Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1490816
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M J ames Franklin doesn't doubt the plan or vision he has for Penn State football. He had a framework from which he wanted to grow the program, and over the past nine years, he has been able to implement it. Those characteristics, the ones he intended to sustain and build at PSU, are strong right now, as evidenced by the Nittany Lions' 35-21 victory over Utah in the Rose Bowl. The win over the Utes felt especially gratifying after two consecutive ho- hum seasons in which PSU combined to go 11-11. Even before this year's No. 7 finish in the Associated Press and coaches' polls, however, Franklin was signaling his confidence in the pro- gram's status. "You look at our staff and what we've been able to do over the past 12 years, and we've been pretty consis- tent," he said on Dec. 16. "The past two years are not indicative of who we've been over the long term." In recent months, Franklin has often used the words "who we've been" to quickly remind people of Penn State's strengths. It's a multifaceted point, touching on the program's historical identity, as well as the culture that has been developed under his leadership. When thinking of PSU football, con- sistency, strong character, work ethic, and doing things "the right way" are prioritized. The Lions have now won 31 bowl games in their history, fourth- most among FBS teams, and are among the nation's most recognizable brands. The second point is specific to the nine seasons that have now been com- pleted under Franklin. He started out with two 7-6 campaigns in which the team was still hampered by NCAA sanctions but has since followed with four 11-win seasons in a seven-year span. There have been four New Year's Six bowl appearances in that stretch and four top-10 finishes. Against that backdrop, the 2020 and '21 seasons look increasingly like outli- ers. PSU finished 4-5 after an 0-4 start in the former, and 7-6 after a 5-0 start in the latter. Players knew that stretch wasn't good enough, but they never lost faith that they would be able to turn it around. "When things weren't good, we weren't just like, 'Well, this is how it's going to be.' No one was willing to accept our situation or our circum- stances," third-year sophomore tight end Theo Johnson said. "We know that we had more in store than what was go- ing on. We trusted Coach Franklin, and we trusted the coaches, and we trusted the process, and ultimately ended up having the season that we did this year." Franklin calls them core values — positive attitude, great work ethic, a desire to compete, and a willingness to sacrifice — but the premise is straight from a team-building, organizational management playbook. The central tenet is consistency. Create the culture, meticulously tend to it to ensure its strength, and then reap the rewards "Everybody wants to talk about prob- lems, but nobody wants to come up with solutions," senior defensive tackle PJ Mustipher said. "He's a guy who's all about solutions. He's all about getting back to work, and I think that's the big- gest solution you can have when you're facing adversity. "Eventually, the storm is going to end, especially if you keep working. I think that's big for him, and we just follow that. He sets the blueprint each and every day with his energy, his de- meanor, everything he says, everything he does. We're just able to follow that, and it shows up on the field, because when stuff goes left, we make it right, right away." Penn State's downturn in 2020 and '21 could have been difficult to recover from had it continued for another season, but this year's group of Nittany Lions up- ended the narrative. With optimism abounding, Franklin's formula remains intact. The Lions are enjoying the dividends of their process and are eager to continue investing in it. "Coach Franklin, his message, and how he's coached us has never wavered," Johnson said. "When you have a leader like that, it trickles down to the rest of the people, the rest of the position coaches, and the leadership. I think that him being a consistent coach and his consistent message has helped us to stay firm with our mindset." ■ James Franklin has guided Penn State to a 78-36 record during his nine seasons at the school. Included in those totals are three wins in four New Year's Six bowl appearances. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER O P I N I O N NATE BAUER NATE.BAUER@ON3.COM HOT READ Franklin's Consistent Message Finds A Receptive Audience