Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
1 1 4 A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M J ames Franklin stepped off a plane at the University Park Airport in January 2014 holding an umbrella to shield him and his family from the raindrops that were pelting central Pennsylvania. In a few hours, Franklin was to be of- ficially introduced as Penn State's 16th head football coach. While there was excitement throughout the PSU com- munity about the arrival of a rising star, the cloudy weather provided a fitting backdrop for his arrival. The Nittany Lions, after all, were still dealing with the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky scandal, which included scholarship cuts, an unbalanced roster and a bowl ban. In the years since Franklin's arrival, the gloom has abated. With the 2023 season approaching, the skies appear sunny and bright. A Pennsylvania native who proudly put his Keystone State roots on display before presiding over his first spring practice session, Franklin has engrained himself in the State College community and within the fervent Nittany Nation. He's now the 10th-longest-tenured head coach in the FBS. Ten years may not seem like a long time to hold a job, but longevity is not a hallmark of Franklin's chosen profession. It's a point of pride for the Lions' leader, especially considering that PSU has had three presidents and three ath- letics directors during his tenure. "In my first nine years in coaching, I think I lived in nine different states or countries," Franklin told BWI recently. "To be somewhere for 10 years, and with the possibility of another 10, is very unusual. And it's something that I do take great pride in. "It's been awesome. It's been chal- lenging. It's been frustrating at times. But that's also why I'm so proud of it, because I know how much we've invested and fought and scraped and battled to get where we are." The wins, on and off the field, have piled up. Franklin has led the Lions to 78 victories in 114 games, including three New Year's Six bowl wins. Penn State has recruited at a high level dur- ing that span. Internally, he's made considerable headway in his push for improved facilities, a bigger support staff, a better training and nutrition setup, and increased funding for name, image and likeness initiatives. There's still more to be done, but progress has been achieved on all of those fronts. Now, it's time to win on the biggest stage of them all. Or at least reach that stage. Penn State has not made the College Football Playoff under Franklin. The Lions came close in 2016 when they were the Big Ten champs, but two reg- ular-season losses that year consigned them to the Rose Bowl. They will have a good chance to make the field once it expands to 12 teams in 2024. But doing it this year, while the tournament is still restricted to four teams, would be an even bigger accomplishment. Penn State is a preseason top- 10 team entering the 2023 sea- son. It has a favorable schedule, too, and the talent at many spots is the best it's been at any point in the past decade. "I think we're in a good place," Franklin said. "I know there's some frustration with [falling short of] playoffs and national championships and things like that. "But if you had talked to every local media person and every na- tional media person that covers college football and said at the time we got the job, that the next 10 years at Penn State would look like this — these New Year's Six bowl games, these wins in New Year's Six bowl games, a Big Ten championship, being on the cusp of the playoffs and a national cham- pionship — would you take that, right now, based on where we were when we got here? I think probably 90 percent or higher would say yeah, we would take that." Some fans do. Others want more. Ei- ther way, the focus is on taking the next step. Thus, the latest question facing Penn State is this: Will Franklin, and the Lions, finally punch through to the CFP in 2023? "At the end of the day, I would love to put Penn State and our team, and spe- cifically our team this year, in a position to be a part of that conversation and make a run at this thing," he said. Year 10 is here, and it's time to find out if he, his staff and team can do just that. Many boxes have been checked to position Penn State for this mo- ment. Franklin has been a tremendous steward of the program on and off the field. But the CFP mountain has yet to be climbed. This year would be as good a time as any to reach the summit, and all the pieces appear to be in place to do exactly that. ■ O P I N I O N GREG PICKEL GREG.PICKEL@ON3.COM Amid Many Successes, There Remains Unfinished Business THE LAST WORD Going into the 2023 season, James Franklin is tied with six others for the 10th-longest tenure among active FBS head coaches. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE