James Franklin Throws Penn State Under the Bus for Not Caring About Players

[NittanyLionRoar]

Link: James Franklin Throws Penn State Under the Bus for Not Caring About Players In First Team Meeting With Virginia Tech.​

It sure sounds as if there’s no love lost between new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin and his former employer, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Franklin was fired midseason following back-to-back losses to UCLA and Northwestern that dropped the Nittany Lions to 3-3 after beginning the season ranked No. 2 in the country.

His firing came as a surprise to many, as Penn State reached the College Football Playoff semifinals a year ago, albeit with a fortuitous path through the bracket.

Now, in his first team meeting with Virginia Tech players, Franklin explained the fallout at Penn State and took a shot at the school in the process.

James Franklin Says He Lost To UCLA & Northwestern Because He Cares About Players​

On Thursday, the Hokies released a YouTube video profiling Franklin’s first 72 hours in Blacksburg. As part of the video, it showed a clip from Franklin’s first team meeting with his new Virginia Tech players.

Around the 3:40 mark of the video, Franklin talks about where things went wrong in Happy Valley.

“I’m a players’ coach,” he began. “That’s all I care about. When things changed at Penn State, the reason I struggled is because I care about the players.”

That is…certainly one view of it.

For one, it implies that the rest of the admin at Penn State did not care about the players, which is a pretty bold stance. But also, I’m not sure how caring about the players would lead to a far more talented team losing to UCLA and Northwestern.

If he had cared about the players less, would Penn State have won those games?

Is Franklin referring to caring about certain players specifically? If so, what about the other players? And if he’s referring to every player, what specifically about caring about them led to the downfall?

It’s just an extremely bizarre way to both explain away very real shortcomings and to take a shot at your previous employer. But hey, if he wins in Blacksburg to any extent at all, it’ll be better than the last two coaches the Hokies had.

 

[psuro]

So glad we have these freshman posters who are diligently scouring the interwebs for all things negative.

 

[NittPicker]

I had no ill will toward James after he was fired then hired at VT. But geez, using the “it wasn’t my fault” excuse is lame.

 

[BobPSU92]

Franklin will never be Grand Marshal of PSU’s Homecoming Parade at this rate.

 

[BobPSU92]

I had no ill will toward James after he was fired then hired at VT. But geez, using the “it wasn’t my fault” excuse is lame.

Franklin’s insecurity is coming out. He’s trying to be happy at vo tech, but he knows he f*cked up.

 

[Corner Room Breakfast]

Running Katron more, Kobe & Denmark playing time, freshman linebackers.
Lack of playing time for back up QB's. Yeah ok.

 

[rigi19040]

Link: James Franklin Throws Penn State Under the Bus for Not Caring About Players In First Team Meeting With Virginia Tech.​

It sure sounds as if there’s no love lost between new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin and his former employer, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Franklin was fired midseason following back-to-back losses to UCLA and Northwestern that dropped the Nittany Lions to 3-3 after beginning the season ranked No. 2 in the country.

His firing came as a surprise to many, as Penn State reached the College Football Playoff semifinals a year ago, albeit with a fortuitous path through the bracket.

Now, in his first team meeting with Virginia Tech players, Franklin explained the fallout at Penn State and took a shot at the school in the process.

James Franklin Says He Lost To UCLA & Northwestern Because He Cares About Players​

On Thursday, the Hokies released a YouTube video profiling Franklin’s first 72 hours in Blacksburg. As part of the video, it showed a clip from Franklin’s first team meeting with his new Virginia Tech players.

Around the 3:40 mark of the video, Franklin talks about where things went wrong in Happy Valley.

“I’m a players’ coach,” he began. “That’s all I care about. When things changed at Penn State, the reason I struggled is because I care about the players.”

That is…certainly one view of it.

For one, it implies that the rest of the admin at Penn State did not care about the players, which is a pretty bold stance. But also, I’m not sure how caring about the players would lead to a far more talented team losing to UCLA and Northwestern.

If he had cared about the players less, would Penn State have won those games?

Is Franklin referring to caring about certain players specifically? If so, what about the other players? And if he’s referring to every player, what specifically about caring about them led to the downfall?

It’s just an extremely bizarre way to both explain away very real shortcomings and to take a shot at your previous employer. But hey, if he wins in Blacksburg to any extent at all, it’ll be better than the last two coaches the Hokies had.

Franklin was in charge of that department. Any problems were on him. He was even named in a few lawsuits from former players.

 

[PSU Mike]

So is it fair to ask what changed? I suppose it was Kraft wanting better players and James wanting to stay cozy? So why did it change after Oregon?

 

[19333lion]

I had no ill will toward James after he was fired then hired at VT. But geez, using the “it wasn’t my fault” excuse is lame.

Remember old "Not my fault Walt" Harris?

 

[LB99]

He’s gone. He’s like another person in the media a lot. If you ignore him, he will go away. Don’t give him the attention and he has no power over you or the program.

 

[Alphalion75]

Sounds to me like a little self justification. But who cares at this point.

 

[KingLando]

It's comical he believes that. His issue was he put himself and the program ahead of the players. But that's the lie you need recruits to believe so kudos to him for selling it. We'll see what kids are dumb enough to believe it.

 

[psuno1]

Is this the same guy that had a lawsuit against him from the team dr. that said he wanted players to play injured. Huh.

 

[DaytonRickster]

Link: James Franklin Throws Penn State Under the Bus for Not Caring About Players In First Team Meeting With Virginia Tech.​

It sure sounds as if there’s no love lost between new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin and his former employer, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Franklin was fired midseason following back-to-back losses to UCLA and Northwestern that dropped the Nittany Lions to 3-3 after beginning the season ranked No. 2 in the country.

His firing came as a surprise to many, as Penn State reached the College Football Playoff semifinals a year ago, albeit with a fortuitous path through the bracket.

Now, in his first team meeting with Virginia Tech players, Franklin explained the fallout at Penn State and took a shot at the school in the process.

James Franklin Says He Lost To UCLA & Northwestern Because He Cares About Players​

On Thursday, the Hokies released a YouTube video profiling Franklin’s first 72 hours in Blacksburg. As part of the video, it showed a clip from Franklin’s first team meeting with his new Virginia Tech players.

Around the 3:40 mark of the video, Franklin talks about where things went wrong in Happy Valley.

“I’m a players’ coach,” he began. “That’s all I care about. When things changed at Penn State, the reason I struggled is because I care about the players.”

That is…certainly one view of it.

For one, it implies that the rest of the admin at Penn State did not care about the players, which is a pretty bold stance. But also, I’m not sure how caring about the players would lead to a far more talented team losing to UCLA and Northwestern.

If he had cared about the players less, would Penn State have won those games?

Is Franklin referring to caring about certain players specifically? If so, what about the other players? And if he’s referring to every player, what specifically about caring about them led to the downfall?

It’s just an extremely bizarre way to both explain away very real shortcomings and to take a shot at your previous employer. But hey, if he wins in Blacksburg to any extent at all, it’ll be better than the last two coaches the Hokies had.

Classless statement by him! This is bordering on outright bitterness and bitterness will harm your health. He became a rich man by manipulating PSU several times. Glad he's gone with that attitude. Sounds like he was a poison pill that had to be removed.

 

[Psumatt85]

So is it fair to ask what changed? I suppose it was Kraft wanting better players and James wanting to stay cozy? So why did it change after Oregon?

I think it changed before Oregon. BGJ was feeling pressure and being micromanaged. I think he even became tighter and was doing an even poorer job than historical. Bringing down 17-3, he broke out of it, but at this point the team wasn’t ready for the long run. I think we lose to UCLA either way. No way to figure out what happens against NW

 

[PSUAVLNC]

Franklin’s insecurity is coming out. He’s trying to be happy at vo tech, but he knows he f*cked up.

Yup....he talks about loving the same players he quit on. Used car salesman!

 

[slwlion01]

So glad we have these freshman posters who are diligently scouring the interwebs for all things negative.

Just back from a cruise. I see I didn't miss much. lol

 

[Fred8811]

Who cares.
Bus talk getting old.

 

[rigi19040]

Is this the same guy that had a lawsuit against him from the team dr. that said he wanted players to play injured. Huh.

Lawsuits.

Doctor and Isaiah Humphries.

Bryce mostella, robert wi dsor and ellison jordan all allege mistreatment.

 

[Steve JG]

Franklin’s insecurity is coming out. He’s trying to be happy at vo tech, but he knows he f*cked up.

wonder what he'll say when Miami or ND or even the Pitters beat him in "big ACC games"? Obviously we need to clean that up and we will obviously. Figure greeter tolerance in Blacksburg if he loses big games, they kind of used to it post Beamer

 

[Chumboshifko1]

Link: James Franklin Throws Penn State Under the Bus for Not Caring About Players In First Team Meeting With Virginia Tech.​

It sure sounds as if there’s no love lost between new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin and his former employer, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Franklin was fired midseason following back-to-back losses to UCLA and Northwestern that dropped the Nittany Lions to 3-3 after beginning the season ranked No. 2 in the country.

His firing came as a surprise to many, as Penn State reached the College Football Playoff semifinals a year ago, albeit with a fortuitous path through the bracket.

Now, in his first team meeting with Virginia Tech players, Franklin explained the fallout at Penn State and took a shot at the school in the process.

James Franklin Says He Lost To UCLA & Northwestern Because He Cares About Players​

On Thursday, the Hokies released a YouTube video profiling Franklin’s first 72 hours in Blacksburg. As part of the video, it showed a clip from Franklin’s first team meeting with his new Virginia Tech players.

Around the 3:40 mark of the video, Franklin talks about where things went wrong in Happy Valley.

“I’m a players’ coach,” he began. “That’s all I care about. When things changed at Penn State, the reason I struggled is because I care about the players.”

That is…certainly one view of it.

For one, it implies that the rest of the admin at Penn State did not care about the players, which is a pretty bold stance. But also, I’m not sure how caring about the players would lead to a far more talented team losing to UCLA and Northwestern.

If he had cared about the players less, would Penn State have won those games?

Is Franklin referring to caring about certain players specifically? If so, what about the other players? And if he’s referring to every player, what specifically about caring about them led to the downfall?

It’s just an extremely bizarre way to both explain away very real shortcomings and to take a shot at your previous employer. But hey, if he wins in Blacksburg to any extent at all, it’ll be better than the last two coaches the Hokies had.

Franklin= goofball. What dumbness.

 

[G3624]

I guess I shouldn't. Have talked. About the Huckster. The only way I did. I'll let you all do the talking.

Fair enough, y'all know him better than I ever did.

 

[m.knox]

Link: James Franklin Throws Penn State Under the Bus for Not Caring About Players In First Team Meeting With Virginia Tech.​

It sure sounds as if there’s no love lost between new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin and his former employer, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Franklin was fired midseason following back-to-back losses to UCLA and Northwestern that dropped the Nittany Lions to 3-3 after beginning the season ranked No. 2 in the country.

His firing came as a surprise to many, as Penn State reached the College Football Playoff semifinals a year ago, albeit with a fortuitous path through the bracket.

Now, in his first team meeting with Virginia Tech players, Franklin explained the fallout at Penn State and took a shot at the school in the process.

James Franklin Says He Lost To UCLA & Northwestern Because He Cares About Players​

On Thursday, the Hokies released a YouTube video profiling Franklin’s first 72 hours in Blacksburg. As part of the video, it showed a clip from Franklin’s first team meeting with his new Virginia Tech players.

Around the 3:40 mark of the video, Franklin talks about where things went wrong in Happy Valley.

“I’m a players’ coach,” he began. “That’s all I care about. When things changed at Penn State, the reason I struggled is because I care about the players.”

That is…certainly one view of it.

For one, it implies that the rest of the admin at Penn State did not care about the players, which is a pretty bold stance. But also, I’m not sure how caring about the players would lead to a far more talented team losing to UCLA and Northwestern.

If he had cared about the players less, would Penn State have won those games?

Is Franklin referring to caring about certain players specifically? If so, what about the other players? And if he’s referring to every player, what specifically about caring about them led to the downfall?

It’s just an extremely bizarre way to both explain away very real shortcomings and to take a shot at your previous employer. But hey, if he wins in Blacksburg to any extent at all, it’ll be better than the last two coaches the Hokies had.

He's a blowhard. Plain and simple. That's all he'll ever be.

 

[mh-larch]

Problems started way before Oregon. The Franklin led team against 3 OOC cream puffs looked terrible....even when winning big I think we could all see problems with this team.

 

[JWB389]

You could see signs of this trait early on from his apparent bitterness toward Maryland, his petty inferences about Pitt, his biting back at fans on two separate occasions. Just let it go, man.

 

[katatonic2]

Just Franklin being Franklin, a self-promoter first and foremost.

What Vandy is doing now under Lea is more impressive than what they did under Franklin (many of the SEC programs they beat were in down periods), who, during that time, lost twice to Northwestern and then proceeded to cancel the series via snail mail.

Wasn't impressed by Franklin's game day coaching then (especially since Fitzgerald isn't exactly a good game day coach, even more so during his early years), which was why didn't exactly like the hire all those years ago.

Self-proclaiming about how one is a "players' coach" says everything.

Matt Campbell is a players' coach, but in a totally different way (and you won't hear him brag about it).

Campbell is an upgrade in every which way.

As an aside, have to chuckle at all the talk about Franklin being a "great" recruiter.

No, he was a good to very good recruiter considering the Penn State brand name, but he didn't exactly exceed what the HC of a program like Penn State should achieve.

Plus he had problems related to recruiting the right player at the most important position, not to mention wide receivers, nevermind putting them on a position to succeed.

 

[grint]

Running Katron more, Kobe & Denmark playing time, freshman linebackers.
Lack of playing time for back up QB's. Yeah ok.

Also I would like to add that Allar was an achilleas heal of this team. He should have been sat down multiple times and instead>>>

 

[KC-KS-Lion]

Link: James Franklin Throws Penn State Under the Bus for Not Caring About Players In First Team Meeting With Virginia Tech.​

It sure sounds as if there’s no love lost between new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin and his former employer, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Franklin was fired midseason following back-to-back losses to UCLA and Northwestern that dropped the Nittany Lions to 3-3 after beginning the season ranked No. 2 in the country.

His firing came as a surprise to many, as Penn State reached the College Football Playoff semifinals a year ago, albeit with a fortuitous path through the bracket.

Now, in his first team meeting with Virginia Tech players, Franklin explained the fallout at Penn State and took a shot at the school in the process.

James Franklin Says He Lost To UCLA & Northwestern Because He Cares About Players​

On Thursday, the Hokies released a YouTube video profiling Franklin’s first 72 hours in Blacksburg. As part of the video, it showed a clip from Franklin’s first team meeting with his new Virginia Tech players.

Around the 3:40 mark of the video, Franklin talks about where things went wrong in Happy Valley.

“I’m a players’ coach,” he began. “That’s all I care about. When things changed at Penn State, the reason I struggled is because I care about the players.”

That is…certainly one view of it.

For one, it implies that the rest of the admin at Penn State did not care about the players, which is a pretty bold stance. But also, I’m not sure how caring about the players would lead to a far more talented team losing to UCLA and Northwestern.

If he had cared about the players less, would Penn State have won those games?

Is Franklin referring to caring about certain players specifically? If so, what about the other players? And if he’s referring to every player, what specifically about caring about them led to the downfall?

It’s just an extremely bizarre way to both explain away very real shortcomings and to take a shot at your previous employer. But hey, if he wins in Blacksburg to any extent at all, it’ll be better than the last two coaches the Hokies had.

I guess he coached the player who moved back away from the short kickoff at UCLA because he was he might get tackled....just not a good look for Franklin.

 

[Ludd]

Also I would like to add that Allar was an achilleas heal of this team. He should have been sat down multiple times and instead>>>

No, he wasn’t and no he shouldn’t have.

 

[Zone-Blitz]

Problems started way before Oregon. The Franklin led team against 3 OOC cream puffs looked terrible....even when winning big I think we could all see problems with this team.

Looking bad against OOC cream puffs was the norm. I remember a few years ago they couldn’t run the ball against Villanova. Then their defense coordinator had to school our coaches on the tells our players were leaving. Over the years I remember almost losing to bowling green, losing at halftime to Buffalo, almost getting beat by Army, which if their starting qb wasn’t out for the game, they would’ve beat us. Losing to a 2-5 Illinois team in 6 or 7 overtimes. Blowing double digit leads many times against Ohio State. Blowing the Rose Bowl. Losing to the likes of Kentucky and Arkansas in bowl games. Yeah, us fans were tired of it. It was time for change

 

[haveyoumethoward]

The latest WA meeting in Blacksburg:

Speaker #1: Hello. My name is James Franklin and I'm a whiny little b*tch, have been all my life.

Speaker #2: Thank you, James. Admitting your problem is a good first step; but I hope you realize it's incurable, you'll always be a whiny little b*tch.

 

[rigi19040]

Looking bad against OOC cream puffs was the norm. I remember a few years ago they couldn’t run the ball against Villanova. Then their defense coordinator had to school our coaches on the tells our players were leaving. Over the years I remember almost losing to bowling green, losing at halftime to Buffalo, almost getting beat by Army, which if their starting qb wasn’t out for the game, they would’ve beat us. Losing to a 2-5 Illinois team in 6 or 7 overtimes. Blowing double digit leads many times against Ohio State. Blowing the Rose Bowl. Losing to the likes of Kentucky and Arkansas in bowl games. Yeah, us fans were tired of it. It was time for change

Campbell's record is worse.

 

[rigi19040]

Campbell is an upgrade in every which way.

Except wins and.losses.

 

[Lion84]

The same BGJ who made sure his name was floated for every job every off season to blackmail PSU - I hate whiney rich people - just STFU and enjoy the fact you are a 1%er and have more money than most people in the world will ever have.

 

[Ludd]

Just Franklin being Franklin, a self-promoter first and foremost.

What Vandy is doing now under Lea is more impressive than what they did under Franklin (many of the SEC programs they beat were in down periods), who, during that time, lost twice to Northwestern and then proceeded to cancel the series via snail mail.

Wasn't impressed by Franklin's game day coaching then (especially since Fitzgerald isn't exactly a good game day coach, even more so during his early years), which was why didn't exactly like the hire all those years ago.

Self-proclaiming about how one is a "players' coach" says everything.

Matt Campbell is a players' coach, but in a totally different way (and you won't hear him brag about it).

Campbell is an upgrade in every which way.

As an aside, have to chuckle at all the talk about Franklin being a "great" recruiter.

No, he was a good to very good recruiter considering the Penn State brand name, but he didn't exactly exceed what the HC of a program like Penn State should achieve.

Plus he had problems related to recruiting the right player at the most important position, not to mention wide receivers, nevermind putting them on a position to succeed.

How do we know at this point if Campbell is even a little bit of an upgrade, let alone an upgrade in every which way? Shouldn’t he at least have to win a game at PSU first?

 

[bbrown]

Link: James Franklin Throws Penn State Under the Bus for Not Caring About Players In First Team Meeting With Virginia Tech.​

It sure sounds as if there’s no love lost between new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin and his former employer, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Franklin was fired midseason following back-to-back losses to UCLA and Northwestern that dropped the Nittany Lions to 3-3 after beginning the season ranked No. 2 in the country.

His firing came as a surprise to many, as Penn State reached the College Football Playoff semifinals a year ago, albeit with a fortuitous path through the bracket.

Now, in his first team meeting with Virginia Tech players, Franklin explained the fallout at Penn State and took a shot at the school in the process.

James Franklin Says He Lost To UCLA & Northwestern Because He Cares About Players​

On Thursday, the Hokies released a YouTube video profiling Franklin’s first 72 hours in Blacksburg. As part of the video, it showed a clip from Franklin’s first team meeting with his new Virginia Tech players.

Around the 3:40 mark of the video, Franklin talks about where things went wrong in Happy Valley.

“I’m a players’ coach,” he began. “That’s all I care about. When things changed at Penn State, the reason I struggled is because I care about the players.”

That is…certainly one view of it.

For one, it implies that the rest of the admin at Penn State did not care about the players, which is a pretty bold stance. But also, I’m not sure how caring about the players would lead to a far more talented team losing to UCLA and Northwestern.

If he had cared about the players less, would Penn State have won those games?

Is Franklin referring to caring about certain players specifically? If so, what about the other players? And if he’s referring to every player, what specifically about caring about them led to the downfall?

It’s just an extremely bizarre way to both explain away very real shortcomings and to take a shot at your previous employer. But hey, if he wins in Blacksburg to any extent at all, it’ll be better than the last two coaches the Hokies had.

 

[GoPSU97]

Campbell's record is worse.

Did Campbell have the talent on the field that Franklin did?

 

[katatonic2]

How do we know at this point if Campbell is even a little bit of an upgrade, let alone an upgrade in every which way? Shouldn’t he at least have to win a game at PSU first?

Because Campbell is a superior X's and O's/game management coach, better at hiring assistants/coordinators, better at evaluating and developing QBs, etc.

Franklin, otoh, is known for being a superficial salesman...

Except wins and.losses.

With far inferior resources, MC has as many top 10 wins as BGJ.

And 3 of BGJ's top 4 wins were against programs with inferior resources - Wisconsin, Utah and Boise St.

 

[Corner Room Breakfast]

How do we know at this point if Campbell is even a little bit of an upgrade, let alone an upgrade in every which way? Shouldn’t he at least have to win a game at PSU first?

Did any NFL teams offer JF a HC job , like MC ?

 

[WVilleLion23]

How do we know at this point if Campbell is even a little bit of an upgrade, let alone an upgrade in every which way? Shouldn’t he at least have to win a game at PSU first?

I think Campbell is if nothing else, an upgrade in character and sincerity.