James Franklin reflects on decision to sign 10-year contract with Penn State

James Franklin reflected on his decision to sign a 10-year deal as the Penn State football head coach. It’s a decision he looked back on fondly.

Amid administration changes, Franklin remained confident in the university and stuck with the Nittany Lions. He’s had plenty of success on the football field and feels that’ll continue moving forward.

It wasn’t blind faith, it was just trust in Penn State that allowed Franklin and the school to come together on a long term deal.

“The decision that the university made in hiring Neeli Bendapudi, our new university president, has been phenomenal,” Franklin said, via WHTM. “And we really hit it off. So that’s been great and then being able to go out and hire Dr. Pat Kraft, obviously an established athletic director, whether it’s Temple or Boston College, but even more so than that. He’s a Big Ten guy, he played in the Big Ten 10 … I think all those things help and my relationship with Pat, really since he’s arrived on campus, has been good. 

“So I think your point is a good one. I signed a 10-year contract. There’s been really two times now, I took the job with an interim AD and an interim university president and then signed a 10- year contract not knowing the future there as well, understanding that President Barron was going to be retiring so it worked out well.”

Franklin’s 10-year commitment was put to the test when his named popped up in coaching rumors over the last two cycles.

Still, that doesn’t mean the Nittany Lions leader isn’t benefiting from the interest. Joining Adam Breneman’s show Next Up, Franklin explained how he’s leveraged the interest he’s receiving into improving Penn State.

“So I think that’s an important point. It does a couple things. It creates leverage, with where you’re at. But it also allows you to see clearly what the commitment level is,” Franklin elaborated. “For me, it’s really never been the finances. Don’t get me wrong, I know that’s a part, and you threw that out there in the beginning and I get that. But for me, if you really study all my contracts, all my contracts were about how do we put the program in the best position to be successful.”

Franklin elaborated on some similarities at Vanderbilt.

“And it’s funny you bring that up, because at Vanderbilt, I remember having that conversation with the AD,” Franklin said. “I was there three years, and had three different contracts all three years, and the AD said that to me, ‘Your contract allows me to get some things done in the athletic department that I need to get done, and your contract allows me to have conversations with the President, with the Chancellor, with the board, whatever it may be.’ So yeah, there is a part of that for sure, but I think it kind of gives clarity to everybody.”