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Report: Mutual interest between James Franklin, Florida State
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The rumors connecting James Franklin and Florida State may have some serious substance, according to a report from 247Sports’ Brendon Sonnone.
Over the last few weeks, the Penn State head coach has been rumored to be one of the top targets for Florida State since firing previous head coach Willie Taggart earlier this season. With his success in Happy Valley, Franklin’s name has often been circulated with potential high-profile jobs.
However, Sonnone is reporting that Franklin’s representatives have reached out to Florida State about the vacancy. Whether or not it’s because he’s seriously interested in the job or is using it as an opportunity for a new contract at Penn State is unclear.
“Before Willie Taggart was hired, James Franklin’s representatives reached out to FSU about the job,” Sonnone told 96.9 The Game. “We don’t know if he is using this as a bargaining chip for a new contract with Penn State, but there is mutual interest.”
Franklin has been the head coach at Penn State since 2014 and has compiled a 54-23 record. He guided the Nittany Lions to a B1G title in 2016 and is one win away from reaching the 10-win mark for the third time in the last four years.
Penn State has reached a bowl game in all six seasons under Franklin.
With the 2019 season winding down, the coaching carousel is beginning to pick up steam. It’ll be interesting to see if Franklin is a serious candidate for the job at FSU, or if he’s looking for a bigger paycheck from Penn State.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB