James Franklin Asked If He Wants to Be Penn State's Coach in 2022
James Franklin has been the subject of speculation amid a wild year for coaching changes.
On Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported that Penn State is looking to sign Franklin to an "enhanced" deal.
The university has formed a Board of Trustees subcommittee on compensation that will meet on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. ET. The expectation is that Franklin's deal will be on the agenda, according to PennLive.
He certainly didn't erase speculation about a contract extension with his comments on Tuesday.
"I was hoping that I’d be able to have a conversation with you guys at this stage, but I don’t have anything new to report at this time. . . Hopefully, I will be [able to]. I’ll get with you guys on Wednesday."
Franklin's Penn State team is having a fairly disappointing season, at 7–4 with one regular season game remaining. At the same time, his name has been raised with jobs like LSU and USC open.
Last week, Franklin reportedly told the State College Quarterback Club that he's "not going anywhere." On Saturday, he said he made that statement to the program's boosters because he "thought something was going to happen a little bit sooner."
During the press conference, Franklin was asked directly whether he wants to be Penn State's coach in 2022.
“I’ve been asked this question a bunch, and I think I’ve said and shown of my commitment and of my loyalty over eight years. I don’t really think that’s a question," Franklin said. "Obviously, this is much more complex than just a yes or no question that I get in these press conferences. And I know a lot of coaches handle it different. But when I speak, I want to be able to speak in detail and I want to be able to know what exactly what’s going on, so you keep asking me these questions, it’s not a simple yes or no answer and I think I have displayed and showed my commitment and loyalty over the past eight years.”
Franklin is 67–32 at Penn State since taking the job ahead of the 2014 season, with a 42–27 record in Big Ten play. The team won the Big Ten in 2016, and has made three New Year's Six bowl appearances during his tenure.
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For more news on the Penn State Nittany Lions, head over to All Penn State.