When Penn State fired James Franklin in October, it was a move that was met with approval by Nittany Lions fans. After 12 years in State College, Franklin's tenure came to an end after three straight losses that left Penn State 3-3 on the season.
After he was fired, Franklin made an appearance on ESPN College GameDay the following Saturday morning and made it clear that he wanted to be back on the sideline sooner rather than later. Let's be honest, a coach with his résumé wasn't going to stay unemployed for long.
Enter Virginia Tech. A month after firing Franklin's former defensive coordinator at Penn State, Brent Pry, was given his walking papers at Virginia Tech, Franklin became the target of Virginia Tech's search committee to hire the next coach. It made too much sense for the committee to pursue. It was a hire that they needed to nail, and when the dust settled, he was hired in mid-November in Blacksburg.
Since he has been hired, Franklin has done several interviews on different platforms. Since he started doing them, every single one of them has been broken down with every word he has said. His latest interview was with Ralph Russo of The Athletic. He touched on several topics, including how things ended at Penn State. As you can imagine, his quotes are upsetting the Nittany Lions' nation, who refuses to let Franklin move on.
James Franklin's latest quotes about Penn State get the fanbase all fired up
Russo asked Franklin if he thought he regretted not leaving Penn State for another job before he was fired in October. In the past, you can bet some schools came calling, and the veteran coach turned them down. Does he regret those decisions?
“Yes. I say that because of how it ended,” Franklin said. “I didn’t feel like that at the time because when all these opportunities came, I turned them down because we were so close.”
Of course, that answer is getting Penn State fans' panties all ruffled. Shocking, considering that most of them, for some strange reason, still hang on to everything he says and does at Virginia Tech. Imagine if Virginia Tech fans obsessively did that to a former coach? My goodness.
Anyway, what is Penn State looking for from Franklin? He agrees to do an interview, and of course, he's going to be asked about how things ended at Penn State. No? If he's not, well then what a wasted interview. Could you imagine if he were asked a question about Penn State and refused to answer it? My goodness, he would be ripped apart by the obsessive fanbase more than he already is.
It's time for Penn State fans to move on and embrace Matt Campbell. A new era is beginning in State College, just like there is in Blacksburg. It's time for Nittany Lions' fans to support their current coach rather than talking every day and hanging on every single word Franklin says. If he isn't asked about Penn State, he won't talk about them. When that day comes, it'll be a dark day for Penn State fans who will eventually move on.
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