James Franklin

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James Geoffrey Franklin (born February 2, 1972) is an American football coach and former player.

He is the head football coach at Penn State University, a position he has held since the 2014 season.

From 2011 to 2013, Franklin served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University.

Early years

Franklin was born in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, on February 2, 1972, to James Oliver and Jocelyn "Josie" Franklin. He attended Neshaminy High School in Langhorne and then went to college at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, where he played as a quarterback for four years. He set seven school records and was a Division II player of the year nominee in 1994. He was named National Player of the Week by Sports Illustrated during the week. In 1995, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. While at East Stroudsburg, Franklin was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity.

Personal life

Franklin first met his wife Fumi (then a Washington State student) in 1998 while working as the tight ends coach at Washington State. Franklin was a graduate assistant tutoring tight ends and pursuing a master's degree in educational leadership. They were reintroduced when Franklin was teaching in Maryland many years ago. They began a long-distance friendship that culminated in an appearance in Green Bay, where Franklin served in 2005. Addy and Shola are the Franklins' two children.

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Coaching career

Franklin began teaching wide receivers at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in 1995. He took over as the head coach of the defensive secondary for his alma mater, East Stroudsburg, the following season. He served as the offensive coordinator for the Roskilde Kings of the Danish American Football Federation in that year. In 1997, he became a wide receivers coach at James Madison and then became a Washington State tight ends coach the following year. In 1999, Franklin earned a master's degree in educational leadership at Washington State.

He spent 1999 as the Idaho State wide receivers coach. For one of the best statistical seasons in school history, the Bengals had 29 touchdowns, 258 plays, and over 3,300 passing yards. This year, Idaho State ranked ninth in total offenses nationally.

Franklin has also worked for a number of National Football League (NFL) franchises, including the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, and Minnesota Vikings.

Franklin was first employed as the wide receivers coach at the University of Maryland beginning in 2000. Ron Vanderlinden, the head coach, was fired and replaced by Ralph Friedgen, a Maryland alum and former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator, in November 2000. Franklin was retained as the wide receivers coach, one of only two assistants to be retained on the new coaching staff (running backs coach Mike Locksley was the other).

Franklin's responsibilities were expanded to include recruiting coordinator. Since then, he has been regarded as a top recruiter. Prince George's County, Maryland; Charles County, Maryland; and Washington, D.C., were all target areas for recruiting. Franklin left Maryland in 2005 to play as the quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL.

He returned to Maryland in 2008 as the offensive coordinator, assistant head coach, and head coach in waiting. Ralph Friedgen was fired in December 2010 as a head coach at Vanderbilt, a short time before then.

For the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Franklin served as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Kansas State University. Ron Prince was the first coaching staff to follow Bill Snyder after the legendary Bill Snyder. Franklin continued to develop elite offensive talent, including the future NFL starters quarterback Josh Freeman and All-America wide receiver Jordy Nelson, throughout his time at K-State. Despite impressive victories over a top-five squad and an appearance in the inaugural Texas Bowl, the Wildcat squad was a far cry from the title-fighting teams fielded during the Snyder period. Before Ron Prince's dismissal in 2008 and then return to Coach Bill Snyder, Franklin left the Wildcat coaching staff.

With the forced resignation of interim coach Robbie Caldwell after the 2010 season, Vanderbilt considered Franklin a candidate for its head coaching position. Other candidates for the job, according to the Washington Post, Al Golden of Temple and Larry Coker of UTSA (and formerly Miami), were not the frontrunner. Vanderbilt began conversations with Franklin after Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn resigned from the position. Franklin was hired as head coach on December 17, Vanderbilt announced it on December 17. Franklin was the first African American to be head coach of a major sport at Vanderbilt, and the third in the Southeastern Conference to be a head football coach (after Sylvester Croom, formerly at Mississippi State and former Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips).

Franklin led Vanderbilt to a bowl game for three years, making him the first football coach to do so in program history.

Franklin finished the 2011 regular season with a record of 6–6 and a record of 2–6 in conference play, ties with Kentucky for fourth place in the SEC East. They were invited to the Liberty Bowl, where they were defeated by Cincinnati 31–24 to finish the season 6–7 in 2011. The 2011 seniors for the Vanderbilt football team became the first class in program history to qualify for two bowl games while at the university. Vanderbilt had only been to four bowl games in school history. After starting the season with three victories and then three losses, the third to Georgia in a close game (33–28) that showed them they could be competitive. The last three regular season games were close, to No. 8 Arkansas 31-28, at Florida 26-21, and Tennessee 27-21 at overtime. They then lost their bowl game to 31–28. At No. 2, the team's only losses by more than seven points were at No. 12 South Carolina is 21-3 and No. 1 in the No. 1st. 2 Alabama 34–0. Vanderbilt's six victories were decided by an average margin of 24 points. Despite losing, the 2011 team defeated their opponents 347 to 281.

The Commodores' second season in 2012 ended 9–4 and ranked in both the Associated Press and USA Today end-of-season coaches' top 25 for the first time since 1948 (and the first week since 2008). It was only the third nine-win seasons in school history, as well as the first time since 1935 that Vandy claimed five SEC games in a year, and the first time in 30 years that they defeated Tennessee at home.

The 2012 team had a number of milestones. Since 1950, the longest road winning streak has existed. The longest winning streak since 1948 was (7). Since 1915, the majority of scores have been scored 40 (5) or more points. Zac Stacy, the first Vandy player to rush for over 3,000 yards in his career, the first time since 1949 to 1951 that Vanderbilt defeated rival Ole Miss in consecutive years. Jordan Matthews led to a single-season record of 1,262 yards receiving. Carey Spear, a kicker, received 81 points in a school record. The most significant margin of victory over Tennessee (23) was 41–18, the most since 1954 (26–0). Vanderbilt won a big margin against secondary Kentucky (40), the largest margin of victory since 1916, when Vanderbilt defeated them 45-0. In back-to-back years, the Vanderbilt team became the first team to win in a bowl. In 30 years, Tennessee defeated the United States on home for the first time in 30 years. This year was the first 8-win season since 1982. Zac Stacy's longest rush from scrimmage was 90 yards. This was the first winning record in the regular season since 1982. For the first time since 1949, four straight victories in SEC play. For the first time in Vanderbilt history, a player (Zac Stacy) had rushed for over 1,000 yards back to elementary school. The first 9 wins of 1915 marked the first appearance since 1915.

In the final regular-season coaches poll for 2012, Franklin, convinced of the strength of Southeastern Conference football, ranked three SEC teams, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, ahead of the consensus number one Notre Dame.

Vanderbilt made it to a bowl game for the third year in a row. In the BBVA Compass Bowl 41–24, Vandy defeated the Houston Cougars 41–24. Vanderbilt earned nine wins in a row for the first time in school history, and the first time, the school was ranked in the top 25 of the AP and Coaches polls in back-to-back years.

Four Vanderbilt football players were arrested on August 9, 2013 and charged with five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggrited sexual battery. They used graphic photos and videos of the rape. After watching it, BuzzFeed reported that Franklin compelled a player to delete a graphic representation of the rape. Franklin denied the charge. Franklin confessed to changing his story about whether he told Vanderbilt players that he had seen a video recording of the incident.

Vanderbilt canceled games at home with Northwestern and away games with Ohio State, causing a minor controversies. A letter from Vanderbilt canceling the games was sent, owing to the desire to accommodate Mizzou into Vanderbilt's SEC East Division. Northwestern, like Vanderbilt in the SEC, said that the true reason, according to Vanderbilt, was fear of continuing to play its Big Ten counterpart, the Battle of the Nerds.

In addition, Vanderbilt's 25 combined victories in Franklin's three years as president were the Commodores' most coveted class ever. Franklin had a record of 24–15 (an annual average of 8 victories per year).

The Athletic Department at Penn State announced the addition of Franklin as the head football coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions on January 11, 2014. According to USA TODAY Sports, Penn State decided to pay $1.5 million that Franklin owed Vanderbilt for early termination of his employment. He had been with him for six years, earning him $4.3 million for the 2014 season, as well as a $300,000 retention bonus if he was Penn State's coach on December 31, 2014. He received a $100,000 bonus each year, as well as other recognition awards. During his first few press conferences, he explained how he wanted Penn State to be Pennsylvania's most popular school in recruiting.

Franklin's defection from Vanderbilt was not without controversy, as his sudden transfer to Penn State shocked the majority of Vanderbilt's followers. In the days leading up to Penn State, James Franklin was compelled to address the gang rape allegations made by four of his former players at Vanderbilt, January 7, 2014. President Rodney Erickson and Director of Athletics Dave Joyner said a deep background search and intense interview interview left them confident that joining Franklin would not cause any more harm to Penn State University, which was still struggling with the Jerry Sandusky child sex violence case, which destroyed the program in 2011.

After a press conference at Beaver Stadium, where Franklin made his first official appearance as a leader of Penn State, Erickson said, "He has been through the most rigorous vetting process that any individual has undergone at the university."

"I've told some people that I've said, 'I sure wish you've done your due diligence,'" Joyner said. "I've told them, 'Trust me.' We've done a thorough analysis of this, and we're confident with the situation.' We're very, very cautious and very methodical in doing it."

Penn State started the season 2–2, but Franklin resurrecting his team to win the next eight games, winning the Big Ten's East Division and a victory over Wisconsin in the 2016 Big Ten Football Championship Game. Franklin was named the Dave McClain Coach of the Year in the Big Ten for his team's revival.

Franklin signed a six-year contract extension worth $5.738 million a year on August 18, 2017. That arrangement also includes retention incentives that were paid at the end of each year.

"My family and I are so grateful to be a member of the Penn State family," Franklin said in a tweet. "I am delighted with the changes our service has made in the neighborhood, both in the classroom and on the field." I look forward to continuing to work with President Barron and Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour on a program that will put our University and our student-athletes in the best shape to compete on the track and in life.

Franklin's salary will increase each year through the 2022 season, when he will make $6.3 million. He has a $2 million buyout for the 2017 season and a $1 million buyout for every subsequent year.

Franklin's deal includes prizes such as $800,000 for a national championship, $400,000 for a College Football Playoff appearance, and $350,000 for winning the Big Ten Championship Game in addition to the promised funds. His commissions are capped at $1 million per year.

In 2017, Franklin led the Nittany Lions to another 10–2 regular season and 7–2 in Big Ten Games. The Washington Huskies defeated the Washington Huskies 35–28 in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl, marking their end of the season. Penn State finished the season 11–2 and ranked #8 in both the AP and Coaches Poll.

Penn State has lost several key players from previous seasons ahead of the 2018 season. Joe Moorhead departed to become Mississippi State's head coach, Running Back Saquon Barkley was selected as the 2nd overall draft pick by the New York Giants, and the Miami Dolphins drafted Tight End Mike Gesicki. The Nittany Lions took a step back from their recent glory by finishing 9–3 overall and 6–3 in conference play. They lost 27–24 after playing Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl during the regular season. Penn State finished the year 9–4, ranked #17 in the AP and Coaches Poll.

The Nittany Lions finished the 2019 season 11–2, with a conference record of 7–2. They were invited to the 2019 Cotton Bowl Classic, defeating the #17 2019 Memphis Tigers 53–39. Both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll ranked Penn State #9 in the 2019 season. The Board of Trustees had announced unanimous approval of a James Franklin contract extension after rumors of a slew of other organizations, including the USC Trojans and the Florida State Seminoles, announced recently at the end of the 2019 regular season.

Starting 0–5, Penn State got off to their worst start in school history in 2020. They were able to recover by winning their last four games after that to finish 4–5. The season was shortened early in the season after the sudden departure of running back Journey Brown due to a heart disease.

In Big Ten play, Penn State finished 7–5 and 4–5 on the regular season. The Nittany Lions started the season off with a 5–0 record and was ranked as high as #22 in the country for victories over #12 Wisconsin and #22 Auburn. However, the team suffered early in the season after quarterback Sean Clifford's injury, winning just two out of seven games. Franklin decided to commit to a 10-year, $75 million contract to serve as Penn State's head football coach through the 2031 season ahead of the regular season against Michigan State. The team was invited to the Outback Bowl and a match with Arkansas, the first time the two teams met together. The Nittany Lions were defeated by a score of 24–10 to end the season 7-6.

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