No departing message from Franklin?

[TonyBender]

Franklin was genuine to players and their families. I give him that.

But behind closed doors he wasn't this great genuine man of integrity everyone thinks. Franklin went to Pat Chambers all the time for advice, help, Pat was always there as a friend. When Pat got into trouble and went to James for help, James slammed the door in his face.

I work with a guy who's HS coach was at a camp with James. The HS coach coached a player James played with at ESU and the guy was going through a rough time. The coach asked James if he could give him a call, it'd mean a lot just to hear from you. James said....NO.

There are few more stories I know of like this. But of course the La Jollas of the world, who literally know nothing about this will tell people its BS just to protect James.

One [oster entioned giving back to Happy Valley and getting involved. Paterno gave how many millions of his own money to help build the library? What did James give to the comunity?

 

[Marshall2323]

He had to go when he did. It's not like we aren't going to pay him.

He had clearly lost the team and was putting out an embarrassing product. Keeping him employed to flap in the wind would have been a terrible decision. We also needed to close the Franklin chapter and get a fresh start searching for a new coach.

We will be back. To think Franklin took us as far as we ever will go sounds like a bitter old man angry that they fired his son.

Franklin did good things while at Penn State but he failed spectacularly at trying to win big games and get Penn State in the thick of a NC race. Then we have this year where it looks like he just quit. Disappointing to say the least but I am confident we will get a coach who can do more (read, win big games and win a NC) than what Franklin could do.

He had to go when he did. It's not like we aren't going to pay him.

He had clearly lost the team and was putting out an embarrassing product. Keeping him employed to flap in the wind would have been a terrible decision. We also needed to close the Franklin chapter and get a fresh start searching for a new coach.

We will be back. To think Franklin took us as far as we ever will go sounds like a bitter old man angry that they fired his son.

Franklin did good things while at Penn State but he failed spectacularly at trying to win big games and get Penn State in the thick of a NC race. Then we have this year where it looks like he just quit. Disappointing to say the least but I am confident we will get a coach who can do more (read, win big games and win a NC) than what Franklin could do.

Franklin didn't lose the team. As proof, you will see what happens if he lands a job. He lost the message boards and the drunken fans in the stadium. He never had the "Paterno people and lettermen." Now you have the same Paterno people and the Franklin lettermen faction.
He did fail to win "the big game." Now Penn State will try to win any game as evidence that they are "a team with a pulse." At least he will leave us with the memory of a 13 win season and 34 wins the last 3 years. Cherish it....cause many of us will be gone before this happens again.
Next year will be a disaster and we will all still blame Franklin....even though he never had 2 losing seasons in a row.
I dispute that firing him early did anything but exacerbate the death spiral. The hopes for any recruiting class quickly dissolved and any player with eligibility for 2026 has their reps scouring the landscape for a new place to play. Are we any closer to hiring a head coach? hahahahahah
All I know is what I read and if its true PSU is down to guys who couldn't win the big one where they are currently employed.
All the experts here counter with....the recruiting class was terrible and the roster is a bunch of losers.....we'll go to the portal.
Good luck with that! With the NIL money available, I'm sure you'll strike gold.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

Franklin didn't lose the team. As proof, you will see what happens if he lands a job. He lost the message boards and the drunken fans in the stadium. He never had the "Paterno people and lettermen." Now you have the same Paterno people and the Franklin lettermen faction.
He did fail to win "the big game." Now Penn State will try to win any game as evidence that they are "a team with a pulse." At least he will leave us with the memory of a 13 win season and 34 wins the last 3 years. Cherish it....cause many of us will be gone before this happens again.
Next year will be a disaster and we will all still blame Franklin....even though he never had 2 losing seasons in a row.
I dispute that firing him early did anything but exacerbate the death spiral. The hopes for any recruiting class quickly dissolved and any player with eligibility for 2026 has their reps scouring the landscape for a new place to play. Are we any closer to hiring a head coach? hahahahahah
All I know is what I read and if its true PSU is down to guys who couldn't win the big one where they are currently employed.
All the experts here counter with....the recruiting class was terrible and the roster is a bunch of losers.....we'll go to the portal.
Good luck with that! With the NIL money available, I'm sure you'll strike gold.

Franklin stunk, period.

 

[Marshall2323]

Franklin stunk, period.

So, how many coaches stunk to the tune of 13 wins last year?
I get it....all 13 of those wins were because "We Are" PSU and the uniforms scared them. It is an incredible circumstance that a coach is always the reason for a loss....but wins are because we're supposed to win. Hahaha
Yeah, he stinks. He's about to get hired for 3 million per year more than PSU paid him.
And PSU....well, we're hoping all the candidates lose the "big game" so we can entice them to come here to win the "big game."
Fanboys....gotta love em.

 

[Bkmtnittany1]

Franklin stunk, period.

You are an a**hole, period.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

You are an a**hole, period.

 

[manatree]

People need to consider that some posters like @Chumboshifko1 didn’t create their accounts until after Franklin was fired.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

People need to consider that some posters like @Chumboshifko1 didn’t create their accounts until after Franklin was fired.

 

[Connorpozlee]

Franklin didn't lose the team. As proof, you will see what happens if he lands a job. He lost the message boards and the drunken fans in the stadium. He never had the "Paterno people and lettermen." Now you have the same Paterno people and the Franklin lettermen faction.
He did fail to win "the big game." Now Penn State will try to win any game as evidence that they are "a team with a pulse." At least he will leave us with the memory of a 13 win season and 34 wins the last 3 years. Cherish it....cause many of us will be gone before this happens again.
Next year will be a disaster and we will all still blame Franklin....even though he never had 2 losing seasons in a row.
I dispute that firing him early did anything but exacerbate the death spiral. The hopes for any recruiting class quickly dissolved and any player with eligibility for 2026 has their reps scouring the landscape for a new place to play. Are we any closer to hiring a head coach? hahahahahah
All I know is what I read and if its true PSU is down to guys who couldn't win the big one where they are currently employed.
All the experts here counter with....the recruiting class was terrible and the roster is a bunch of losers.....we'll go to the portal.
Good luck with that! With the NIL money available, I'm sure you'll strike gold.

If he didn’t “lose the team” I don’t know what other reason there is for what unfolded this year. You have pointed out several times last year’s 13 wins. We lost two great players from that team. That should have not crippled this team, though. If you want to bang the drum for his 13 wins last season then you have have to also sound the alarm on the product he rolled out this year. If you’re being fair, that is.

 

[LaJollaCreek]

People need to consider that some posters like @Chumboshifko1 didn’t create their accounts until after Franklin was fired.

He's been here before and he didn't like Franklin when he was born. Other posters know who he is and what he is too.

 

[manatree]

He's been here before and he didn't like Franklin when he was born. Other posters know who he is and what he is too.

Oh, I'm sure he has several accounts, but clearly this one was created solely for s#!t posting.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Oh, I'm sure he has several accounts, but clearly this one was created solely for s#!t posting.

In his defense, the other accounts were also only used for s#!t posting.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

He's been here before and he didn't like Franklin when he was born. Other posters know who he is and what he is too.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

Oh, I'm sure he has several accounts, but clearly this one was created solely for s#!t posting.

 

[Westcoast24]

People need to consider that some posters like @Chumboshifko1 didn’t create their accounts until after Franklin was fired.

He’s the former poster known as pnnylion. Nuff said.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

He’s the former poster known as pnnylion. Nuff said.

 

[Marshall2323]

If he didn’t “lose the team” I don’t know what other reason there is for what unfolded this year. You have pointed out several times last year’s 13 wins. We lost two great players from that team. That should have not crippled this team, though. If you want to bang the drum for his 13 wins last season then you have have to also sound the alarm on the product he rolled out this year. If you’re being fair, that is.

Why don't you apply that logic to all posters? Why are we fixated on 1 season of 10 or 11? The fact remains that 10 win seasons under Franklin were more likely than the 2 losing seasons. No person or coach is perfect. When the savior is appointed and delivers 13 wins ...I'll be happy to admit he's better than Franklin.
In the meantime I'll challenge experts here who lgnore the fact that only a hand full of coaches won more games than Franklin the past 10 years.
I get it that We Are and anyone can win the games Franklin won. Show me.

 

[m.knox]

Hell will freeze over before some of the haters stop beating the dead horse. C’mon man you know better.

Oops, wrong thread... lol.

 

[Connorpozlee]

Why don't you apply that logic to all posters? Why are we fixated on 1 season of 10 or 11? The fact remains that 10 win seasons under Franklin were more likely than the 2 losing seasons. No person or coach is perfect. When the savior is appointed and delivers 13 wins ...I'll be happy to admit he's better than Franklin.
In the meantime I'll challenge experts here who lgnore the fact that only a hand full of coaches won more games than Franklin the past 10 years.
I get it that We Are and anyone can win the games Franklin won. Show me.

Well, I’ll say this. I wouldn’t have fired the Franklin from the first 11 years. He had my full support. As frustrating as the losses to big teams continued to pile up, I still supported him. This season’s Franklin was not the same guy. His team was not prepared to compete for a championship this year, in a year that everybody thought was their best chance to do so in years. When a guy is done, he is done. Franklin was done this year, for whatever reason.

 

[Lion84]

Some here act like Franklin is their brother or something - he was a coach and a good one for a long time but that time is over - the program may improve under a new coaching team it may not. Time will tell but Franklin is gone get over it. If you can't go ahead and root for another team - no one will miss you. Sorry some may have higher expectations for this program - we will see what happens in the future but the sour grapes of "we will be Rutgers" going forward is stupid - and weird some seem more loyal to an ex-coach than the team they supposedly root for.

 

[Erial_Lion]

and weird some seem more loyal to an ex-coach than the team they supposedly root for.

Many have been saying that for over a decade now...

 

[LionJim]

In his defense, the other accounts were also only used for s#!t posting.

Attaboy.

 

[Marshall2323]

Well, I’ll say this. I wouldn’t have fired the Franklin from the first 11 years. He had my full support. As frustrating as the losses to big teams continued to pile up, I still supported him. This season’s Franklin was not the same guy. His team was not prepared to compete for a championship this year, in a year that everybody thought was their best chance to do so in years. When a guy is done, he is done. Franklin was done this year, for whatever reason.

That's fair.But what isn't fair is insisting that good seasons didn't exist. Or they occurred in spite of him. That's pure stupidity and will be proven so in the coming seasons.

 

[Marshall2323]

Some here act like Franklin is their brother or something - he was a coach and a good one for a long time but that time is over - the program may improve under a new coaching team it may not. Time will tell but Franklin is gone get over it. If you can't go ahead and root for another team - no one will miss you. Sorry some may have higher expectations for this program - we will see what happens in the future but the sour grapes of "we will be Rutgers" going forward is stupid - and weird some seem more loyal to an ex-coach than the team they supposedly root for.

High expectations of fans achieve what? Do we suit up?

 

[Ram20]

Franklin didn't lose the team. As proof, you will see what happens if he lands a job. He lost the message boards and the drunken fans in the stadium. He never had the "Paterno people and lettermen." Now you have the same Paterno people and the Franklin lettermen faction.
He did fail to win "the big game." Now Penn State will try to win any game as evidence that they are "a team with a pulse." At least he will leave us with the memory of a 13 win season and 34 wins the last 3 years. Cherish it....cause many of us will be gone before this happens again.
Next year will be a disaster and we will all still blame Franklin....even though he never had 2 losing seasons in a row.
I dispute that firing him early did anything but exacerbate the death spiral. The hopes for any recruiting class quickly dissolved and any player with eligibility for 2026 has their reps scouring the landscape for a new place to play. Are we any closer to hiring a head coach? hahahahahah
All I know is what I read and if its true PSU is down to guys who couldn't win the big one where they are currently employed.
All the experts here counter with....the recruiting class was terrible and the roster is a bunch of losers.....we'll go to the portal.
Good luck with that! With the NIL money available, I'm sure you'll strike gold.

Dude, you have no idea what you spew. He was very much supported by the university and the fanbase generally. My father was a letterman and he and his ex-teammates were rooting for Franklin but were frustrated the same things fans were. Just stop with the JoeBot talk. He had 12 years to win a big game, was paid handsomely, the fans continued to pay, support, and show up in mass to games. The administration, albeit while dragging their feet, finally gave him everything he wanted.....and he failed, he failed this season. It doesn't take away from the fact that he won some games and was a really solid coach....he received a big contract extension and fan support because of it. I for one am tired of the denigration of the fanbase. Yes, I'm sure some young drunk fans yelled unnecessary things at him, that's regrettable. What else is regrettable is freezing the kicker for Buffalo up 54 points to preserve a shut-out. Franklin isn't Jesus. For all those on this board that think our fans are entitled, nasty, and unaccepting of change....what fanbase are you comparing us to? The fans for "Penn State Football Inc" are demanded a lot of in terms of financial support and "showing up," but they are entitled if they want more after 12 years? Whatever, I'll plant my flag.....for those that think Franklin is above reproach and our fans are a drunk militia living in the past, I would honestly encourage you to cheer for whatever University Franklin ends up at and stop posting on this board. Its weird to me you are more loyal to Franklin than the University and fans.

 

[laKavosiey-st lion]

He's been here before and he didn't like Franklin when he was born. Other posters know who he is and what he is too.

What he’s not is 4-21

 

[Connorpozlee]

That's fair.But what isn't fair is insisting that good seasons didn't exist. Or they occurred in spite of him. That's pure stupidity and will be proven so in the coming seasons.

I agree with you, and that’s certainly not something I’ve ever done. But as ridiculous as that position is, so has been your approach that coaches are infallible.

 

[Bkmtnittany1]

Oh, I'm sure he has several accounts, but clearly this one was created solely for s#!t posting.

Actually he created this account after he started a thread on the Free For All site bad mouthing this forum. His handle is JoeJohn and he has a thread “TOS Ruined” where he bad mouths Tom and other posters. This loser has a hard on for posters who he says change handles. Yet he does it all the time. After he started that thread he stopped posting as JohnJumba, waited a week, then came back as Chumbo. The dude is seriously mentally disturbed… and a racist peace of crap.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

Attaboy.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

Actually he created this account after he started a thread on the Free For All site bad mouthing this forum. His handle is JoeJohn and he has a thread “TOS Ruined” where he bad mouths Tom and other posters. This loser has a hard on for posters who he says change handles. Yet he does it all the time. After he started that thread he stopped posting as JohnJumba, waited a week, then came back as Chumbo. The dude is seriously mentally disturbed… and a racist peace of crap.

,

 

[Lion84]

Dude, you have no idea what you spew. He was very much supported by the university and the fanbase generally. My father was a letterman and he and his ex-teammates were rooting for Franklin but were frustrated the same things fans were. Just stop with the JoeBot talk. He had 12 years to win a big game, was paid handsomely, the fans continued to pay, support, and show up in mass to games. The administration, albeit while dragging their feet, finally gave him everything he wanted.....and he failed, he failed this season. It doesn't take away from the fact that he won some games and was a really solid coach....he received a big contract extension and fan support because of it. I for one am tired of the denigration of the fanbase. Yes, I'm sure some young drunk fans yelled unnecessary things at him, that's regrettable. What else is regrettable is freezing the kicker for Buffalo up 54 points to preserve a shut-out. Franklin isn't Jesus. For all those on this board that think our fans are entitled, nasty, and unaccepting of change....what fanbase are you comparing us to? The fans for "Penn State Football Inc" are demanded a lot of in terms of financial support and "showing up," but they are entitled if they want more after 12 years? Whatever, I'll plant my flag.....for those that think Franklin is above reproach and our fans are a drunk militia living in the past, I would honestly encourage you to cheer for whatever University Franklin ends up at and stop posting on this board. Its weird to me you are more loyal to Franklin than the University and fans.

Agree 100% with you - damn fans expecting better for our Team - how dare we = we should just shut up and praise any and everything the coach does because he is always right and since you never coached you have no right to critisize a HIGHLY paid coach or expect anything other than what he deems to give you - that crap is getting old fast - old Joebots replaced by new Franklinbbots.

 

[LaJollaCreek]

Agree 100% with you - damn fans expecting better for our Team - how dare we = we should just shut up and praise any and everything the coach does because he is always right and since you never coached you have no right to critisize a HIGHLY paid coach or expect anything other than what he deems to give you - that crap is getting old fast - old Joebots replaced by new Franklinbbots.

Relax....most understand the firing and the timing. This thread was started due to some Joebot more than likely still trying to be offended by Franklin not kissing the missing the statue or something. Even though a week after he was fired he was on national TV singing the schools praises. The fact that people keep going on about this BS is the worst part. Most get the firing, but some seem to think the next guy will be the guy.....odds are that isn't true as much as we want it to be.

 

[Marshall2323]

I agree with you, and that’s certainly not something I’ve ever done. But as ridiculous as that position is, so has been your approach that coaches are infallible.

Never ever said coaches are infallible. My analogy is simple. The pope IMO isn't infallible....however, I would assert that he is closer to it than those who would judge him.

 

[Marshall2323]

Agree 100% with you - damn fans expecting better for our Team - how dare we = we should just shut up and praise any and everything the coach does because he is always right and since you never coached you have no right to critisize a HIGHLY paid coach or expect anything other than what he deems to give you - that crap is getting old fast - old Joebots replaced by new Franklinbbots.

This is also the fanbase that contains critics of the greatest educator/ coach who ever lived. I call them Joebuts. As in "I loved Joe but...."
They are part of a university that blocked every legitimate effort to honor him...and quickly agreed to field naming rights without investigating what revenues might have been generated by honoring Joe.
Criticizing "highly" paid coaches isn't noble or unique. It just makes Penn State like every other fanbase in America. Way to go...We Are Like everyone else.

 

[HarrisburgDave]

Franklin gave us losing seasons to bookend four "winning seasons" where he beat nobody with a pulse. One of those "winning" seasons had just 7 wins. Oh yeah, great job Franklin.

Franklin is a good coach, trending to mediocre. He could not recruit with the Top Ten programs, he failed to win against Top Ten teams, and he produced two losing seasons in the past six years with his own recruits. He had over a decade to produce results. He did not deserve more time.

Can Penn State do better? Yes. Will they do better? Time will tell.

Lets see if any teams in the Top 20 hire Franklin when the coaches do their annual moving about.

I do know that in the private corporate sector a record of two years with deficits, one break even and three positive gets you fired. It should.

 

[Mufasa94]

Why don't you apply that logic to all posters? Why are we fixated on 1 season of 10 or 11? The fact remains that 10 win seasons under Franklin were more likely than the 2 losing seasons....

This is factually incorrect. There were six 10+ win seasons out of 12. That does not qualify as more likely.

That's fair.But what isn't fair is insisting that good seasons didn't exist....

Provide evidence of posters insisting there were zero good seasons with Franklin as HC.

Franklin didn't lose the team. As proof, you will see what happens if he lands a job...

How the heck would something in the future with another team prove anything about Franklin's handling of this year's team?

 

[Bkmtnittany1]

I personally know 2 very wealthy alums who have told me they would give serious $$$ to Happy Valley United if the field had been named after Joe. They have also told me that their are dozens of other alums who would do the same thing… as it is… they give nothing

 

[Chumboshifko1]

The worst thing Penn State ever did was crapping on Paterno.

 

[barry j fenchak]

This is factually incorrect. There were six 10+ win seasons out of 12. That does not qualify as more likely.

Provide evidence of posters insisting there were zero good seasons with Franklin as HC.


How the heck would something in the future with another team prove anything about Franklin's handling of this year's team?

Don't expect any sense out of that bitter old man. The reason for his angst is that he was stupid enough to put not one but 2 coaches on the god pedestal. Both were shown the door in disgrace. He is unable to get past these colossal failures.

 

[Connorpozlee]

Never ever said coaches are infallible. My analogy is simple. The pope IMO isn't infallible....however, I would assert that he is closer to it than those who would judge him.

You’ve never explicitly stated that coaches are infallible. You have disputed or mocked every post that has pointed out coaching mistakes or placed blame upon them. That’s the same thing.