James Franklin finally speaks on fairness of Penn State firing
The James Franklin era at Penn State ended last weekend when the Nittany Lions fired their coach of 12 years. Franklin left an indelible mark on the program in almost every good way, rebuilding it into a perennial Big Ten and national championship contender after a period of turmoil. But its struggles in the biggest games and the Nittany Lions’ shocking collapse from a No. 2 preseason ranking to 0-3 in Big Ten play created a dilemma.
Was it right for Penn State to move on from one of the most successful coaches in program history?
“It’s not up to me to decide ‘fair,'” Franklin said Saturday on ESPN’s “College GameDay” in his first public remarks since his ouster. “It’s up to other people. The decision that was made, it was hard for me to understand at the time. But what I want to do is focus on all the amazing moments. I had a great run there. Twelve years. Penn State has been good to me and my family. Most importantly, it’s about the players. I’m a players’ coach. I always have been. So that’s the hardest part, getting away from everyone these young men in this locker, of the recruits who joined our side.”
Time will tell if Penn State made the right choice in looking to change direction. Maybe the next coach will accomplish the goals Franklin couldn’t.
Ultimately, there was always a disconnect between Franklin’s results and the program’s expectations. The story of Penn State’s big games is about as well-researched as anything in college football, but for good reason. Franklin had the second-worst mark against AP top 6 teams among all coaches in the poll era, at 2-21, and he was just 15-31 against top 25 teams. He beat Ohio State and Michigan four times during his tenure and won the conference once.
Whatever it was that didn’t click when the lights were brightest, Franklin said he’ll work to figure it out by deeply reflecting on his coaching style.
“There are things that I know we’ve done as well as anyone in the country,” Franklin said. “But every offseason you have to take time, and after what just happened, we’re going to do it even more. I’m going to do it even more. How do we take advantage of these situations? How can we maximize the opportunities? How do we make the fans, alumni and scholars super proud of what we’re doing?”
Sometimes a refresh is better for both parties. The pressure the Nittany Lions fan base put on Franklin and his disappointing results created an untenable situation. Penn State will soon have a new coach, likely an extremely qualified one, to reinvigorate a hopeful core of supporters. Franklin will surely find a solid landing spot where he will be free from the tension that grew up in Happy Valley. The question is less whether Franklin will return to coaching than where he will be.
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“I don’t know anything else,” Franklin said. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I don’t have a hobby. I don’t play golf. I don’t fish. It’s such a big part of my identity, such a big part of my family. We love it. … I’m looking forward to this next challenge, and we’re going to win a national championship at the highest level.”
Franklin is the biggest name in the coaching market and will almost certainly remain so for as long as the 2025 carousel spins. Arkansas, UCLA and Virginia Tech would no doubt be happy to have him. Better jobs could open up in the coming weeks, however. Would Franklin head to Florida if the opportunity arose? His phone will ring. It’s just a matter of which caller he likes the most.
