On Sunday, James Franklin became the former head coach of Penn State — a program he led for 12 seasons and guided to 104 wins, tied for the second-most in school history.
Franklin detailed how swift his dismissal was during an interview on ESPN’s College GameDay.
“Yeah, well, we were a practice-Sunday team… we have a team meeting at 1:45,” Franklin said.
“About 1:30, the A.D. walked in and said, ‘We’re gonna make a change. I’m sorry.’ I was in shock, obviously. I really took the next 15 minutes to let my kids know so they wouldn’t find out on the internet, and then walked down and had a super emotional meeting with the team to tell them I was leaving. That was it. It was that quick.”
Former Alabama coach Nick Saban didn’t mince words when reacting to the situation.
“You made the statement — not like it’s up to you to decide what’s fair or unfair when Rece (Davis) asked that question. I’m gonna answer it. It’s unfair as hell for you,” Saban said.
“To go to the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, get in the Final Four, come out being ranked number one this year — an expectation you created by what you accomplished at Penn State — and for those people not to show enough appreciation and gratitude for all the hard work that you did, I’m saying it’s unfair.”
Saban is right.
Penn State’s decision to fire Franklin was impulsive and lacked the gratitude his tenure deserved.
Winning at the top level isn’t easy. In fact, only three other coaches who have remained at the same school have won more games over the last three seasons than Franklin.
Defensive tackle Zane Durant said after the loss to Northwestern that there was still a lot to play for and that satisfaction could be found even when things didn’t go as planned.
That perspective was missing in Athletic Director Pat Kraft’s decision — he took away the chance for this team to rally and finish together.
Franklin himself acknowledged the pressure that came with the standard he built.
“We created that pressure,” Franklin said, reflecting on his tenure.
“When I took over the program 12 years ago, it was in a very different situation than it is now. The program was in one of the most difficult positions in NCAA history, under some of the harshest sanctions ever, and we got them back to being a consistent contender. That’s something I take great pride in. The expectations — I created them. I take pride in that. Obviously, we have to do a better job tuning out the noise and focusing on being 1-0.”
Building a Top 10 program is never simple.
Franklin was on shaky ground early in the 2016 season after losses to Pitt and Michigan, and many doubted he was the right man for the job.
But Penn State responded with a remarkable run that culminated in the program’s first Big Ten Championship in eight years.
Since 2016, Penn State has won 90 games — eighth-most in the country during that span. While Franklin’s record against Top 10 teams wasn’t where fans hoped, that shortcoming shouldn’t outweigh the remarkable consistency and stability he brought to a program that was once in shambles.
I trust Saban’s judgment.
He understands better than anyone how hard it is to win — not just occasionally, but year after year at an elite level. Many coaches across the nation know that the margin of error between a good team and a championship team is razor-thin.
In big games, a handful of plays often decide the outcome. As offensive lineman Nick Dawkins said this week, the players failed Franklin by not executing when it mattered most. You can blame the coach, but at some point, the players must take ownership.
Meanwhile, Kraft now faces the difficult task of replacing Franklin. Big names are being floated — and getting hefty raises in the process — but there’s no obvious “home run hire” out there.
Kraft may have analyzed the numbers, but he seemingly overlooked Franklin’s grace on GameDay. Franklin didn’t throw anyone under the bus or air grievances; he simply said, “I can’t answer that.”
That composure is part of what will make Franklin missed in State College.
He did, however, offer a glimpse into what’s next:
“Hey, we gotta get back to doing what we do — helping young people achieve their dreams, getting them a great education, and balancing what college football has become: the student-athlete experience and big-time business. There’s a way to do that, and I can’t wait for that next challenge. We’re gonna go win a national championship at the highest level.”
Franklin’s time at Penn State will ultimately be remembered as transformational. He rebuilt the program’s foundation, restored national relevance, and raised expectations to heights unseen in decades.
Now it’s on Kraft to find someone who can take Penn State from a Top-10 program to one of the top seven in college football — a task that’s far easier said than done. In time, perhaps Penn State will realize the true magnitude of what Franklin accomplished — and show him the gratitude he earned.
