One legendary coach is buying into James Franklin and Penn State.

Former Notre Dame head coach and current ESPN analyst Lou Holtz spoke out on all things Penn State, and had some very high praise for James Franklin. Speaking to Mark Wogenrich of The Morning Call last week prior to the U.S. Mid-Amateur golf tournament at the Saucon Valley Country Club, Holtz weighed in on the sanctions, James Franklin, and the Nittany Lions’ start to the season.

On the sanctions, Holtz opined that,

“What they did to Penn State was criminal. That was not an NCAA violation. To me, that was a criminal violation. One guy [Jerry Sandusky] is in jail for life. One coach is dead and a couple other people look like they’re going from Penn State to the ‘state pen’. They aren’t even going to have to change their stationery. And the people you punish are women’s sports by [fining Penn State] $60 million. You punish the athletes, and at no time did Penn State gain an advantage over the opposition.”

Holtz also spoke about the hiring of James Franklin by Penn State, saying,

“I think [Bill O’Brien] did just a tremendous job, but they could not have made a better hire than [James] Franklin. What he did at Vanderbilt was incredible, [with] his ability to recruit, his ability to do things.”

Obviously, Penn State’s momentum is shifting in terms of the public eye. Holtz’s support of the Nittany Lions came just days after former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden called for the NCAA to reinstate Joe Paterno’s wins.

Having two of college football’s best coaches publicly supporting Penn State, it might be about time that the NCAA considers reducing the sanctions yet again, especially with the Mitchell Report due to be released today. Fans can only hope that the NCAA comes to its senses this time.