Penn State's James Franklin Has a New Postseason Purpose

Franklin is the oldest among the eight remaining playoff coaches. "The older you get, you try to keep the main thing the main thing," he said.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin celebrates with linebacker Dominic DeLuca (0) after an interception return for a touchdown during the first half against the SMU Mustangs at Beaver Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Penn State football doesn't normally allow outside cameras into its locker room, but the playoff is different, and ESPN paid big for the media rights, so it gets some privilieges. That's why an ESPN camera was trained on Penn State coach James Franklin in the locker room after the Nittany Lions' 38-10 win over SMU in the College Football Playoff's first round.

Franklin loves these moments, in the locker room after a win, because they're bring cathartic release to a week's grind. In this moment, Franklin cued ESPN to ready the bleep as he spoke. The message he delivered (colorfully) in the locker room was one he repeated in the media room later.

"I'm at a point in my career that it's all about the players," Franklin said.

In January 2014, Franklin was Penn State's newly hired head coach, a driven 41-year-old who came to State College with a career arc mapped and a catalog of goals. Atop the list was a national championship. Still is. But now, Franklin has recalibrated his purpose for getting there.

"When you are younger [as a coach], you are focused on all different types of things, right?" Franklin said. "When you are a young offensive coordinator, you are worried about points, and you are worried about yards, and you are worried about turnover ratio and explosive plays and all of those things that are still important and they matter. But I think the older you get, you try to keep the main thing the main thing."

Every coach says that, but it takes time, experience, success and failure to truly capture. At 52, Franklin is the oldest coach among the eight left in the College Football Playoff. He also is the longest-tenured coach (11 years) at the same school in the field. Franklin now is an elder in the coaching profession, and the godfather of this field, something Boise State coach Spencer Danielson inadvertently noted this week as the teams prepare to meet in the Fiesta Bowl.

"I don't know coach Franklin, but I think very highly of him, a ton of respect for him, what he's done over the years, what he's done this season," said Danielson, Boise State's 36-year-old head coach. "They are a touchdown away from being the Big Ten champs and probably being the No. 1 seed in the playoff. I have followed his journey for a long time."

A long time. Franklin might cringe at hearing that. But Penn State's first-round playoff win also was a mile marker on that journey. Franklin won his 100th game as Penn State's head coach, which he wanted to discuss only in deferred terms. How his players and staff mattered most. How some staff members (associate head coach Terry Smith, strength coach Chuck Losey, general manager Andy Frank, director of football administration Kevin Threlkell) have been there since February 2014. How the main thing matters most.

"At the end of the day, it boils down to our players having a tremendous experience while they are here at Penn State, and a part of that, obviously, is winning as many games as possible," Franklin said. "And then also developing them as young men and as students. And then also trying to put as many of them in a position to chase their dream in the NFL as well. For me, the older you get, you kind of get rid of all those other things like stats and yards and stats and points and things like that. And it just really comes down to the players. It comes down to relationships. It comes down to the staff. It comes down to the staff, relationships and development."

Outside the Penn State football building, Franklin's career still pivots, fairly or not, on a record that he both owns and contextualizes. With the win over SMU, Franklin improved to 4-19 vs. top-10 teams as Penn State's head coach. To win the national championship, Franklin would have to win more games vs. top-10 teams in a month than he has in the past 11 years.

But as Franklin often says, most of college football are jealous of Penn State's position. His players and coaches testified to that.

"The comment that he made about being part of a family, that's totally true," first-year Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnick said. "Honestly, I feel like just a spoke in the flywheel that he's created here. The offensive coordinator is an important position, but he doesn't get enough credit for what he's done here consistently, honestly, and I feel like I'm just a spoke in that process."

Added quarterback Drew Allar, "in terms of coach Franklin, he gets a lot of criticism that's undeserved, and he's done a lot more than people give him credit for. Obviously, winning his 100th game, it's special to be a part of that and be the team that was able to deliver that 100th game win to him. To have it on a stage like the playoffs and at home in Beaver Stadium, it's truly special."

Franklin is closer than he's been to a national championship, but three steps remain. The next is against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve. Franklin will take each of those steps individually. But at 52, Franklin also wants to take those steps with perspective.

"I think you guys know I have always been a relational leader," Franklin told reporters this week. "That's what has always driven me in this profession and it's been my leadership style. But there was still probably some time and energy focused on other things, and now I just try to keep the main thing the main thing, which is my family at home and my family at work."

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