While some Notre Dame football fans are laughing and high-fiving over James Franklin getting fired on Sunday, they should actually be worried that his abrupt departure means there are going to be weeks, if not months, of talk about Marcus Freeman saying goodbye to South Bend.
Franklin became a popular villain around town when Penn State and Notre Dame faced off in last year's playoffs. It was clear that Franklin was "little bro'ing" Freeman, and the Irish head coach wasn't pleased. Then ND went out and beat the Nittany Lions on the field. Then Freeman stole Franklin's running backs coach. Then he went after his top commits.
Why James Franklin’s firing could mean weeks of Marcus Freeman rumors for Notre Dame football
Some Notre Dame fans may wish he had gone easier on the embattled coach. With Franklin out as of Sunday afternoon, there are already plenty of hot lists out there for who will take over. Marcus Freeman is, or will be, on a ton of them.
There have been rumblings for a few weeks that Franklin's Happy Valley Hot Seat was in flames after his squad lost to UCLA and Northwestern in back-to-back weeks. Still, things moved blazing fast after the Nittany Lions lost their third straight on Saturday.
That's going to give PSU plenty of time to look for a replacement. Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti is the hottest name, of course, but the Hoosiers will almost certainly move heaven and earth to keep him. There's also an argument that while IU is clearly for real, it's only Year 2. There hasn't been time to prove he's got staying power.
Penn State hired Franklin from Vanderbilt because he was the "hot name" after back-to-back 9-4 seasons with the Commodores. But those were just his second and third years at the helm in Nashville. The powers that be might not be ready to go with the "hottest name." Even if Cignetti does have a longer track record as a head coach, his track record is shorter at the helm of a Power 4 team.
The good news here is that it's clear Marcus Freeman isn't leaving Notre Dame for just any job. He has a genuine love for the Fighting Irish and the culture he's built in the program. But if there's real fear, he will eventually leave for Ohio State, and Ryan Day keeps winning, it's worth worrying about him going for the "next best" in the Big Ten.