Penn State, James Franklin abuzz after Outback Bowl announcement

Penn State head coach James Franklin met with the media hours after being selected to the Outback Bowl.

In the intermediary, the Nittany Lions’ leader had been with his staff visiting committed recruits ahead of this month’s early signing period. Maybe just as pressing, Franklin also had been working on handling his program’s newly vacant defensive coordinator position.

As Franklin’s session with the media demonstrated, though, the complications being addressed are considerably broader than simply filling one assistant coaching opening.

With that in mind, let’s take a look into some of the news and notes items to emerge from Franklin’s Sunday evening press conference:

1) Brent Pry could take Penn State staff

Asked directly about the potential need to replace more than just Pry this year, Franklin alluded to the reality of that possibility.

Seemingly referring to his former defensive coordinator building his staff at Virginia Tech, Franklin said an inherent conflict arises. 

“When you lose people from your staff to head coaching opportunities, obviously the people that they know are part of your current staff,” Franklin said. “So that becomes an even stronger challenge because they have intimate personal and professional relationships with people on the staff.”

On top of that individual element, Franklin also acknowledged that with so many available jobs this offseason, there is a national crush for building staff. As a result, opportunities for assistants to climb the ladder are plentiful. 

“The other challenge is, with as many jobs that are open right now, a lot of people are fighting for the same guys,” Franklin said. “So there’s a lot of competition out there from that perspective as well.”

2) Mum’s the word

In his eighth season at Penn State, Franklin has established protocols that aren’t changing.

Among them, Franklin made clear Sunday that the Nittany Lions will have a coordinated approach to opt-outs, early entries to the NFL, and future decisions to be made for players wanting to take advantage of the NCAA bonus COVID year of eligibility. 

“We’ll handle that like we always have. I don’t make announcements for players and their situations,” he said. “We’ve typically done that at the bowl site or we worked with players that are going to put something out through social media. We try to make sure that all those things are coordinated. But I don’t make announcements like that for players. I don’t think that’s my place.”

However, he added, the injection this year of those bonus eligibility decisions has made for even more elements to consider this offseason.

“There are ongoing conversations with all the guys about their futures and what it looks like and where we’re going and how we’re doing it and who will be involved in that process,” Franklin said. “But it’ll be very similar to how it’s been for the last eight years.”

3) All wrapped up

With a resolution to Franklin’s contract intact, recruiting has benefited, he said.

Now visiting with prospects ahead of this month’s early signing day, the public announcement between Penn State and Franklin has helped eliminate any doubts. 

“The recruits, I think there is a sense of relief. They were all informed the whole way, but, when you’re seeing things in the media, and when you also see so many other places and so many coaches say that they’re not doing anything and then they do, it gives you pause,” he said. “So I understand that. As much as I’m talking to these families and kids and explain it to them, what’s going on in the process, it still makes them feel better when they see it come out publicly.”

Solidified with a 10-year extension last month, Franklin did add a note in a response to another question regarding the timing of its announcement.

As he’d been saying since near the season’s midpoint about hoping to make an announcement “soon” regarding his contract, Franklin doubled down that a resolution could have been found before the eventual Nov. 23 announcement.

“We probably could have tied it up a lot sooner,” he said. “We probably could have tied things up a lot sooner, but it’s just kind of the way the process played itself out.”