James Franklin comments on handling Mike Yurcich's firing with recruits

One of the biggest things coaches consider before hiring and firing assistants is recruiting. Now, in the wake of dismissing offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, Penn State head coach James Franklin needs a plan to handle recruits.

This comes after it was reported Franklin told a recruit before Yurcich was fired that he would be at some point. However, Franklin denied that timing.

“I think you guys know me well enough that that’s not the case and I can’t talk specifics about recruits as you guys know, but I think you guys know me well enough,” James Franklin said. “Every recruit that I have ever met with I talk to the recruit about committing to Penn State and committing to me because the nature of college football, I don’t want there to be a coaching change or coach leaves to go be the head coach at Virginia Tech or Old Dominion or Mississippi State and now all of a sudden you’re unsure.”

James Franklin is, of course, referencing jobs that former coordinators at Penn State have taken in the past. He also emphasized that he believes the report is coming from a miscommunication with a recruit related to the timing of the incident.

“So, I cover that with every single recruit, but I also can see that based on the timing of how things played out that for a young kid, him kind of connecting the dots in the wrong way,” Franklin said.

“But I know the media that covered that and is talking to a young kid can kind of figure it out, you know. I think you guys know how I go about my business. I would never do that. That doesn’t make sense. But for a young kid, I could see how the timing of that, you would connect those dots, and they’re not really connected.”

Penn State currently has the 13th-ranked recruiting class in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Within that class, there are 15 four-star recruits committed to Penn State, including multiple linemen, a tight end, a quarterback, and multiple wide receivers. Those are recruits James Franklin desperately wants to retain.

“But I know all of you guys wouldn’t connect the dots that way and wouldn’t write it that way because you’ve been around me and how I go about things for a while. Wouldn’t put a kid and recruit in that type of position.”

Coaching changes can have a massive impact on recruiting, as players want to play for specific assistants in many cases. That’s especially true with National Signing Day coming in December. There’s only so much time to recruit players again with new assistants.

James Franklin opens up on how quarterbacks are handling coaching staff change

The Penn State quarterback room is full of young quarterbacks, including the talented but struggling sophomore starter, Drew Allar. Firing Mike Yurcich, who along with being offensive coordinator was the quarterbacks coach, is going to have an impact on that group. However, James Franklin thinks they’re handling things well.

“But I want to be able to have healthy dialogue and conversations rather than you just read something online and you don’t understand and it’s shocking and you can’t talk it through. That’s to me when it becomes problematic. Or, as a leader, you’re not communicative. And, you don’t talk it through and explain, and talk to the parents, and talk to the high school coach, and talk to the trainers, and talk to the guys,” Franklin said.

“But, it’s been good. They’ve handled it well. Obviously, it’s a tough situation but, they’ve they’ve handled it well. And I think also, they got a ton of respect for Danny, and Danny has been with those guys, a lot of them, through the recruiting process and afterward. So, I think that helped. If it would have been somebody completely new coming into that room that hadn’t been with him, I think that could have been more challenging.”