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James Franklin talks historic moment for coaching career prior to Rutgers game
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James Franklin will have the chance to make history Saturday when Penn State travels to face Rutgers. And while it might not be a Nittany Lion record, it is one near and dear to Franklin’s heart as a head coach.
With a victory against the Scarlet Knights, Franklin will pick up his 100th career win as a head coach. Prior to his arrival in Happy Valley, Franklin also spent 3 seasons at Vanderbilt.
When asked, Franklin said the moment is not about him, but rather the program and the future of where it’s headed.
Franklin on his potential 100th win this weekend: “If you look at the entire picture, I’m pretty proud [of what we’ve done at Penn State].
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) November 16, 2022
Franklin was hired back following the 2013 season to replace Bill O’Brien. In 9 seasons, Franklin has posted a 75-36 overall record, and a 47-30 record in conference play. During his time with the Commodores, he went 24-15, positing back-to-back 9-win seasons.
Franklin’s best season came in 2016 when he led the Nittany Lions to an 11-2 finish capped off by an appearance in the Rose Bowl against USC. Since 2014, Penn State has finished with 3 10+ win seasons under Franklin. It’s finished ranked inside the AP Top 25 4 times, including 3 appearances in the top 10.
Franklin and the Nittany Lions will have two chances to push him over 100 wins with games against Rutgers and Michigan State. Should Penn State win out, it’ll finish with 10 regular season wins for the first time since 2019.
Cole Thompson is a freelance writer for Saturday Tradition who has covered college football and the NFL for multiple websites. Thompson is currently based in Houston, Texas, and also can be heard daily on SportsMap National Radio's 'Just Sayin It' from 3am-6am.