More Franklin to USC conjecture (link)

[psuro]

Fresh coaching carousel update from TrojansWire/USA Today…


Why is Franklin back at No. 1, after being No. 2 in previous weeks?

The answer is simple: Industry chatter is pointing to him more than Luke Fickell:



John Canzano of The Oregonian has been talking to people in the industry, and those sources are saying Franklin will likely be USC’s next head coach.

Let’s be clear: This is not a DONE DEAL. Don’t assume this will be the outcome. Think of this as a “this is where the winds are blowing at the moment” situation. The winds can change. They often do.

The breeze which might change Franklin’s mind is the LSU opening. Could he choose LSU over USC? It wouldn’t be preposterous at all. Franklin coached in the SEC at Vanderbilt. He knows how good the conference is and how much of a recruiting advantage he would have in Louisiana. We don’t know if Franklin clearly likes USC more than LSU. He might, but we don’t know, and we’re not going to pretend we know. We’ll wait for something more solid.

USC head coach candidate power rankings after Week 7

Industry chatter behind the scenes has created a change at the top of the #USC board, though the #LSU job opening is a fresh plot twist with uncertain ramifications.

trojanswire.usatoday.com

In a related story, he just might stay at PSU.

 

[BobPSU92]

Let's look at the most dangerous universities in America (from 2016). On this list is University of Maine, University of Alabama, UC Berkeley, and UC Santa Barbara. Not on the list is USC (or Penn State).

Ivory Tower Incidents: America’s Most Dangerous Universities (2018)

DISCLAIMER: This study uses data from the FBI's 2016 Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) college and university dataset. The FBI discourages…

insurify.com

bama? tuscaloosa isn’t a major city, so I wouldn’t have expected bama to be so high on the list.

I guess alabamy’s going to alabamy.

 

[BobPSU92]

Fresh coaching carousel update from TrojansWire/USA Today…


Why is Franklin back at No. 1, after being No. 2 in previous weeks?

The answer is simple: Industry chatter is pointing to him more than Luke Fickell:



John Canzano of The Oregonian has been talking to people in the industry, and those sources are saying Franklin will likely be USC’s next head coach.

Let’s be clear: This is not a DONE DEAL. Don’t assume this will be the outcome. Think of this as a “this is where the winds are blowing at the moment” situation. The winds can change. They often do.

The breeze which might change Franklin’s mind is the LSU opening. Could he choose LSU over USC? It wouldn’t be preposterous at all. Franklin coached in the SEC at Vanderbilt. He knows how good the conference is and how much of a recruiting advantage he would have in Louisiana. We don’t know if Franklin clearly likes USC more than LSU. He might, but we don’t know, and we’re not going to pretend we know. We’ll wait for something more solid.

USC head coach candidate power rankings after Week 7

Industry chatter behind the scenes has created a change at the top of the #USC board, though the #LSU job opening is a fresh plot twist with uncertain ramifications.

trojanswire.usatoday.com

Reading that, it’s a forgone conclusion that Franklin is headed to usc or lsu.

We’re screwed. 😞

 

[BobPSU92]

In a related story, he just might stay at PSU.

Yeah, but they have pac-12 POWER. RANKINGS. . Weekly.

 

[PSUFBFAN]

Fresh coaching carousel update from TrojansWire/USA Today…


Why is Franklin back at No. 1, after being No. 2 in previous weeks?

The answer is simple: Industry chatter is pointing to him more than Luke Fickell:



John Canzano of The Oregonian has been talking to people in the industry, and those sources are saying Franklin will likely be USC’s next head coach.

Let’s be clear: This is not a DONE DEAL. Don’t assume this will be the outcome. Think of this as a “this is where the winds are blowing at the moment” situation. The winds can change. They often do.

The breeze which might change Franklin’s mind is the LSU opening. Could he choose LSU over USC? It wouldn’t be preposterous at all. Franklin coached in the SEC at Vanderbilt. He knows how good the conference is and how much of a recruiting advantage he would have in Louisiana. We don’t know if Franklin clearly likes USC more than LSU. He might, but we don’t know, and we’re not going to pretend we know. We’ll wait for something more solid.

USC head coach candidate power rankings after Week 7

Industry chatter behind the scenes has created a change at the top of the #USC board, though the #LSU job opening is a fresh plot twist with uncertain ramifications.

trojanswire.usatoday.com

Good grief ... could this guy be any more wrong with his statements in the following paragraph???

"However, Franklin’s Nittany Lions are 5-1 and entrenched in the top 10 with their sights set on a Big Ten championship, which became even more obtainable with Iowa losing to Purdue a week after the Hawkeyes topped Penn State to throw it out of the College Football Playoff picture."

About the only thing he got right was our record.

 

[ram2020]

I know it's a way different world now, but all of this makes me appreciate even more what we had with Joe Paterno. He wasn't motivated much by status or money, and he had a love for the University. Too bad in the end, that University didn't reciprocate such loyalty.

Don't fool yourself, I loved Joe, but he was certainly appreciate of his status and wasn't exactly volunteering at Penn State considering his salary(yes less than others, but ROBUST by any means).

 

[danvillenit]

Don't fool yourself, I loved Joe, but he was certainly appreciate of his status and wasn't exactly volunteering at Penn State considering his salary(yes less than others, but ROBUST by any means).

He certainly deserves credit for donating millions to the library but that money came from somewhere. His compensation wasn’t all salary

 

[Obliviax]

Don't fool yourself, I loved Joe, but he was certainly appreciate of his status and wasn't exactly volunteering at Penn State considering his salary(yes less than others, but ROBUST by any means).

that isn't true. Joe took a massively lower salary than contemporary HCs. In fact, he coached without a contract for most of his career. His employment was on a handshake.

 

[ram2020]

that isn't true. Joe took a massively lower salary than contemporary HCs. In fact, he coached without a contract for most of his career. His employment was on a handshake.

What isn't true specifically? That he did not enjoy his status around campus or nationally(you would have to have some hubris to be in that role). That he was paid handsomely, enough to live live in the very top % of earners in the world? I admitted he did more and took less than other coaches, but he took a $13.4M pension when he was let go. I understand we all want to deify the man, few more than me, but he made an awful lot of money and enjoyed a ton of status as a football coach.

 

[Obliviax]

What isn't true specifically? That he did not enjoy his status around campus or nationally(you would have to have some hubris to be in that role). That he was paid handsomely, enough to live live in the very top % of earners in the world? I admitted he did more and took less than other coaches, but he took a $13.4M pension when he was let go. I understand we all want to deify the man, few more than me, but he made an awful lot of money and enjoyed a ton of status as a football coach.

I know of not a single college coach, maybe the exception is NW's coach, taking substantially less than market price. as much as I like CJF, he is going to exploit the openings at USC and LSU for more money this year.

Yeah, Joe made good money but a heck of a lot less than he could have here or someplace else. the pension money issue is largely the result of the BOT stabbing him squarely in the back.

 

[ram2020]

I know of not a single college coach, maybe the exception is NW's coach, taking substantially less than market price. as much as I like CJF, he is going to exploit the openings at USC and LSU for more money this year.

Yeah, Joe made good money but a heck of a lot less than he could have here or someplace else. the pension money issue is largely the result of the BOT stabbing him squarely in the back.

Okay, fair enough and I'll yield to keep this thread on track. Franklin certainly should try to get market value.

 

[Obliviax]

Okay, fair enough and I'll yield to keep this thread on track. Franklin certainly should try to get market value.

Agreed. College football has changed. Joe was more about teaching and the "student" part of student-athlete. Today, the major college programs are driving by the big money of the game and nothing less. CJF has been threading that needle, with great success, IMHO. But in the end, he is an employee and should get as much as he can.

 

[ram2020]

Agreed. College football has changed. Joe was more about teaching and the "student" part of student-athlete. Today, the major college programs are driving by the big money of the game and nothing less. CJF has been threading that needle, with great success, IMHO. But in the end, he is an employee and should get as much as he can.

Yeah and look, it's a 2 way street. National championship winning coaches get fired with impunity 2 or 3 years after winning the big one. Joe was "allowed" to be above average, nothing more, for the last 20 years of his career. He basically had tenure at the school making somewhere in the neighborhood of $1M a year(considering endorsements). It may have been based more on shrewdness than loyalty, probably a bit of both.

 

[Texas Lion]

First of all the only way this goes away is if Franklin publicly stated he’s not interested…hasn’t happened. So then people will say it’s for contract leverage. I get that but how many times has he been through this with the university? Let’s not forget the low buyout he has in his contract.

I could understand the leverage route if he had multiple B1G titles and a better record on the road against ranked teams. You earn leverage through performance right? So you give him another raise and then another job opens up…do you go through it again?

He’s a fantastic motivator, great recruiter and a family man. But he needs to make his decision and stick to it and end the games in my opinion. That’s my take anyway…

I've said this a million times......i get the whole leverage and get what you need but eventually it gets old. Eventually you get what you can get because you win at a huge level, not because you threaten to leave.

Watch when Jimbo Fisher is asked about LSU......

 

[Obliviax]

Yeah and look, it's a 2 way street. National championship winning coaches get fired with impunity 2 or 3 years after winning the big one. Joe was "allowed" to be above average, nothing more, for the last 20 years of his career. He basically had tenure at the school making somewhere in the neighborhood of $1M a year(considering endorsements). It may have been based more on shrewdness than loyalty, probably a bit of both.

Again, I don't agree if you talking the last 20 years of his tenure. He had one of the best teams of all time in the early 90s. He also had a great team in 1999. What hurt him was the change. The B1G screwed PSU and it really hurt recruiting because PSU was not in the B1G recruiting area. Joe was also slow to change away from regional recruiting and go national. Lastly, he resisted the move toward football becoming an Football factory meat market. So while the program did deteriorate, one has to keep perspective that the program was staying aligned with the vision to build men first, not football factories. PSU, and Joe, lost that war.

 

[dbonsick]

I've said this a million times......i get the whole leverage and get what you need but eventually it gets old. Eventually you get what you can get because you win at a huge level, not because you threaten to leave.

Watch when Jimbo Fisher is asked about LSU......

And do you know who is still being prominently mentioned by the talking heads for the LSU job? Yes, Jimbo Fisher. As Franklin said about the USC speculation, regardless is what he says, it isn’t going to stop the rumors from flying and the pundits from opining.

 

[RGWhirly]

I've said this a million times......i get the whole leverage and get what you need but eventually it gets old. Eventually you get what you can get because you win at a huge level, not because you threaten to leave.

Watch when Jimbo Fisher is asked about LSU......

Jimbo has pretty much gotten everything he has wanted at A&M, plus their facilities are top notch. He doesn’t need to play the game to leverage needed asks, as there aren’t many asks to still be had.

So, apples and oranges.

 

[Texas Lion]

To both of you, all I said was his non answer gets old and that I liked what Jimbo said.

 

[PSU2UNC]

But, in LA, the access to a certain quality of life (concerts, theater, business opportunities, NIL, real estate investment, arts and entertainment, etc.) is unmatched for a college football coach.

If you already have "F U" money (which is basically what you say Franklin has, and I don't disagree) why would you care about business opportunities or real estate investment??

For most of the year coaches are coaching. If you saw the 24-7 HBO episode on PSU you got some sense for what his schedule is like for 5 months out of the year. Not a lot of free time to go to movie premieres.

They already own a vacation home in Florida (and I think somewhere else...CO maybe??). If they really wanted to spend time in CA, they'd have a home there too.

 

[PSU2UNC]

I heard on the radio (Full Ride with Childers/Neuheisel) that Childers' view was Franklin should consider LSU over USC and noted state taxes.

Taxes kind of matter. IOW, if his agent is any good he will factor state taxes (and cost of living) into his negotiations. In other words, in order to be competitive from a $$ perspective, they would have to adjust CJF's current salary for COLA, then bump it up more for a huge tax bump, then increase it above what he's currently making now. That, plus the buy out, will be a lot of money, even for USC.

 

[PSU2UNC]

Fresh coaching carousel update from TrojansWire/USA Today…


Why is Franklin back at No. 1, after being No. 2 in previous weeks?

The answer is simple: Industry chatter is pointing to him more than Luke Fickell:



John Canzano of The Oregonian has been talking to people in the industry, and those sources are saying Franklin will likely be USC’s next head coach.

Let’s be clear: This is not a DONE DEAL. Don’t assume this will be the outcome. Think of this as a “this is where the winds are blowing at the moment” situation. The winds can change. They often do.

The breeze which might change Franklin’s mind is the LSU opening. Could he choose LSU over USC? It wouldn’t be preposterous at all. Franklin coached in the SEC at Vanderbilt. He knows how good the conference is and how much of a recruiting advantage he would have in Louisiana. We don’t know if Franklin clearly likes USC more than LSU. He might, but we don’t know, and we’re not going to pretend we know. We’ll wait for something more solid.

USC head coach candidate power rankings after Week 7

Industry chatter behind the scenes has created a change at the top of the #USC board, though the #LSU job opening is a fresh plot twist with uncertain ramifications.

trojanswire.usatoday.com

Not shooting the messenger here (thanks for sharing article) but how would a PAC12 insider have any idea if Franklin is even interested??

It seems to presuppose that he would take either job if offered. I don't think that is the case.

So USC and/or LSU may have Franklin at the top of their wish lists, but that matters not at all if the interest isn't mutual.

 

[Midnighter2]

If you already have "F U" money (which is basically what you say Franklin has, and I don't disagree) why would you care about business opportunities or real estate investment??

For most of the year coaches are coaching. If you saw the 24-7 HBO episode on PSU you got some sense for what his schedule is like for 5 months out of the year. Not a lot of free time to go to movie premieres.

They already own a vacation home in Florida (and I think somewhere else...CO maybe??). If they really wanted to spend time in CA, they'd have a home there too.

How many rich people do you know who aren't looking to make more money? It's why Bernie Madoff went to jail - most rich folks aren't content with what they have (which is part of the reason they're rich in the first place). This is legacy money. Still, easier to get to Florida than California, and maybe they haven't been there much? Dunno. Guess we'll see.

 

[LaJollaLion]

If you already have "F U" money (which is basically what you say Franklin has, and I don't disagree) why would you care about business opportunities or real estate investment??

For most of the year coaches are coaching. If you saw the 24-7 HBO episode on PSU you got some sense for what his schedule is like for 5 months out of the year. Not a lot of free time to go to movie premieres.

They already own a vacation home in Florida (and I think somewhere else...CO maybe??). If they really wanted to spend time in CA, they'd have a home there too.

That top statement isn't very accurate when it comes to successful people.

 

[PSU2UNC]

How many rich people do you know who aren't looking to make more money? It's why Bernie Madoff went to jail - most rich folks aren't content with what they have (which is part of the reason they're rich in the first place). This is legacy money. Still, easier to get to Florida than California, and maybe they haven't been there much? Dunno. Guess we'll see.

Great that you lump CJF in with Madoff. I think coach is a little smarter and a little less greedy than that.

 

[PSU2UNC]

That top statement isn't very accurate when it comes to successful people.

I disagree. Wealthy people invest money but they do it in diversified ways, NOT by opening a restaurant (hello, Urban Meyer) or buying up individual pieces of real estate. Well, the smart ones diversify anyway...

 

[Midnighter2]

Great that you lump CJF in with Madoff. I think coach is a little smarter and a little less greedy than that.

Swing and a miss. I'm talking about all the rich people who were duped by him and the promise of easy money. My point is people who are wealthy don't stop accumulating wealth or making investments; there isn't a magic number where they go, 'You know, I'm good.' I'm not saying it's a big or even small reason to consider USC, but if you're gonna invest in property, few places as nice/smart as Southern California.

 

[TheWizardofCamelot]

In the past couple of days I've changed my thoughts on Franklin leaving - never thought he'd take USC, but was a bit worried about LSU. At this point, I wouldn't doubt Franklin would talk to LSU but I can't see him leaving until he rides out Yurcich + Allar and the rest of '22.

All this media attention will likely pump some extra cash into the football program to get the facilities upgrades moving quicker and keep Yurcich around another 1-3 years. It just feels like we're so close to getting over that hump, and Franklin wants to see if PSU is still a place that can do it.

Now if there were ever turnover at Bama, UGA, Florida, Clemson - I could totally see going back down south as being an attractive destination for Franklin. I think Franklin would even go to LSU but Saban would need to have retired.

 

[RGWhirly]

To both of you, all I said was his non answer gets old and that I liked what Jimbo said.

Understand that. Still different scenarios though. Doubt Jimbo would give that answer if he was our coach, even if he never planned on going anywhere.

A&M has Cosmopolitan level stuff. Penn State is working with Caesars level stuff, but headed in right direction.

 

[LaJollaLion]

I disagree. Wealthy people invest money but they do it in diversified ways, NOT by opening a restaurant (hello, Urban Meyer) or buying up individual pieces of real estate. Well, the smart ones diversify anyway...

Your whole reasons for him not going on your own....not anyone elses. Money isn't a factor here, fans saying it is or isn't doesn't make it so. People go down these made up rabbit holes and now were talking about his financial portfolio. NIL money in LA could be a factor...maybe it's not....we don't know. There is a good opportunity here or there, but if he wanted to shut this down he could have.

 

[PSU2UNC]

Swing and a miss. I'm talking about all the rich people who were duped by him and the promise of easy money. My point is people who are wealthy don't stop accumulating wealth or making investments; there isn't a magic number where they go, 'You know, I'm good.' I'm not saying it's a big or even small reason to consider USC, but if you're gonna invest in property, few places as nice/smart as Southern California.

Sorry, I misunderstood. And yes, as I said above, rich people invest too. But the smart ones are buying individual properties (and even if they were, they don't have to live in the state as the properties to do so).

 

[PSU2UNC]

Your whole reasons for him not going on your own....not anyone elses. Money isn't a factor here, fans saying it is or isn't doesn't make it so. People go down these made up rabbit holes and now were talking about his financial portfolio. NIL money in LA could be a factor...maybe it's not....we don't know. There is a good opportunity here or there, but if he wanted to shut this down he could have.

It is true that no one knows who CJF is thinking. Maybe he hates State College (but probably not).

He has a top five recruiting class coming in next year including the #1 QB and the #1 RB. He's much closer to the playoff at PSU than he would be at either LSU or USC. Professionally, I have no idea what he would do it.

There may be personal reasons for him wanting to move, but I can think of two personal reasons he probably doesn't: both of his daughters are at an age where they probably don't want to change schools and move 1000s of miles away from their friends.

 

[TheWizardofCamelot]

Does Franklin want to shut it down though? Or do the fans want him to?

If anything, this annual media blitz of "Franklin is leaving for XYZ" has been a major leveraging tool for CJF. He got a facilities upgrade approved, higher assistant salaries, landed MY - which effectively landed the #1 QB prospect in Allar, etc.

To be honest, it used to agitate me that it was happening every year - now I'm starting to think he should keep it up. Feels like we're going somewhere here.

 

[doctornick]

Does Franklin want to shut it down though? Or do the fans want him to?

If anything, this annual media blitz of "Franklin is leaving for XYZ" has been a major leveraging tool for CJF. He got a facilities upgrade approved, higher assistant salaries, landed MY - which effectively landed the #1 QB prospect in Allar, etc.

To be honest, it used to agitate me that it was happening every year - now I'm starting to think he should keep it up. Feels like we're going somewhere here.

I think it’s also part of his “brand” that he sells recruits too. Being mentioned all the times for openings might tend to build up his rep among potential recruits

 

[LaJollaLion]

It is true that no one knows who CJF is thinking. Maybe he hates State College (but probably not).

He has a top five recruiting class coming in next year including the #1 QB and the #1 RB. He's much closer to the playoff at PSU than he would be at either LSU or USC. Professionally, I have no idea what he would do it.

There may be personal reasons for him wanting to move, but I can think of two personal reasons he probably doesn't: both of his daughters are at an age where they probably don't want to change schools and move 1000s of miles away from their friends.

All of that said....he hasn't even come close to shutting any of this down. Our starting QB and WR are signing autographs for $40 each....OSU's HS QB just signed a million dollar deal. There are some reasons that PSU faithful are afraid to admit or see. It doesn't mean he will go, but NIL money in LA versus central PA? Again I don't want him to go, but Jimbo came out with an emphatic shut down of the LSU job. James = no comment...leverage or not, it loses it's luster when you play the same card every year.

 

[Op2]

I don't think PSU fans should sweat whether CJF may leave. PSU is a great place to be a coach and the fans should just focus on keeping it that way and not worry about the potential whims of any given coach. If CJF leaves PSU then there will be great coaches lining up to take his place. It makes us look needy to worry about it so much. PSU is way more than any one person.

 

[nits74]

Agreed. College football has changed. Joe was more about teaching and the "student" part of student-athlete. Today, the major college programs are driving by the big money of the game and nothing less. CJF has been threading that needle, with great success, IMHO. But in the end, he is an employee and should get as much as he can.

Yes he should. And as Penn State has proven, given the right set of circumstances, they'd turn on him in a New York minute. My post was not directed at Franklin, it was more just a yearning for a bygone era in college football.

 

[Texas Lion]

Might have been mentioned, sorry if so, but would Franklin leave when he has the top rb and qb in the nation coming in?

 

[Midnighter2]

Might have been mentioned, sorry if so, but would Franklin leave when he has the top rb and qb in the nation coming in?

Unlikely IMO.

 

[PSUFBFAN]

Might have been mentioned, sorry if so, but would Franklin leave when he has the top rb and qb in the nation coming in?

Plus, he has the strongest staff in place since he started here. If he were to leave, not all those guys are going to want to move themselves and their families to LA or LA! Franklin knows he is within a year or two of putting together the best program he has had here at PSU from top to bottom. He's going to leverage these other openings to continue to get everything he wants to put together a legitimate CFP team here at PSU. IMHO, he's not going to walk away from everything he's built at PSU at this time. Plus, his girls have just entered their teenage years. They are immersed in State College PA and Penn State. I don't think Franklin wants to jeopardize that situation.

 

[Op2]

Plus, he has the strongest staff in place since he started here. If he were to leave, not all those guys are going to want to move themselves and their families to LA or LA! Franklin knows he is within a year or two of putting together the best program he has had here at PSU from top to bottom. He's going to leverage these other openings to continue to get everything he wants to put together a legitimate CFP team here at PSU. IMHO, he's not going to walk away from everything he's built at PSU at this time. Plus, his girls have just entered their teenage years. They are immersed in State College PA and Penn State. I don't think Franklin wants to jeopardize that situation.

I hadn't thought of the kid angle, but I'd rather have my kids grow up in State College, or any of about 100 other decent college towns, than LA.