James Franklin has Penn State off to a 2-0 start, once again putting his name in connection to high profile job openings, such as the one at USC.
                                 Barry Reeger | AP photo

James Franklin has Penn State off to a 2-0 start, once again putting his name in connection to high profile job openings, such as the one at USC.

Barry Reeger | AP photo

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James Franklin wasn’t thrilled to talk about it. But the Penn State coach is going to have to deal with chatter about the USC job for, oh, another two to three months.

The Trojans finally fired coach Clay Helton on Monday after years of hot seat rumors. And, as has been the case for the last three years or so, Franklin’s name was again one of the top names put forward by multiple national outlets as a candidate.

“I can’t stand any form of distraction,” Franklin said Tuesday when asked about his name being linked to USC just days before the Nittany Lions host Auburn in their annual White Out game. “I’ll discuss this today with the (players) leadership council so that we can make sure that all of our energy is on our preparation for Auburn. That’s how we’ll handle it.”

With Penn State in the national spotlight this week — ESPN is bringing its traveling “College GameDay” show to Happy Valley, which usually leads to Franklin stopping by the set for a live interview Saturday morning — he can expect to be asked about USC a few more times.

Realistically, the speculation isn’t likely to go away until the Trojans make a full-time hire, which most likely won’t occur until after the regular season ends in late November.

One of the other top names mentioned is Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell, who has the Bearcats in the top 10 and, most notably, was hired for that job by current USC athletic director Mike Bohn.

Fickell was more direct in his response to a similar question at a press conference Tuesday, but even that hasn’t slowed speculation about his future much.

“I don’t talk to anybody — I barely talk to my own family during the season,” Fickell told reporters in Ohio. “So I wouldn’t ever talk about (coaching at USC), nor would I even answer a phone call or anything like that. I know nothing, nor does it make me have any interest.

“It’s not a big deal. It’s nothing but distractions if people allow it to be, and for us it can’t be.”

Franklin to USC talk has become something of an annual tradition, with all parties getting a reprieve last fall during the pandemic.

• Franklin in 2018 about the USC job: “Yeah, first of all, I guess it’s that time of year where all this stuff happens. It’s that time of year. It’s the crazy, mad time of year, where these type of things happen.

“So as you guys know, like always, we’re focused on (the next opponent) completely, 100 percent. I don’t even think it’s fair or right to even be talking about that job from everything I understand about it.”

• Franklin in 2019 about the USC job the week of the undefeated showdown against Minnesota: “I’ve also heard (Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck’s) name mentioned for a bunch (of jobs),” he joked. “So you guys could spend a lot of time calling him and talking to him about it and their program.

“But we love it here. Really enjoy coaching these guys and don’t really see that changing any time soon.”

Of course, the USC job never actually came open until just now. In 2019, Franklin was also a target for the opening at Florida State, but Penn State ultimately approved a new contract for him the following winter.

Franklin’s current deal runs through 2025 with a base salary of $5.5 million and opportunities for bonuses. His buyout to leave for another job is listed at $4 million.

So why doesn’t Franklin immediately shoot down reports of another school’s interest in him?

For one, the interest could be mutual. USC is one of the few programs that has a higher ceiling than Penn State, what with its fertile recruiting grounds and wide-open competition in the Pac-12. Franklin has made clear his ambition is to become the first African American head coach to win a national title, and that goal would seem to be more feasible at USC without a perennial powerhouse to battle for titles.

Secondly, interest in Franklin from other schools has helped speed along things at Penn State such as more money for staff and plans for improvements to facilities, two areas in which the school has lagged behind since the closing years of Joe Paterno’s tenure.

For now, it’s anyone’s guess how it will play out. The USC job is sure to attract plenty of candidates — ESPN reported Tuesday that celebrated Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy could be in the mix — and there are likely months to go before anything is resolved.

It’s up to Franklin and his program to not let it derail a strong start to the season.