He had an annual guaranteed pay increase of $100,000 along with retention bonuses, plus performance incentives each year. Franklin was inducted into the East Stroudsburg Athletics Hall of Fame October 15, 2016. [30], Penn State got off to their worst start in school history in 2020, starting 05. The Commodores were 5-3 in SEC play, winning five SEC games for the first time since 1935, and posted two shutouts for the first time since 1968. [12] Franklin was the first half African American to be head coach of a major sport at Vanderbilt, and the third to be a head football coach in the Southeastern Conference (after Sylvester Croom, formerly at Mississippi State, and former Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips).[13]. There was a lot of conflict. Published. Ten years before Jackie Robinson ever pulled a Dodgers jersey over his head and walked onto Ebbets Field, representatives of the Home Owners Loan Corporation scoured the country, collecting data that would accurately illustrate the nations inner cities and the neighborhoods surrounding them. 8 Arkansas 3128, at Florida 2621, and at Tennessee in overtime 2721. The 2011 seniors for the Vanderbilt football team became the first class in program history to qualify for two bowl games while at the school. With Franklins emphasis on safety, along with the precautions he, the coaching staff, medical team and support staff established, the Nittany Lions were one of only two Big Ten teams to play all nine of its scheduled games during a shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Franklin has secured top-25 recruiting classes each of his last 10 seasons, including a top-5 class at Penn State in 2018 and the sixth-ranked class in 2022. A redlined map of Pittsburgh, communities in red were deemed risky investments for development projects and financial loans. The Nittany Lions earned a New Years Day bowl berth against Arkansas in the Outback Bowl. In 1972, Franklin was born into the remnants of that world, and while the governments words nearly 40 years earlier may have lost their weight, their economic impact and long-term effects are still felt to this day. He helped the Terrapins to victories in the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl and the 2010 Military Bowl. Penn State finished No. I realized that it was a blessing, that it was a positive, but growing up, yeah, it was hard. Perhaps Franklins greatest cultural contribution to sports is being a member of a small club of coaches that act as lighthouses, a reminder that you too could be the next David Shaw, the next James Franklin, the next Willie Jeffries. James Franklin, the Nittany Lions' head coach, is building a championship culture at Penn State football. Despite impressive wins over a top 5 team and an appearance in the inaugural Texas Bowl, the Wildcat program was a far cry from the title contending teams fielded during the Snyder era. Franklin helped Matthews develop into a two-time All-American and the SECs career leader in receptions (262) and receiving yardage (3,759). Or if you rather, Franklin was four when Penn State hired Don Ferrell, the university first black head coach. Penn State finished the 2019 season ranked #9 in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll. 1999 - Idaho State (Wide Receivers) Penn States No. The last three regular season losses were close games to No. In the last six seasons under Franklin, Penn State is one of six teams to rank in the top 12 of the CFP final rankings at least four times, joining Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Oklahoma. Id love to have more open discussion, and Ive had them with the team. Franklins victories in the Fiesta Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, Music City Bowl and Birmingham Bowl (formerly the Compass Bowl) marked the first time in each bowls history an African American head coach earned the win. Materials date from 1903-1996 and include her autobiography, biographies, certificates, correspondence, a diary, family history, memorial service records, and newspaper clippings. In that position, he set seven school records and was a Division II player of the year nominee in 1994. Franklin and his staff organized a top-25 recruiting class in short order after being hired at Penn State in January 2014. He received a six-year contract, which paid him $4.3 million for the 2014 season, including a $300,000 retention bonus payable if he was Penn State's coach on December 31, 2014. 8 in the Associated Press and Amway Coaches polls and No. display:inline-block; [5] Franklin completed a master's degree in educational leadership at Washington State in 1999. The Nittany Lions 22 forced fumbles are the second-most in program history behind the school standard of 25 set in 1968 and the 2.55 yards per rush is seventh in the program record books. The Nittany Lions had 15 players garner All-Big Ten accolades, including two first-team selections in Amani Oruwariye and Yetur Gross-Matos. Franklin finished the 2011 regular season with an overall record of 66 and a mark of 26 in conference play, finishing in a tie with Kentucky for fourth place in the SEC East. In 2018, Penn State inked three 247Sports Composite 5-star recruits for the first time since rankings began in 2001. Jordan Matthews set a single-season record with 1,262 yards receiving. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology in 1995. width:50px; font-size:1.10em; "He has been through the most thorough vetting process that any individual has gone through at the university," Erickson said after a press conference at Beaver Stadium where Franklin made his first official appearance as a leader of Penn State. Franklins 24 wins tied Dan McGugin for the most by a Vanderbilt coach in his first three seasons. Mrs. Bradshaw was a major benefactor/donor for Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah. The Penn State special teams unit made big gains in 2019, recording three blocked punts to finish third in the nation and four blocked kicks overall, which was sixth. When his father (who met Franklins mother while stationed at an Air Force base in Manchester, England) became an absent participant in Franklins life, the contrast was only stronger. You have no choice. color:#091F40; The Nittany Lions laid claim to the No. Franklin was welcomed to an America eight years removed from the Civil Rights Act, but the nations march toward true equality was still ongoing, the impact of segregation still so prevalent that you might wonder if anything had really changed. In addition to the guaranteed money, Franklin's contract has incentives including $800,000 for a national title, $400,000 for a College Football Playoff appearance and $350,000 for winning the Big Ten Championship Game. In 2019, punter Blake Gillikin took home CoSIDA Academic All-America first-team honors for the second-straight year to become the 12th two-time first-team selection in Penn State history. The Nittany Lions earned 18 All-Big Ten selections across offense, defense and special teams, led by four first team honorees including wide receiver Jahan Dotson, safety Jaquan Brisker, defensive end Arnold Ebiketie and punter Jordan Stout. 2 in the rankings and appearing in a second-straight New Years Six bowl, earning a 35-28 win over No. In addition, five-plus Nittany Lions have been drafted in four consecutive years, the longest streak for PSU since 1978-84. Under Franklins direction, Penn State has finished in the top 12 of the final College Football Playoff rankings in four of the last six seasons, has earned berths in three New Years Six bowl games with two wins and won the 2016 Big Ten Championship. Despite missing five of Penn States nine games due to a season-ending injury, Freiermuth led all Big Ten tight ends in receiving yards (310). The 2018 recruiting class was ranked No. The teams will open the 2022 season on Sept. 1 at West . McSorley, who was the Offensive MVP of the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, followed up his record-breaking 2016 campaign with another outstanding season. Northwestern, like Vanderbilt in the SEC the sole private institution in the Big Ten, alleged that the real reason was fear on the part of Vanderbilt to continue playing its Big Ten counterparta series which had been referred to as the Battle of the Nerds.[19]. So for me its kind of interesting because youve got people that grow up in White America, youve got people who grow up Black America and youve got myself, who kind of grew up in a mix of both. Franklin has been building the talent slowly at Penn State, painstakingly going after top recruits, missing on some, but landing on others, to the point where the Nittany Lions sit at 16th in the . During his tenure at K-State, Franklin nurtured record setting offensive talent; including the future NFL starters quarterback Josh Freeman and All-America wide receiver Jordy Nelson. Skin color is only a part of how a person can be identified, and in an era still reeling in racial tension, to be biracial was to be different from almost everyone else. Franklin guided the Commodores to a 6-6 regular-season record and earned a berth in the Liberty Bowl during his first season after inheriting a Vanderbilt team that finished 2-10 in both 2009 and 2010, with a combined mark of 1-15 SEC play. Penn State Football. Nassib also led the nation in sacks with a school-record 15.5. This collection consists of the personal papers of Berenice Harriet Jewett Bradshaw. The Nittany Lions took a step back from their recent success, finishing their regular season 93 overall and 63 in conference games. Apke was the MVP of the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Thats where diversity is important, no different than the decision making process. Recently, Penn State announced at the end of the 2019 regular season that the Board of Trustees had confirmed unanimous approval of an extension of James Franklin contract after rumored interest from several other programs including the USC Trojans[29] and Florida State Seminoles. Even with a losing record, the 2011 team outscored their opponents 347 to 281. Prior to the regular-season finale against Michigan State, Franklin agreed to a 10-year, $75 million extension to remain as Penn State's head football coach through the 2031 season. Penn State was also 11th in tackles for loss (7.8). The Pittsburgh neighborhoods that James Franklin grew up in were no different. The following season, he took over as the coach of the defensive secondary for his alma mater, East Stroudsburg. The Nittany Lions sent nine players to senior all-star games, which is the most since 2003 when nine student-athletes were in postseason games (Senior Bowl: Allen, Gesicki, Hamilton, Christian Campbell; East-West Shrine Bowl: Hamilton, Jason Cabinda, Curtis Cothran, Parker Cothren, Grant Haley; NFLPA Collegiate Bowl: Troy Apke). Vanderbilt had only been to four bowl games in school history. With wins over No. 16 nationally in red zone offense (.897). Franklin served at Kansas State University as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for the 2006 and 2007 seasons. 2005 - Green Bay Packers (WideReceivers) I think a lot of people that are in this type of position, they know that theres a little extra emphasis there. The dinner raised over $287,600 for endowed scholarships at Penn State. Franklin guided the Lions to a 4-0 start, joining Harlow as the only first-year Penn State coaches to win their initial four games. Quarterback Trace McSorley capped his Penn State career as the programs career holder for passing yards (9,899), completions (720), 300-yard passing games (10), 200-yard passing games (28), rushing yards by a quarterback (1,697), rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (30), passing touchdowns (77), total offense yards (11,596), touchdowns responsible for (107), wins as a starting quarterback (31) and consecutive games with a touchdown pass (34). Franklin guided the Nittany Lions to a 7-6 record in 2015 and a berth in the TaxSlayer Bowl. And thats a healthy thing in any relationship in life with your friends, with your team, as long as its done in a respectful manner. James Franklin had a rough press conference, calling Ohio State "Illinois," and The 'Shoe "The Big House." Additionally, Vanderbilt's 25 combined wins in Franklin's three years in charge was the Commodores' highest total in school history. "[24][25], During the 2016 season, Penn State started the season 22, but Franklin rallied his team to win the next eight games, winning the Big Ten's East Division, followed by a victory over Wisconsin in the 2016 Big Ten Football Championship Game. Under Franklins tutelage, Carl Nassib claimed a trio of national awards Lombardi Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy and Ted Hendricks Award and became Penn States 13th unanimous Consensus All-American. In 2016, Franklin was honored as Sporting News National Coach of the Year and the Woody Hayes National Coach of the Year, as well as the Dave McLain Big Ten Coach of the Year and Associated Press Big Ten Coach of the Year. But in a lot of ways it wasnt, because I didnt know if it was a real possibility, Franklin added, now entering his sixth year on the job. By Dec. 30, 2018 there were just 10 black head football coaches within the Power Five conferences with only a few more in total over the span of 130 programs nationwide. Nine of the 15 highest-ranked 247Sports Composite recruits at Penn State since 2000 have been signed by Franklin. 14 by Rivals and No. The football teams 2,100 hours of community service in 2014-15 equated to nearly 40 percent of the 5,300 community service hours by Penn State student-athletes. The Ole Miss riots of 1962 and their tie to football were then as memorable as Selma just a year later. Penn State announced Franklin will make $4.3 million during the 2017 season as part of a contract will escalate each year through the 2022 season in which he will make $6.3 million. The team's only losses by more than seven points were at No. Penn State University President Rodney Erickson and Director of Athletics Dave Joyner said a deep background search and intense interview questions left them confident that hiring Franklin would not bring any more damage to Penn State University, which was still working through the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal that damaged the program in 2011. And in many ways that makes sense. The Nittany Lions are active in the community, participating in activities such as Uplifting Athletes, THON, Pennsylvania Special Olympics Summer Games, State College Area Food Bank and Penn State Hershey Childrens Hospital visits. The Commodores had played in four bowl games all-time in the 121 seasons prior to his arrival, none in consecutive years. Its amazing to me how common [multiracial families are] nowadays andI think its one of the more positive things and one of the more hopeful things that I have for our country and our society. The Nittany Lions had 19 players garner All-Big Ten accolades, including two first-team selections in Micah Parsons and Yetur Gross-Matos. I look at diversity on our staff. At his off-season press conference, James Franklin . padding-top:5px; There are no new white faces setting the racial achievement bar higher for people like them to chase and beat. Vanderbilt's six wins were by an average margin of 24 points. James Franklin and the No. That is athletic directors. My moms house was probably three miles from the Northeast Philadelphia border and that area was predominantly white. The first time in Vanderbilt history a player (Zac Stacy) had rushed for over 1,000 yards back to back years. Early years. He then was the wide receivers coach at James Madison (1997), a graduate assistant (tight ends) at Washington State in 1998 and the wide receivers coach at Idaho State (1999). They began a long-distance relationship that led to an engagement in Green Bay, where Franklin worked in 2005. Franklin was welcomed to an America eight years removed from the Civil Rights Act, but the nation's march toward true equality was still ongoing, the impact of segregation still so prevalent that. Offensively, Penn State finished seventh in FBS with a 41.1 scoring average, the third-highest in program history, and 19th in total offense with a 460.3 average, which also ranks third in PSU history. There are no trailblazers for white head coaches they have simply always existed. 1997 - James Madison (Wide Receivers) The Backdoor Roth IRA: A Very Little Key May Open a Very Heavy Door. Franklin was also a finalist for the Paul Bear Bryant, Eddie Robinson and Associated Press National Coach of the Year awards. The NHL is almost exclusively white with nine black coaches having been a part of an organization in any capacity, and, as of 2018, just 87 black players having seen the ice at the sports highest level. January 22, 2023. By. .bio-section-logo Dear James Franklin, We know you are busy trying to go 1-0 this week, but the college football world is not going to let you focus solely on Penn State beating Illinois. The Nittany Lions were ranked ninth in the final Associated Press and Amway Coaches polls to earn their 25th AP Top 10 finish. Franklin is one of four current Big Ten coaches (Ryan Day, Kirk Ferentz, Jim Harbaugh) to have won a Big Ten Championship and became the first African American head coach to win a Big Ten title after Penn States 2016 victory. Offensively, the Nittany Lions continued to put up big numbers, ranking 15th in FBS in scoring offense with a 35.8 average, which ranks eighth in program history. The Pittsburgh that I grew up with, I thought growing up that Pittsburgh was Atlanta. And where the diversity is important is that theres someone on the staff for all of those kids to feel comfortable going to talk to maybe about sensitive subjects or things that theyre struggling. border-top:3px solid #091F40; 80% of consumers turn to directories with reviews to find a local business. Leery of the media, or in the very least the Internets ability to twist quotes, Franklin is content with keeping most of his political opinions to himself. Prior to his injury, Freiermuth led all FBS tight ends with 5.8 receptions per game and ranked fifth averaging 77.5 receiving yards per game. Few allow for failure in front of so many people. In August 2019, Franklin was named a Penn State University Renaissance Fund honoree, which awards outstanding community members for helping students in need. In his second season (2012), the Commodores finished 94 and ranked in both the Associated Press and USA Today end-of-season coaches' top 25 for the first time since 1948 (and the first ranking in any week since 2008). He was the first Penn State quarterback to win all-conference honors since Daryll Clark in 2009. 12 according to ESPN.com, No. Franklin has also been an ardent supporter of Be the Match, encouraging community members to join the national bone marrow registry. They ended the season by defeating the Washington Huskies in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl, 3528. 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