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A D M I N I S T R A T I O N Barbour lauds Franklin following contract extension Penn State fans might have been a bit unnerved to hear James Franklin's name come up in connection with the recent coaching vacancy at Florida State and a po- tential vacancy at Southern Cal, but Franklin's boss, ath- letic director Sandy Barbour, took that speculation in stride. "I think it's awe- some," Barbour said. "You always want someone that other people want, be- cause if they don't, you've got a di:er- ent kind of problem. So I think it's fantastic. I love the fact that Penn State has a head coach that other people want." In December, Franklin agreed to a new contract with PSU that extends through the 2025 season. The terms of that ex- tension had not been released as of early January. But Barbour, speaking at a news conference in Dallas on Dec. 27, the day before the Cotton Bowl, said she doesn't expect it to put an end to the rumor- mongering that accompanies the end of every regular season, when the annual wave of Power Five 9rings and hirings begins. "This contract – any contract – is not going to stop that, and I don't really want it to," she said. "I want us to con- tinue to have the kind of success that is going to draw other people to James. He's a Penn Stater, he's our coach and he's going to remain that way." Franklin has talked frequently about the need for Penn State to be competi- tive with its elite rivals in terms of facili- ties and its ability to retain assistant coaching talent. There have been sub- stantial improvements to PSU's football headquarters since he took over the pro- gram in 2014, and the board of trustees recently approved the hiring of an archi- tect to plan another $70 million in up- grades to the Lasch Building and Holuba Hall. The university is working to raise funds to carry out that phase of the ren- ovations. Barbour acknowledged that Franklin BARBOUR | K.J. Hamler made it o;cial on Dec. 31, announcing via Twitter that he would be forgoing his last two seasons of eligibility at Penn State to pursue his NFL aspirations. Hamler, the Nittany Lions' leading receiver during the 2018 and '19 sea- sons, said in a prepared statement an- nouncing his decision that playing in the NFL was "a lifelong dream." "The past 3 years at Penn State have been nothing short of amazing," he wrote. "My time here has been an un- forgettable experience and has pre- pared me for this next chapter in my life. For that, I will forever be grate- ful." Hamler thanked head coach James Franklin "for recruiting and believing in me, and the entire coaching sta: and training sta: for taking care of me. A special thanks to Coach [Gerad] Parker for being more than just a coach. He has become my biggest mentor and father away from home. I am forever grateful for the way you supported me. Thanks to Coach [Ja'Juan] Seider, we share a bond that started way before PSU. I truly appre- ciate you!" Hamler caught at least one pass in each of his 26 games as a Nittany Lion, including two receptions for 46 yards in Penn State's 53-39 Cotton Bowl win over Memphis. In each of his two seasons of action in University Park, Hamler led the Nittany Lions in receptions and re- ceiving yards, reeling in 42 catches for 754 yards and 9ve touchdowns in his 2018 debut, then following it with 56 receptions for 904 yards and eight touchdowns this past season. He added 1,036 yards on kicko: returns and another 222 yards on punt returns the past two seasons. While Hamler's loss was a blow to the o:ense, Penn State got a boost on the other side of the ball when corner- back Tariq Castro-Fields announced on Jan. 1 that he planned to return for his 9nal season. "The NFL has been a dream of mine since I was 5 years old," he wrote. "A

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