Blue White Illustrated

Maryland assistant coach, Franklin grew up with a sense of admiration for the Lions' longtime leader. This much is certain: Franklin is better positioned to succeed than O'Brien was when he took over in 2012. The conventional wisdom says you don't want to be the guy who replaces a legend; better to be the guy who replaces the replacement. That's especially true in this instance, because O'Brien took a lot of bullets for his successors by remaking a program that needed to be modernized yet was resistant to change simply because it was viewed by many – insiders and outsiders alike – as a manifestation of the most beloved figure in university history. O'Brien got everyone out of their comfort zone and developed the kind of results-based culture that is necessary to compete on an elite level. Some people who'd been at Penn State for decades were swept aside, and not always politely. It was tough work, but O'Brien was the perfect guy for it. He knew that if he won enough games and graduated enough players, the results would speak for themselves. "Winning cures a lot of things, he said. " As was the case with the new head coach himself, a lot of the people O'Brien hired had no previous connection to the university. That may have been the most significant change he brought about. The notion that Penn State needs Penn Staters to run the football program, people who truly "get" the university, was an article of faith before O'Brien's hiring. A number of prominent alumni, including Brandon Short and LaVar Arrington, raged against Penn State two years ago when the university passed over longtime defensive coordinator Tom Bradley in favor of O'Brien. Arrington was so upset that he threatened to put his Alamo Bowl MVP trophy on eBay. That's why it was so interesting to hear Franklin list the All-America linebacker as one of the people who reached out to him after he got the job. "As soon as he found out my dad's side of the family was from the Hill [District in Pittsburgh], we connected right away and had a great conversation, Franklin said. " It's only been two years since O'Brien was tapped as Paterno's successor, but much of the program's insularity has already faded away. Franklin's appointment as head coach does raise some concerns that Penn State could have avoided had it been willing to make a less dramatic hire. He's moved around a lot to this point in his career. He recruits with a ferocity that is going to take some getting used to, even if the results are as impressive as everyone around the program suspects they will be. He has a penchant for quotablity that could prove to be a mixed blessing. And, while at Vanderbilt, he was forced to deal with a nightmarish situation in which four players were charged with raping a student. Did he handle that situation appropriately? He says he did, and prosecutors have said there's no evidence that he covered anything up to protect the players or the program. Indeed, the players were thrown off the team immediately. Penn State officials insist they've done their due diligence, and if there's one thing this place has been doing pretty well lately, it's due diligence. Just ask its recent presidential candidates, one of whom lost his old job over an alleged pay-padding issue that reportedly came to light during his screening. Because of everything the university has been through these past few years, highprofile hires inevitably make everyone skittish. But Franklin appears to have plenty of character references, and he certainly has the credentials that Penn State is looking for as it strives to regain its Top 25 foothold. The Lions found themselves a charismatic coach with ties to the region who gives them their best chance to compete against Ohio State, both on the field and in recruiting. Like Urban Meyer, Franklin is a hardcore competitor with the cache to dominate his talent-rich home state while pulling recruits from other places. It'll take a few years to shake off the effects of the NCAA sanctions, but once that happens, this program will be poised to make even more noise than it did when Franklin's daughters noticed that bell over in the corner. My guess is I that we haven't heard the last of it. www.AmericanAleHouse.net 821 Cricklewood Drive, Toftrees State College Now in 2 Locations

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