Penn State football and James Franklin have officially parted ways, folks.

After 12 seasons leading the Nittany Lions, a lot has changed since the last time Franklin didn’t hold the reins. Years have slipped by, kids have grown up, and the earth has kept spinning outside of college football.

Here’s what was going on in the world way back in 2013: the last time anyone watched a Penn State football game without James Franklin at the helm.

Pope Francis Had Just Become Pope

Pope Francis was pope from 2013 until he died in 2025, when Pope Leo took over. Franklin’s Penn State career spanned two different papacies.

Frozen Was Smashing Box Office Records

Frozen is now a well-known classic, but back in the day, it had just hit theaters and begun to set new cinema records. It has since been added to the top five highest-grossing animated movies of all time, topped by its successor, Frozen 2.

The Harlem Shake Was Trending

The Harlem Shake was breaking the internet and racking up millions of views on YouTube in 2013. This was also back when videos first began trending on YouTube. TikTok wasn’t even a whisper of an idea.

Barack Obama Was President

Barack Obama was still serving his second term as president of the United States, the last time Franklin was absent from the Penn State sidelines. We’ve seen three presidential terms since then.

“Royals” By Lorde Was The Newest Hit On The Radio

Lorde was new to the scene and only 16 years old when Royals topped all the streaming charts. She is now 28 and has released three albums since.

Current College Seniors Were In Fourth Grade

A whole generation of kids has completed middle school, high school, and almost all of college since Franklin has been Penn State’s coach. Let that sink in.