Penn State Sports Magazine
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6 6 A P R I L 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M J ames Franklin has talked often about needing every part of Penn State University, from the administrators in Old Main to the students who purchase tickets to the rest of a raucous fan base, to buy in and pour energy into the program every hour of every day. A 10-year contract worth $70 million in guaranteed money plus additional incentives was one step in that direction. The deal, which was announced in November, was not about Franklin simply getting more money on top of the large amount of cash he's already earned as leader of the Nittany Lions. It was also designed to guarantee that funds would be available to help Penn State compete in any way imaginable. Some of the new spending is read- ily apparent. If you pull up the Penn State athletics staff directory website and scroll to the football section, you'll find what is believed to be the biggest football staff in program history. There are 32 off-field staffers on the list in ad- dition to the 10 on-field coaches and Franklin himself. Rashad Elby and Rashad Rich are two new faces in the recruiting department. As for analysts, Dan Connor, Rick Lys- ter, Gabe Infante, Frank Leonard, Dan Ricco, Charles Walker and Rod Smith are all fresh eyes in that realm. They join Larry Lewis and Will Reimann, who return. Penn State football also has job post- ings open for the roles of recruiting co- ordinator for operations and visits, and another recruiting department role. Simply put, Franklin has pushed for more bodies to be added, and that is now happening. "Obviously, my new contract was a big part of that," Franklin said in mid-March. "Typically these are not long-term posi- tions. They're either young guys who are transitioning from being a [graduate as- sistant] to a full-time coach. Or, they're coaches with tremendous experience that may be out of work that you're able to bring in for a year. It keeps them in- volved in the game and allows us to gain some experience and some perspective. "It's about manpower in recruiting. It's about manpower in terms of break- ing down film, and when we're watching tape, that we have enough perspectives in the room, enough experience in the room. "And then, obviously, it helps in terms of manpower when it comes to game-planning and those types of things. There's tremendous value in it. I'm pleased with the strides that we've made." Then there is the multimillion-dollar Lasch Building renovation project. It will expand the weight room, among other things, and is expected to be completed this summer before the start of fall camp. Other examples of more funds and resources being available might not be as easily recognizable. The program now has a black SUV with Penn State logos emblazoned on it to shuttle recruits around campus, in addition to a sprinter bus and a modified golf cart. Current staffers have also added titles. Ja'Juan Seider is now the co-offensive coordinator and John Scott Jr. is the run game coordinator. Both were surely pursued by other programs earlier this offseason. Those titles helped retain them. It's clear why Franklin wanted all of these things and more. Other big-ticket items include potential renovations of Beaver Stadium and Holuba Hall, and more work inside of Lasch. Then there is the ever-impor- tant name, image and likeness component. Penn State has slid existing staffer Dann Kabala into a role that focuses primarily on that. The move reflects a belief that NIL is going to become a driving force in recruiting, especially when it comes to the transfer portal. A new collective is coming, as well, which will help players find and maximize NIL opportunities. Penn State must be willing to spend money in that area. It certainly is part of the list of things Franklin was promised when he signed the new deal. Ultimately, many fans might look at the new spending as excessive. But it's just another way Penn State can win more games, which is what Nittany Li- ons fans want in the long run. Franklin is the one driving for a bigger budget to spend. Now, it's up to him to match that investment with the team's record on the field. "When you don't have success, there's carryover from those things as well," Franklin said. "We're making sure that we're identifying the things that were so successful for us for a very, very long period of time, and making sure that we're holding that standard and people accountable to that standard as well. "And that's not only the coaches. That's also the players; that's the strength and conditioning staff. All those little wins add up. All those losses add up as well." Penn State has committed to Franklin and delivered on some of its promises. Now, he'll need to deliver the wins that the program's supporters want to see. ■ O P I N I O N GREG PICKEL gpic92@gmail.com Penn State Is Seeking A Return On Its Investment THE LAST WORD Penn State's football locker room was remodeled in 2016, part of an ongoing series of renovation projects at the Lasch Building. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS