For the second time in two years, the Penn State athletic department had to organize a search committee and hire a new head coach for the football team. Two years ago, a relatively unknown NFL assistant named Bill O'Brien was the last man standing when the dust settled. This time around, the Nittany Lions landed one of the hottest names in the football world, convincing Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin to ditch the Commodores and replace O'Brien at Penn State. Let's take a look back at the hiring process and hand out a grade to the search committee now that the hire has been made.
So, yes, a terrible incident did happen at Vanderbilt last year when Franklin was the coach, and now that he's our coach, it's worth knowing about. But rather than write some slipshod column based on half-truths and conjecture, let's focus on the facts of the matter and what is known.
James Franklin was only Vanderbilt's head coach for three season, but it didn't take long for the fanbase to fall in love with him. He took the Commodores from a 2-10 record to 6-7 in his first year as head coach, followed by two 9-4 seasons in the talented SEC. Under Franklin the Commodores won back-to-back bowl games for the first time in team history and finished in the top-25 both seasons.
Much will be said about James Franklin's hiring as Penn State's 16th head coach. One thing that isn't debatable is Franklin's charisma and positive attitude. Here are only five examples of Penn State's new coach being awesome.
I feel bad for Vanderbilt. I really and truly do. The betrayal we felt two weeks ago when Bill O'Brien abandoned us for the Texans is the same sort of betrayal I imagine Commodores are feeling in Nashville right now.
It's official; Vanderbilt's James Franklin will succeed Bill O'Brien as Penn State's head coach after the Board of Trustees approved his contract this morning at a 9 a.m. public conference call. Franklin becomes the 16th head coach in program history and the fifth in the last three seasons, when including interim coaches Tom Bradley and Larry Johnson.