CFB: Public Enemy No. 1
James Geoffrey Franklin is the most overpaid, overrated coach in college football. The former wide receiver coach for the Green Bay Packers has made a name for himself, as being a rebuilding coach. There is no denying that Franklin is a good coach and has brought two programs into something again, first at Vanderbilt and now Penn State. But just because you are a good coach, doesn't mean you're what you're cracked up to be.
Franklin has a 52-30 win-loss record, which ranks in the mid-40's of win percentage amongst FBS head coaches. What is upsetting, is that he is the fourth highest paid head coach in all of college football. He is fourth! Just a couple of names behind him in pay are, national champions Jimbo Fisher and Dabo Swinney. After rebuilding Vanderbilt and finishing there with a 24-15 record in the tough SEC, he upgraded to Penn State.
At last, the savior for the Nittany Lions was here ... so they had thought he would be. He jumped into the 2014 season with a rather disappointing 7-6 season followed up by, yet another 7-6 season in 2015. These years came after Bill O'Brien took over a far less talented team with sanctions in 2012 and 2013. Those O'Brien coached teams finished with more wins in his two years than Franklin did in his first two years.
Despite a disappointing first two seasons, the Nittany Lions stuck by their coach and he was on the hot seat half way through the 2016 season. After a blowout loss to Michigan, Franklin needed something to save himself. That came in the form of an upset win against No. 2 Ohio State. With the season progressing, Penn State slipped through the cracks and ultimately won the Big Ten Championship against Wisconsin securing their first trip to Pasadena since Joe Paterno led the Nittany Lions in 2008.
That year they lost to USC and Franklin would have the same fate. After falling to the Trojans, Penn State stunned everyone by throwing a 3-3 bowl game record and 60 percent win percentage coach - a fat contract extension. And by fat, I mean, $4.3 million which would ultimately escalate to $6.3 million by the end of the contract in 2022. The thing is, I would not be making this article with such anger if Franklin was simply a good guy. But he's not. He has always been a rude loud mouth but this year, he's taken it to a new level.
After beating Pittsburgh, who by the way beat Penn State last year in an upset, he said that beating Pitt is just like "Beating Akron," while when the Panthers won last season, it was like "Winning the Super Bowl." Like come on dude, seriously? Pitt was (kind of) the reason you did not make the CFP last year. Then, the following week being up 56-0 on Georgia State, Franklin felt it was necessary to ice the kicker to preserve his shut out with seconds left on the clock. It's in question whether Franklin is worth his contract on the field, but certainly off the field he's not the best of people on this Earth.
Photo Credit: Football Scoop & Land of 10.
