Penn State’s $49M Buyout Sparks Employee Backlash | JQJO

Penn State fired football coach James Franklin after three straight losses, triggering a $49 million buyout that has angered some university employees amid upcoming commonwealth-campus closures. Librarian Heather Page called the payout “a slap in the face,” while English professor Andrea Adolph said it equals about six years of the New Kensington campus budget and reflects leadership priorities, noting President Neeli Bendapudi’s recent 47% raise. The buyout is the second-largest in college football. Associate head coach Terry Smith will serve as interim while a national search begins.