two parties,” according to the report.
The Seminoles are looking for a replacement for former head coach Willie Taggert, who was fired on Nov. 3.
Other reported candidates for the FSU job are coaches Matt Campbell of Iowa State, P.J. Fleck of Minnesota, and Mike Norvell of Memphis.
Franklin also has attracted interest from Southern California, which reportedly is deciding whether to keep head coach Clay Helton.
Franklin’s most recent comment on being mentioned for other jobs was at his weekly news conference on Nov. 5, after another story about interest from USC.
“Whenever anything comes up, we try to address it, make sure everybody kind of understands where we’re at with everything, with coaches, with players, with recruits, with all of it," he said. “But we love it here. Really enjoy coaching these guys and don’t really see that changing any time soon.”
Franklin is making $5.65 million this year under a contract extension he signed in 2017 that runs through 2022. He has a $1 million buyout.
Penn State said it did not have a comment on the FSU report.