Franklin’s Failures

[Paolilion2]

- Horrible at picking + retaining coaching talent
- Horrible at developing players
- Horrible at coaching / developing offensive line
- Horrible at coaching / developing tackling
- Horrible at recruiting linebackers
- Horrible eye for talent
- Horrible at in-game adjustments in the first half
- Horrible with the press
- Horrible off a bye week & against tougher opponents

If it wasn’t for Trace McSorely, Saquon Barkley, and Tyler Warren, his record would be atrocious

 

[dcf4psu]

Another failure was not replacing the WR coach the end of last season.

 

[Erial_Lion]

The guy won 104 games at PSU (and 70% of his games). That takes more than 3 players, and is a pretty impressive feat for a guy that can't recruit, can't find good coaches, and can't develop any players.

 

[LB99]

- Horrible at picking + retaining coaching talent
- Horrible at developing players
- Horrible at coaching / developing offensive line
- Horrible at coaching / developing tackling
- Horrible at recruiting linebackers
- Horrible eye for talent
- Horrible at in-game adjustments in the first half
- Horrible with the press
- Horrible off a bye week & against tougher opponents

If it wasn’t for Trace McSorely, Saquon Barkley, and Tyler Warren, his record would be atrocious

Horrible eye for talent? This is hyperbole for click bait, right? 49 former Penn State players currently in the NFL. GTFOH.

 

[BriarwoodBash]

The guy won 104 games at PSU (and 70% of his games). That takes more than 3 players, and is a pretty impressive feat for a guy that can't recruit, can't find good coaches, and can't develop any players.

What strikes me is the plan to spend the money to bring back the core for a run at the Natty, then hire a D coordinator with a scheme so complicated it takes two years to master, thereby sabotaging your own plan.

 

[BobPSU92]

We’re covering new ground. For f*ck’s sake.

 

[WVilleLion23]

- Horrible at picking + retaining coaching talent
- Horrible at developing players
- Horrible at coaching / developing offensive line
- Horrible at coaching / developing tackling
- Horrible at recruiting linebackers
- Horrible eye for talent
- Horrible at in-game adjustments in the first half
- Horrible with the press
- Horrible off a bye week & against tougher opponents

If it wasn’t for Trace McSorely, Saquon Barkley, and Tyler Warren, his record would be atrocious

Oh cool, a new troll!

 

[Chumboshifko1]

Oh cool, a new troll!

Not new

 

[KingLando]

Horrible eye for talent? This is hyperbole for click bait, right? 49 former Penn State players currently in the NFL. GTFOH.

Horrible developer of talent. It's not really tough to get guys to the NFL when you're mostly signing 4* kids. A toddler could tell you they have talent.

 

[LB99]

Horrible developer of talent. It's not really tough to get guys to the NFL when you're mostly signing 4* kids. A toddler could tell you they have talent.

 

[KingLando]

The guy won 104 games at PSU (and 70% of his games). That takes more than 3 players, and is a pretty impressive feat for a guy that can't recruit, can't find good coaches, and can't develop any players.

Let's be real...is winning 70% of your games at a problem like Penn State a challenge or just the bare minimum that should be acceptable. I mean, most years we have 8-9 that, on paper SHOULD be wins. That's well over 70% .
His 10-2 seaons...winning over 80% should be the standard. Sometimes more sometimes less. Same with Georgia Alabama Florida LSU Texas Oklahoma Notre Dame Ohio State Michigan USC Oregon and Clemson. Arguably some others like Miami A&M and Florida State. Texas Tech too if they spend like this

 

[KingLando]

Feels like you're the troll kiddo

 

[Chumboshifko1]

Feels like you're the troll kiddo

 

[psuno1]

- Horrible at picking + retaining coaching talent
- Horrible at developing players
- Horrible at coaching / developing offensive line
- Horrible at coaching / developing tackling
- Horrible at recruiting linebackers
- Horrible eye for talent
- Horrible at in-game adjustments in the first half
- Horrible with the press
- Horrible off a bye week & against tougher opponents

If it wasn’t for Trace McSorely, Saquon Barkley, and Tyler Warren, his record would be atrocious

If Barkley and Parsons were not Penn Staters Franklin would have been gone years ago.

 

[JVP_Yahweh]

What strikes me is the plan to spend the money to bring back the core for a run at the Natty, then hire a D coordinator with a scheme so complicated it takes two years to master, thereby sabotaging your own plan.

Not only that but he's a guy that doesn't like recruiting at all and adds no value to a critical part of success

 

[PSUAVLNC]

Well how about today, right now? Besides FatMan and Wheatly who jumps off the roster at you? How was this team a preseason No.2 team tells you all you need to know about preseason rankings. The cubbard is bare at Penn State, there's no FBS talent on this team. Thanks a lot Coach Fraudlin!!

 

[troutrus]

He won a bunch of games for being so horrible.

 

[PSUAVLNC]

Well if JF is such A great coach and developer of talent WTF happened??

 

[Erial_Lion]

Well if JF is such A great coach and developer of talent WTF happened??

So the only options are “great” or “horrible”?

 

[Erial_Lion]

Well how about today, right now? Besides FatMan and Wheatly who jumps off the roster at you? How was this team a preseason No.2 team tells you all you need to know about preseason rankings. The cubbard is bare at Penn State, there's no FBS talent on this team. Thanks a lot Coach Fraudlin!!

Not just is there plenty of FBS talent, there is plenty of guys that you didn’t mention that will be drafted.

 

[PSUAVLNC]

So the only options are “great” or “horrible”?

Just the fact that there are still "lets play make believe" Penn State fans who want defend JF just blows me away. Answer my question - you liked him right? Explain the clock management before the half of the UCLA game? Exp!ain the performance of the O line this year? JF checked out long ago....he was waiting to get fired.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Just the fact that there are still "lets play make believe" Penn State fans who want defend JF just blows me away. Answer my question - you liked him right? Explain the clock management before the half of the UCLA game? Exp!ain the performance of the O line this year? JF checked out long ago....he was waiting to get fired.

Beyond anything else, I'm not much of a "kick a man when he's down" kind of guy. He did what he could here, and I see no reason to trash him on his way out the door.

I'm also not a black/white kind of guy...I look at Franklin as a shade of grey. I liked him as a person (always found him genuine even with the cameras weren't rolling), but some aspects I hated (his handling of the Sickles suspension in 2016, his handling of the sexual assault questions in 2024, etc). I thought he was a pretty good recruiter (especially when bringing us out of the sanctions while recruiting with one arm tied behind our back), extremely charismatic to recruits, a good representative of our university, etc. At the same time, I thought he was lacking somewhat as a gameday coach (especially when it came to time management at the end of halfs)...He surrounded himself with a lot of really good coaches throughout the years (even though that was apparently something that he was "horrible at"), and felt that him selling the program while surrounded by a really good staff could take us to some pretty great places.

I wouldn't have fired him during the season...but don't have an issue with it as I see why Dr. Kraft did it.

 

[WVilleLion23]

Not new

Ok, seasoned troll with a new handle.

 

[bbrown]

- Horrible at picking + retaining coaching talent
- Horrible at developing players
- Horrible at coaching / developing offensive line
- Horrible at coaching / developing tackling
- Horrible at recruiting linebackers
- Horrible eye for talent
- Horrible at in-game adjustments in the first half
- Horrible with the press
- Horrible off a bye week & against tougher opponents

If it wasn’t for Trace McSorely, Saquon Barkley, and Tyler Warren, his record would be atrocious

 

[Chumboshifko1]

Ok, seasoned troll with a new handle.

LoL.

 

[leinbacker]

Let's be real...is winning 70% of your games at a problem like Penn State a challenge or just the bare minimum that should be acceptable. I mean, most years we have 8-9 that, on paper SHOULD be wins. That's well over 70% .
His 10-2 seaons...winning over 80% should be the standard. Sometimes more sometimes less. Same with Georgia Alabama Florida LSU Texas Oklahoma Notre Dame Ohio State Michigan USC Oregon and Clemson. Arguably some others like Miami A&M and Florida State. Texas Tech too if they spend like this

when you schedule non-conference games like Temple, Villanova, and the like you should win 80%. Auburn was a rare exception but look at PSU's peers. Michigan playing Oklahoma, Ohio State playing Texas. Heck, even Wisconsin scheduled Bama.

This season was Franklin in a nutshell. Had the entire off season, three cupcakes, a bye week before Oregon and he still blew it. All that preseason hype too, the OL will be better. Returning QB, RBs and WRs from the portal. A $3M DC.

If it is true that Kraft told him to spend the money to get a top receiver and other players, but Franklin was too concerned about managing the locker room to do so. And true that he went behind Kraft to push for a contract extension, he deserves to be fired.

HIs coaching faults is he won't play better players out of loyalty. His gameday coaching is horrible. He wants chunk plays without mastering the fundamentals. He is too stubborn to change.

 

[leinbacker]

Well how about today, right now? Besides FatMan and Wheatly who jumps off the roster at you? How was this team a preseason No.2 team tells you all you need to know about preseason rankings. The cubbard is bare at Penn State, there's no FBS talent on this team. Thanks a lot Coach Fraudlin!!

This season tells me we were once again sold a bill of goods. This was never going to be a top ten tea without smoke and mirrors. Who was selling the hype? probably the guy wanting a contract extension before the season. Just like the last contract, a lot of hype, faux threat he was going to USC.

 

[Nittering Nabob]

- Horrible at picking + retaining coaching talent

Didn't you once post on the old BWI Test Board? I recognize your name, albeit without the 2 appendage.

 

[LMTLION]

If Barkley and Parsons were not Penn Staters Franklin would have been gone years ago.

What if Phil Jackson never had Jordan?

 

[Navion N8865H]

What strikes me is the plan to spend the money to bring back the core for a run at the Natty, then hire a D coordinator with a scheme so complicated it takes two years to master, thereby sabotaging your own plan.

Knowles wasn't the first choice. DC was offered to D'Anton Lynn, but due to family considerations didn't want to leave Southern California area.

 

[dcf4psu]

The guy won 104 games at PSU (and 70% of his games). That takes more than 3 players, and is a pretty impressive feat for a guy that can't recruit, can't find good coaches, and can't develop any players.

The guy won 104 games at PSU (and 70% of his games). That takes more than 3 players, and is a pretty impressive feat for a guy that can't recruit, can't find good coaches, and can't develop any players.

Nothing like getting the 30,000ft view flying by high overhead above the clouds. Looks pretty good from up there.

 

[Catch1lion]

Sadly, this is our story in 2025...
When the 12-team College Football Playoff was created, its architects touted how expansion would have dozens of teams in the race entering November.

Mission accomplished.

According to CFP projections from The Athletic’s Austin Mock, 40 teams have at least a 2 percent chance to make the playoff, including Pittsburgh, Houston and Iowa.

 

[Ludd]

- Horrible at picking + retaining coaching talent
- Horrible at developing players
- Horrible at coaching / developing offensive line
- Horrible at coaching / developing tackling
- Horrible at recruiting linebackers
- Horrible eye for talent
- Horrible at in-game adjustments in the first half
- Horrible with the press
- Horrible off a bye week & against tougher opponents

If it wasn’t for Trace McSorely, Saquon Barkley, and Tyler Warren, his record would be atrocious

They should fire him….oh wait, they did so I’m not sure what value these types of posts bring to the board.

 

[manatree]

What if Phil Jackson never had Jordan?

And how many championships did Jordan, Kobe, and Shaq win without Jackson? Just one, and the coach for that championship was Pat ‘Chopped Liver’ Riley.

 

[manatree]

Let's be real...is winning 70% of your games at a problem like Penn State a challenge or just the bare minimum that should be acceptable. I mean, most years we have 8-9 that, on paper SHOULD be wins. That's well over 70% .
His 10-2 seaons...winning over 80% should be the standard. Sometimes more sometimes less. Same with Georgia Alabama Florida LSU Texas Oklahoma Notre Dame Ohio State Michigan USC Oregon and Clemson. Arguably some others like Miami A&M and Florida State. Texas Tech too if they spend like this

Paterno didn’t even make your standard.

 

[Locopsu]

Well how about today, right now? Besides FatMan and Wheatly who jumps off the roster at you? How was this team a preseason No.2 team tells you all you need to know about preseason rankings. The cubbard is bare at Penn State, there's no FBS talent on this team. Thanks a lot Coach Fraudlin!!

LMAO, lots of talent, poorly utilized.

 

[Locopsu]

Well if JF is such A great coach and developer of talent WTF happened??

He was good at both at Penn State, he chose a style of O that was not compatible with the QB he chose. He was too loyal to some guys, chose a new D system when they needed to reload, over paid for returning talent at wrong positions, stopped being a system coach, 1-0, when he talked about team talent and coaching talent. Resumes of coaches were great, but O and D scheme did not fit.

 

[Locopsu]

Just the fact that there are still "lets play make believe" Penn State fans who want defend JF just blows me away. Answer my question - you liked him right? Explain the clock management before the half of the UCLA game? Exp!ain the performance of the O line this year? JF checked out long ago....he was waiting to get fired.

He was a good coach, not great. And everyone has his flaws. He is gone let it go. Time to look forward not back.

 

[Locopsu]

when you schedule non-conference games like Temple, Villanova, and the like you should win 80%. Auburn was a rare exception but look at PSU's peers. Michigan playing Oklahoma, Ohio State playing Texas. Heck, even Wisconsin scheduled Bama.

This season was Franklin in a nutshell. Had the entire off season, three cupcakes, a bye week before Oregon and he still blew it. All that preseason hype too, the OL will be better. Returning QB, RBs and WRs from the portal. A $3M DC.

If it is true that Kraft told him to spend the money to get a top receiver and other players, but Franklin was too concerned about managing the locker room to do so. And true that he went behind Kraft to push for a contract extension, he deserves to be fired.

HIs coaching faults is he won't play better players out of loyalty. His gameday coaching is horrible. He wants chunk plays without mastering the fundamentals. He is too stubborn to change.

He did not nor will new coach schedule games. He might have a say, but it’s all about $.

 

[Ludd]

He did not nor will new coach schedule games. He might have a say, but it’s all about $.

Don’t worry, I’m sure our new coach will schedule OOC games against Bama, LSU and Miami and win them all.