Not long after ESPN’s Pete Thamel announced the news that Penn State had fired James Franklin, the university confirmed the decision and named its interim coach.
“Penn State owes an enormous amount of gratitude to Coach Franklin, who rebuilt our football program into a national power,” AD Pat Kraft said in the statement. “He won a Big Ten Championship, led us to seven New Year’s Six bowl games and a College Football Playoff appearance last year. However, we hold our athletics programs to the highest of standards, and we believe this is the right moment for new leadership at the helm of our football program to advance us toward Big Ten and national championships.”
President Neelie Bendapudi also weighed in.
“I am grateful for all that Coach Franklin has done for Penn State football and the University over the past 11-plus years,” she said. We thank him for his dedication, and we extend our best wishes to him and his family as they move forward into their next chapter,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “Our commitment to excellence extends across every facet of our institution, including athletics, and I am looking forward with great anticipation to this exciting new chapter for the Nittany Lions as we continue to build on that standard.”
Through all this craziness, Penn State has to play half of its regular season and needs somebody to lead it through that.
Former associate head coach Terry Smith will be that guy.
Smith, who is also Penn State’s cornerbacks coach and defensive recruiting coordinator, had been on Franklin’s staff for all 11.5 seasons.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.A native of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, Smith played at Penn State from 1987-91 and is No. 16 on the school’s all-time receiving list.
After his football career ended, Smith started coaching and made a name for himself at Gateway High School in the Pittsburgh Area, where he led his team to four district championship games.
After 10 seasons at Gateway, Smith joined Temple’s staff ahead of the 2013 season, coaching the receivers.
When Franklin came to Penn State, he brought Smith with him.
Nittany Sports Now will have more information on this developing situation when it becomes available.
