Franklin is here to stay!

[pennstatefan111]

Well here are the terms. Actually, there arent any increases that I can see for 10 years - basically $7MM for the next 10 years plus other incentives...and his buyout drops to $2MM in 2024

Penn State Athletics Official Athletics Website

The official sports website for Penn State Athletics. Learn about schedules, rosters, scores, and Penn State Nittany Lion players at gopsusports.com.

gopsusports.com

 

[Psugo823]

Brian Kelly’s record at ND

Franklin’s record at Penn State

And keep in mind, whether you like it or not, he had to rebuild after the team was gutted by sanctions.

That was Bill Obrien.

 

[Lion Lineage]

That was Bill Obrien.

No. O’Brien left during sanctions and left nothing but walk on O linemen. He didn’t rebuild shit. He ran away and flamed out in the NFL.

 

[lazydave841]

That's the issue. We'll play OSU respectable, but we're no threat to supplant them atop the conference.

And until car dealerships start giving our 5* freshmen $70k trucks, we have zero shot at supplanting them. People like to claim that the cheating at certain schools didn't exist like some suspected, but NIL shows the reality.

We have a returning starter signing autographs for $25 bucks at a mall.

OSU has a freshman who has played less than 2 minutes this year signing autographs for $1.3 million.

Our potential NFL bound first round draft pick has a small NIL deal.

OSU has at least 6-8 players with brand new vehicles.

It's not the same. Ryan Day isn't a magical recruiter nor a magnificent play caller. His 3rd string are starters most everywhere else. His starters are NFL bound or they get benched for a younger guy.

Would it be nice to have that success?

Absolutely.

Is it realistic?

Doubtful.

 

[Parkview57]

It's nothing personal. It is just that many believe a better "game day" coach can be had, and it is tough if you consistently lose the games in which talent is pretty equal.

 

[Cowbell Man]

Just mentioned this to a few colleagues at work. One an OSU guy, the other an SEC fan. The reaction from both: great news for OSU.

No doubt Franklin has elevated the program. He's a good man and a good coach. But if last year raised a lot of questions about the program and our ability to challenge OSU, this year answered a great many of them, IMO. 2016-17 was our peak, and it's going to be tough -- but not impossible -- to get back to that. Much less getting to that CFP level.

No guarantee we'd get a replacement better than Franklin anyway, so this might be for the best.

Elevated the program to…..? Hiding in and out of the top 25?

 

[OhioLion]

Huge Joe Paterno fan here, as well as Bill Obrien.

Just a heads up, Joe Paterno passed away 10 years ago and Bill O’Brien had no intentions of ever staying here past a few years.
Comparing coaches to those in the past is not fair to the current coach. And, it leaves you being the miserable people you haters are. I agree with @RGWhirly, go find a new time.

OL

 

[PA college fan]

Congratulations, Coach!!! I have gone up and down about Franklin over past 8 years--but consistent feeling that he is a good guy, cares about players, is loyal to players, doesn't throw any player under the bus, cares about education, cares about the community, and works very hard. He may be among the best recruiters in the country, and this year's class will now stay intact and bring a top 5 class to Happy Valley--no small feat. As much as we harp on close losses and some crazy decisions in those close games, what wins out most of the time are the best recruits and the attitude they bring. I would like to see what a Drew Allar and Nick Singleton and the OLine and Defensive talent can do in the Yurcich/Pry system, assuming they all stay on. I think the next four years are going to be hopeful and we break through to playoff status on a regular basis. Looks like the University is putting resources in place to compete at the highest levels. I hope they have in the clause, no more power moves like past years (not denying yearly speculations instantly and forcefully). We Are....

 

[Cowbell Man]

Well here are the terms. Actually, there arent any increases that I can see for 10 years - basically $7MM for the next 10 years plus other incentives...and his buyout drops to $2MM in 2024

Penn State Athletics Official Athletics Website

The official sports website for Penn State Athletics. Learn about schedules, rosters, scores, and Penn State Nittany Lion players at gopsusports.com.

gopsusports.com

Think again. That buyout if you decide to fire him in 2024 is about $50m. He only leaves if someone else buys him. Sandy and Barron literally handcuffed their successors and delivered a lot of leverage to the coach.

 

[Rjyoung317]

I admittedly have not been happy with Franklin the last two years. My faith in him getting us over the hump has seriously eroded. I still wouldnt fire him but if USC , or whoever, pried him away so be it. I dont get this deal for Penn State. Why are we afraid of losing James Franklin?

I totally diagree with the notion we should take moral victories against Ohio St and excuse losses like Illinois. The only programs over the last twenty years that has shown they keep rolling with HC changes is Ohio St (so dont be so quick to dismiss Day) and LSU to some extent (but they have fired two NC winners) . Everybody else needed the right guy to elevate the program. Why let JF hold us hostage after the last two years? Cant live in your fears.

Since 2015

Team A

57-30
Three conference championship appearnces (0-3). 3-2 bowl record, 2-1 NY6 bowl record


Team B
60-24
One conference championship appearance (1-0). 2-3 bowl record, 2-1 NY6 bowl record

One team has given their head coach multiple raises. One team has fired their head coach twice.

 

[johnmpsu]

Great. I didn't want him to leave but next time he pulls this stunt PSU should tell him he has a contract. I'm sick of this contract game. Stay if you want, leave if you want, just don't pull this stunt any more.

 

[Wallace Breen]

Congratulations, Coach!!! I have gone up and down about Franklin over past 8 years--but consistent feeling that he is a good guy, cares about players, is loyal to players, doesn't throw any player under the bus, cares about education, cares about the community, and works very hard. He may be among the best recruiters in the country...

A lot of truth in here but a lot of false perceptions as well. Good guy? Yes. Loyal to his players? Mostly. He is loyal to his guys but those that saved the program, mostly not. Doesn't throw players under the bus. He has a pretty good track record of doing just that. Among the best recruiters? That is laughable. He is solid to good on his best day but to date, has been unable to get it done. We'll see about next year. We need two years of recruiting and portal work to fill the massive holes in the roster before we have a shot at competing with Ohio State.

 

[Wallace Breen]

Think again. That buyout if you decide to fire him in 2024 is about $50m. He only leaves if someone else buys him. Sandy and Barron literally handcuffed their successors and delivered a lot of leverage to the coach.

They will both be gone by 2024. Franklin didn't ear the previous extension and hasn't earned this one. That is a lot of years and a lot of money for a coach that isn't good enough to get it done.

 

[Wallace Breen]

We need to stop using OSU as a benchmark. They have no peers in the Big 10 and only 2-3 peers nationally. If that's your benchmark you're firing your coaches every season.

With how much Franklin makes, how much his assistants make, how much we are needlessly dumping into facilities, how much more he wants dumped into facilities and his constant excuses for his poor performance, it is entirely fair to compare Penn State to Ohio State.

 

[ryoder1]

He got us through sanctions and back into national relevance. There's really no disputing that. Whatever else he does -- or doesn't do -- here, that will be a huge part of his legacy.

But the question is......has he peaked?

He can't win big games. He recruits well -- but not nearly on par with OSU. We have recurring problems in crucial areas -- most notably the O-line. And we seemingly lose random games to inferior talent each year. I don't see that changing.

Franklin will have us a respectable 9-3 on average. We won't win the marquee games, but we'll win most of the games we should.

If that's good enough for the administration/fans, so be it. That's not my call.

You nailed it. He may hit a 11-1 season one of these decades but on average will settle in at 9-3. Unless things change at PSU that is fine and dandy for the powers that be and Franklin keeps on getting super wealthy. The fans are left wondering every year why we can't realistically compete for a NC at least every 5 years.

 

[NittanyChris]

This notion that we were gonna pluck the next Bear Bryant, Joe Paterno or Nick Saban out of the air and they’d lead us to a national championship is utterly absurd. The classic we want the back-up QB, grass is always greener childish logic.

Franklin is an outstanding recruiter, classy, has a great media presence, does things ethically, goes aggressively after top assistants, works incredibly hard and cares about his kids.

Does he have some flaws? Of course he does, but they are all in areas that are fixable. Bottom line, we’re very lucky to have a person of his caliber leading the program and I’m very glad we locked him up for a long time.

WE ARE!!!

 

[Justin1270]

Fantastic! He’s the best coach Penn state has ever had and by far the best one we could get right now, bright future ahead!

 

[LMTLION]

We need to stop using OSU as a benchmark. They have no peers in the Big 10 and only 2-3 peers nationally. If that's your benchmark you're firing your coaches every season.

And Paterno never met that standard consistently either. Can anyone tell me how long it took Joe to win his first Championship?

 

[IANit]

Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, and Illinois rejoice. Celebrate good times for all of them!

We're beating MSU this week, not sure what they'll have to rejoice over.

 

[Cowbell Man]

And Paterno never met that standard consistently either. Can anyone tell me how long it took Joe to win his first Championship?

Let’s see…his first undefeated season was…..

 

[IANit]

And Paterno never met that standard consistently either. Can anyone tell me how long it took Joe to win his first Championship?

17 years. But he had 3 unbeaten seasons in his first 8 years of coaching.

 

[KidTwist]

Mother F’er how anyone can parlay an 11-9 record over two seasons into an 80 million dollar extension is just freaking beyond me. If he stayed he stayed but that massive extension is just stupid. PSU deserves what it gets…which will be 8-4 seasons.

So true! The stars were aligning perfectly! Dan Mullen was AVAILABLE! A real elite coach! That could have us in the CFP within 4 years! They extend an average coach for 10 years like he is a prize! WAKE UP BOT!!! The conference has Brett Beliema, PJ Fleck and Greg Schiano all are better coaches than Franklin and will be stomping our guts regularly in the future. UNBELIEVABLE!!! I was I could screw up and get a decent bonus let alone a raise at work. YHAY! I love the Tax Slayer and Poulon Weedeater Bowls! Thank god in two years his buyout is only $2M. Hopefully, Peter Tombros will still be around and in good spirits to help us with the buyout!

 

[KidTwist]

Brian Kelly’s record at ND

Franklin’s record at Penn State

And keep in mind, whether you like it or not, he had to rebuild after the team was gutted by sanctions.

He is been here nine years. Plenty of time to rebuild! The problem is we are GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!!! His vaunted recruiting prowess is crap. His last three recruiting classes have been garbage and it is showing on the field now and will for the next two years at least! His QB recruiting has been abysmal (except for finding Will Levis). The OL??? Come on! Even with this supposed great class coming in, he is bringing another bunch of OL slugs except for maybe Shelton. We are going no where with that crew. It is 8-4/7-5 for the rest of his tenure. Is there a more incompetent AD in all of CFB than Martin Short look alike we have???

 

[MacNit07]

By and large that’s what Penn State was with JoePa at the helm. How many times did he lose to OSU and Michigan?

Franklin’s first two years were immediately following the sanctions and last year was last year - look at the train wreck Michigan and Michigan State were last year. This year has been disappointing but had Clifford not been injured we beat Iowa probably by two scores and I doubt there is the let down vs Illinois.

Franklin’s recruiting is once again picking up after two average classes. I just don’t see the doom and gloom that so many see. Franklin has had a lot more success than Harbaugh has had at Michigan, and he didn’t have sanctions to overcome. I think things will pick up again in two years once this latest class has some experience.

That was the tail end of Joe’s career…his record is much much better!

 

[IANit]

Mother F’er how anyone can parlay an 11-9 record over two seasons into an 80 million dollar extension is just freaking beyond me. If he stayed he stayed but that massive extension is just stupid. PSU deserves what it gets…which will be 8-4 seasons.

So true! The stars were aligning perfectly! Dan Mullen was AVAILABLE! A real elite coach! That could have us in the CFP within 4 years! They extend an average coach for 10 years like he is a prize! WAKE UP BOT!!! The conference has Brett Beliema, PJ Fleck and Greg Schiano all are better coaches than Franklin and will be stomping our guts regularly in the future. UNBELIEVABLE!!! I was I could screw up and get a decent bonus let alone a raise at work. YHAY! I love the Tax Slayer and Poulon Weedeater Bowls! Thank god in two years his buyout is only $2M. Hopefully, Peter Tombros will still be around and in good spirits to help us with the buyout!

It's called leverage. Three 11 win seasons in 4 years with some big-time jobs open will do that for you. Last season was pretty much a wash. This season started well, but injuries took their toll. Granted, the optics after the Illinois loss are a bit strange, but I think brighter days are ahead and this will prove to be a good move. It should put the will he or won't he stuff to bed for a while.

 

[LionDeNittany]

It's called leverage. Three 11 win seasons in 4 years with some big-time jobs open will do that for you. Last season was pretty much a wash. This season started well, but injuries took their toll. Granted, the optics after the Illinois loss are a bit strange, but I think brighter days are ahead and this will prove to be a good move. It should put the will he or won't he stuff to bed for a while.

It's never a good move to overpay a coach.

Ever.

LdN

 

[KidTwist]

Yep, I hear the same from my Buckeye friends. Even this year when we had lost momentum going into that game they were still nervous, knowing that Franklin always has the team ready to compete against them.

Come on! He 1-7 against OSU. No one is losing sleep over facing Franklin in the conference!!! We just have to pray VERY HARD that over the next decade, JF will get another blocked punt and miraculously squeak out a victory!

 

[Indian rocks rich]

He got us through sanctions and back into national relevance. There's really no disputing that. Whatever else he does -- or doesn't do -- here, that will be a huge part of his legacy.

But the question is......has he peaked?

He can't win big games. He recruits well -- but not nearly on par with OSU. We have recurring problems in crucial areas -- most notably the O-line. And we seemingly lose random games to inferior talent each year. I don't see that changing.

Franklin will have us a respectable 9-3 on average. We won't win the marquee games, but we'll win most of the games we should.

If that's good enough for the administration/fans, so be it. That's not my call.

Wish fans like you would find another team. Gets old after awhile.

 

[DaytonBuck]

Exactly. Know some very down to earth Buckeyes and they will honestly say, they care about beating Michigan the most, but the B1G game that worries them the most each season is playing us.

I would agree with this. But.....

They also don't think much of Franklin as a game day coach. I realize there is a disconnect there.

 

[LMTLION]

17 years. But he had 3 unbeaten seasons in his first 8 years of coaching.

The standard that many have for Franklin is a National Championship. As good as Joe was in those early years it took Joe 17 years in certainly a much different era, with PSU as an independent in a state just loaded with high school football talent compared to now with no scandal and sanctions to recover from. I loved Paterno and I love Franklin.

 

[tlbakernc]

Brian Kelly’s record at ND

Franklin’s record at Penn State

And keep in mind, whether you like it or not, he had to rebuild after the team was gutted by sanctions.

You forgot to mention ND schedule. They play one of the easiest schedules year in and year out. I’d love to see PSU play a ND schedule. Guaranteed 10 wins every year. You also get to be over ranked by pollsters every years.

 

[CaliLION79]

Sunday Tuesday Column: No Matter Your Feelings on the Coach Sticking Around, A Day of Celebration for Penn State Fans

If you’re a Penn State fan and you love James Franklin, Tuesday was a great day. If you’re a Penn State fan and you’ve had your fill of James Franklin, it was a pretty good day, too. The university announced a handsome contract extension for the Nittany Lions’ eight-year football coach that will...

fortheblogy.com

If you're Pro-Franklin, today was a good day (obviously).

If you're Anti-Franklin today was still a good day because of the commitment the university is making to be at the forefront of college football in terms of facilities, financial investment, support. The stakes have been raised.

 

[Section44]

By and large that’s what Penn State was with JoePa at the helm. How many times did he lose to OSU and Michigan?

Franklin’s first two years were immediately following the sanctions and last year was last year - look at the train wreck Michigan and Michigan State were last year. This year has been disappointing but had Clifford not been injured we beat Iowa probably by two scores and I doubt there is the let down vs Illinois.

Franklin’s recruiting is once again picking up after two average classes. I just don’t see the doom and gloom that so many see. Franklin has had a lot more success than Harbaugh has had at Michigan, and he didn’t have sanctions to overcome. I think things will pick up again in two years once this latest class has some experience.

Has he had a lot more success than harbaugh? harbaugh has one less win and has coached a year less. You can also throw out 2020 for both

 

[HartfordLlion]

O’Brien? The guy who recruited no offensive linemen and bailed on the program because he couldn’t stand the JoePa loyalists? Alrighty then.

Yep, the same guy who was told the sanctions on the FB program would be minor before ge signed his contract.

 

[HartfordLlion]

No. O’Brien left during sanctions and left nothing but walk on O linemen. He didn’t rebuild shit. He ran away and flamed out in the NFL.

O'Brien was the person who got the sanctions dropped. CJF was given a chance to interview before BOB was hired but passed. He didn't show interest in the job until he knew the sanctions were over.

 

[Cosmos]

Mother F’er how anyone can parlay an 11-9 record over two seasons into an 80 million dollar extension is just freaking beyond me. If he stayed he stayed but that massive extension is just stupid. PSU deserves what it gets…which will be 8-4 seasons.

Only at Penn State. That's how.

Penn State football as you know it is over with.

 

[Cosmos]

Your OSU colleague is a bit misguided considering Franklin's PSU teams have tested the Buckeyes better than anyone else in the conference.

So much for the participation trophy. Keep it coming. OSU likes it!

 

[Psugo823]

Only at Penn State. That's how.

Penn State football as you know it is over with.

Actually we have known it for 8 straight years. A great recruiter who can't actually coach, runs the same team on the field every season with talent nearly everywhere on the field, except for an atrocious soft offensive line, and craps the bed in big games while blowing another 2 or 3 games per season because he can't coach his way out of a wet paper bag, and finishes with an average record of 8-4 or 7-5.

 

[RGWhirly]

The tears of the haters are delicious.

 

[Cowbell Man]

Sunday Tuesday Column: No Matter Your Feelings on the Coach Sticking Around, A Day of Celebration for Penn State Fans

If you’re a Penn State fan and you love James Franklin, Tuesday was a great day. If you’re a Penn State fan and you’ve had your fill of James Franklin, it was a pretty good day, too. The university announced a handsome contract extension for the Nittany Lions’ eight-year football coach that will...

fortheblogy.com

If you're Pro-Franklin, today was a good day (obviously).

If you're Anti-Franklin today was still a good day because of the commitment the university is making to be at the forefront of college football in terms of facilities, financial investment, support. The stakes have been raised.

This doesn’t make sense. The first part is true, obviously.
But if you ate Anti then the terms of the agreement say you guaranteed CJF $80m and about 8 more years of coaching. This person presumes he won’t get any better and since he can’t be fired until about year 8 and even then for $24M or 16M depending upon exactly when, you are stuck with him.
In addition since you think he won’t be better, no one is coming for him….which is the only way he leaves.
This persons best hope is that they are wrong and CJF will lead this team to consistent time in the top 10, and contend for the national championship.

Here’s to being wrong.