James Franklin on esuwarriors.com  l  Photos (facebook - ESUWarriors)

More coverage:
Jan. 4 - Comcast SportsNet: Franklin an ideal fit for Penn State
Jan. 7 - Harrisburg Patriot-News: Franklin could give Penn State recruiting edge
Jan. 6 - WNEP (watch): Douds discusses Franklin
Jan. 7 - Harrisburg Patriot-News: ESU roommate knew Franklin could be "best football coach in the country"
Jan. 10 - Morning Call: ESU's Franklin expected to be Penn State's head coach
Jan. 11 - Pocono Record: Franklin expected to be named head coach at Penn State
Jan. 11 - Morning Call: Franklin will bring passion and energy, colleagues say
Jan. 11 - GoPSUSports.com: Penn State selects Franklin to lead football program
Jan. 12 - Pocono Record: A Warrior will lead the Lions
Jan. 12 - Pocono Record: What Franklin's teammates are saying
Jan. 12 - Morning Call: Franklin says he will unite the state
Jan. 12 - Express-Times: Franklin was destined for great things, ESU teammates say
Jan. 12 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: A long journey complete for Franklin
Jan. 13 - Pocono Record: Joe Miegoc - Penn State hits home run by hiring Franklin
Jan. 16 - Pocono Record: Mike Kuhns - One thing left for Franklin to do: win
Jan. 17 - Harrisburg Patriot-News: Franklin emerges as leader


EAST STROUDSBURG - James Franklin, a 1995 East Stroudsburg University graduate and former quarterback for the Warriors, will return to Pennsylvania as head football coach at Penn State University.

Franklin, previously head coach at Vanderbilt University for the last three years, was named Penn State's 16th head coach on Saturday morning. The university will hold a press conference on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. in State College.

At ESU, Franklin was a regional candidate for the Harlon Hill Award, given to the top player in Division II, during his senior season in 1994. He was a two-year starter for the Warriors under head coach Denny Douds, the winningest coach in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) history, and set or tied 23 school single-game, season or career records - five which still stand.

"East Stroudsburg University and the Warriors football program congratulates James on this new opportunity in his career at Penn State University," Douds said. "It will be a welcome challenge for him to put his leadership, passion and enthusiasm to great use as he makes the Penn State Nation proud. We look forward to following his continued success."

Franklin was sixth in the nation in total offense with 312.9 yards per game as a senior, throwing for 2,586 yards and 14 touchdowns and running for 543 yards and seven scores. He was the first PSAC quarterback to throw for 2,500 yards and rush for 500 yards in a season and is one of four all-time along with ESU's Jimmy Terwilliger (2006), C.W. Post's Erik Anderwkavich (2010) and ESU's Matt Soltes (2012), currently the Warriors' quarterback.

During his record-setting 1994 season, Franklin set a single-game school record with 512 yards of total offense in a 44-17 win over Southern Connecticut State. He passed for 362 yards and ran for 150 yards to earn Player of the Week honors from numerous outlets, including Sports Illustrated.

Franklin was an All-PSAC East selection in both of his seasons as ESU's starting quarterback. In 1993, he threw for 1,912 yards and 19 touchdowns, tying ESU's school record, and ran for 395 yards and three TD. In his career, he had 4,687 yards passing and 36 TD, and ran for 1,077 yards and 10 TD, from 1991 to 1994.

Franklin earned a bachelor degree in Psychology from ESU in 1995 and a master's in Educational Leadership from Washington State in 1999.

He replaces Bill O'Brien as Penn State's head coach. O'Brien was introduced as head coach of the NFL's Houston Texans on Friday, January 3 after two years as head coach of the Nittany Lions. He is the program's fifth head coach since 1950.

"I can't tell you how excited I am to come home," Franklin stated in Penn State's official press release. "I grew up watching Penn State football and now to be at the helm of such a storied program is a tremendous honor. It's important to me to be part of a University that strives for excellence in everything they do. When football student-athletes come to Penn State, they have a unique opportunity to receive a premium education while playing at the highest level of competition."  (complete release)

In three seasons at Vanderbilt, Franklin guided the program to one of the top turnarounds in the country.

Franklin took over a program that had one winning season from 1982 through 2010, and helped the Commodores produce 24 wins and several program firsts - three straight bowl appearances, consecutive nine-win seasons and consecutive seasons with a Top 25 ranking in the end-of-year polls. Prior to the last three years, Vanderbilt had made four bowl appearances in school history, and last finished the season in the Associated Press rankings in 1948.

This year, Vanderbilt had wins over SEC foes Florida, Georgia and Tennessee in the same season for the first time in program history, and beat in-state rival Tennessee in consecutive years (2012-13) for the first time since 1925-26. The Commodores finished the season with a 41-24 win over Houston in the BBVA Compass Bowl on January 4 for their second straight bowl victory. Their 16-4 record in the last 20 games is second-best in the SEC behind perennial power Alabama.

Prior to arriving at Vanderbilt, Franklin was assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Maryland from 2008-10, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Kansas State in 2006-07, assistant coach (wide receivers) for the Green Bay Packers in 2005, and assistant coach (wide receivers/recruiting coordinator) at Maryland from 2000-04.

After finishing his playing career and graduating from ESU in the spring of 1995, he was an assistant coach (wide receivers) at Kutztown in 1995 and a graduate assistant coach (secondary) at ESU in 1996. He also coached wide receivers at James Madison in 1997, was the graduate assistant (tight ends) at Washington State in 1998, and coached wide receivers at Idaho State in 1999.



ESU Records, following graduation (23 – 5 still stand, marked *)
300 yard passing games, career – 4
300 yard total offense games, career – 8
Consecutive games with 2 TD passes, career – 5
Rushing yards, career (QB) – 1,077
Rushing TD, career (QB) – 10

Passing yards, season – 2,586 (1994)
Total offense, season – 3,129 (1994)
Total offense per game, season – 312.9 (1994)
Completions, season – 187 (1994)
Pass attempts, season – 364 (1994)
Passing TD, season – 19 (1993)
Total plays, season – 546 (1994)
300 yard passing games, season – 3 (1994)
300 yard total offense games, season – 5 (1994)
*Total plays per game, season – 54.6 (1994)
*Rushing yards, season (QB) – 543 (1994)
*Rushing TD, season (QB) – 7 (1994)

Total offense, single game – 512 (vs. Southern Conn. State, 1994)
Pass attempts, single game – 51 (vs. Millersville, 1994)
Pass attempts without an interception, single game – 43 (vs. Southern Conn. State, 1994)
Passing yards, first career start – 234 (at Kutztown, 1993)
*Total plays, single game – 72 (vs. Millersville, 1994)
*Rushing yards, game (QB) – 150 (vs. Southern Conn. State, 1994)


ESU Career Rankings, current (2-year starter)
Passing yards – 9th – 4,687
Total offense – 7th – 5,765
TD passes – 9th – 36
Completions – 9th – 322
Attempts – 8th – 663
Rushing yards, QB – 2nd – 1,077
Rushing TD, QB – 2nd – 10


ESU Season Rankings, current
Passing yards – 11th – 2,586 (1994)
Total offense – 10th – 3,129 (1994)
Total offense per game – 7th – 312.9 (1994)
Completions – 11th – 187 (1994)
Pass attempts – 4th – 364 (1994)
TD passes – t-13th – 19 (1993)
Total plays – 2nd – 546 (1994)
*Total plays per game – 1st – 54.6 (1994)
*Rushing yards, QB – 1st – 543 (1994)
*Rushing TD, QB – 1st – 7

ESU Single Game Rankings, current
Total offense – t-9th – 512 (vs. Southern Conn. State, 1994)
Pass attempts – t-8th – 51 (vs. Millersville, 1994)
*Total plays – 1st – 72 (vs. Millersville, 1994)
*Rushing yards, QB – 1st – 150 (vs. Southern Conn. State, 1994)