Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/763662
F O O T B A L L Franklin: We've got the best sta in the country' Lions' mentor hails assistants, players in accepting Big Ten Coach of the Year recognition ' James Franklin has a metaphor that he's fond of, one that he's been deploy- ing since his very first news conference at Penn State. As he's said repeatedly, it's crucial for everyone associated with the Nittany Lion football program to make sure that they're "pulling the rope in the same direction." Intended as a way to get a disparate group of stakeholders working together toward a common goal, Franklin's mantra has helped to create a sense of community around the program. When he says everyone, he means everyone: players, coaches, administrators, gradu- ate assistants, trainers, lettermen, fans, alumni, concessionaires, security guards, parking attendants. All have roles, and all are encouraged to take some ownership. "When you're able to do that at a place like Penn State," he said recently, "you have the chance to do some pretty spe- cial things." Penn State has done a lot of special things this season, and it will have an opportunity to do a few more against Southern California in the Rose Bowl. Much of the credit for the Nittany Lions' turnaround has, of course, gone to Franklin. After two lean years in which he steadily rebuilt the program's de- pleted talent base through dogged re- cruiting, everything paid off this fall, as Penn State closed out the regular season on an eight-game winning streak and qualified for the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time in school history. It then won that game in the most dra- matic way possible, rallying from a three-touchdown first-half deficit to defeat Wisconsin, 38-31. NEWS & NOTES CALIFORNIA DREAMING Franklin has guided his teams to bowl games in all six years of his head coaching career. The Lions are headed to the Rose Bowl after going 11-2 this sea- son. Photo by Steve Manuel |