After his rebuild of Penn State football exceeded all expectations, James Franklin got his payday. The school announced a new six-year contract for Franklin on Friday, with an average yearly payout of $5.73 million that puts him among the top five highest-paid coaches in college football.

Just last year, many Penn State fans (including some on this very website) were calling for Franklin’s head in his third season. Those takes cooled off once Franklin ran the table to a Big 10 title after an early loss to Michigan. Now, less than one year later, the school has backed the money truck straight up to his house in Happy Valley.

This is an absolute win for Franklin, the school, and the fans. Franklin is obviously getting what he deserves in terms of money, but the mutual commitment between him and the school is the most important aspect. Bill O’Brien had NFL ties and used them to get back in the league after taking the Penn State job in the middle of the Jerry Sandusky scandal fallout. O’Brien’s short run was better than could be reasonably expected, but it was clear that he was never going to be the guy to take on rebuilding the program and its reputation in the long run.

By getting a long-term deal in place, Franklin is showing his desire to remain at the school, and Penn State, for good reason, is showing how much they want him there as well. While college coaches can pack up and leave anytime they want, which they often do, there probably won’t be a better job for Franklin to leave Happy Valley for if Penn State stays on the path he has put them on.

Franklin is a reserved guy who always says the right things, and now he has the big wins and elite recruiting classes to back it all up. Stability is important for college programs, and while the wounds of the Sandusky scandal heal, Penn State needs that more than almost any other team in the nation. Stability starts at the head coaching position, and Penn State now has their guy locked up for several more years to come.