James Franklin

James Franklin, a veteran presence in collegiate and NFL football coaching, has guided teams to consistent success and developed numerous professional athletes. After achieving historic success as head coach at Vanderbilt University, James Franklin led the Commodores to three consecutive bowl games and their first back-to-back nine-win seasons in program history. Under his leadership from 2011, Vanderbilt secured consecutive Top 25 finishes in 2012 and 2013. Prior to this, Franklin began his coaching career in 1995 as a wide receivers coach at Kutztown University, followed by roles at James Madison, Washington State, and Idaho State.

He completed NFL internships with the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, and Minnesota Vikings. He served at the University of Maryland as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator (2000-2004), and later as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator (2008-2010). He also coached wide receivers for the Green Bay Packers in 2005 and served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Kansas State (2006-2007), developing NFL talents such as Josh Freeman and Jordy Nelson. In 2014, Franklin was appointed the 16th head football coach at Penn State.

By 2024, he made history as the first African American FBS head coach to reach 100 career wins, guiding the Nittany Lions to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance and a program-record 13-win season. He was instrumental in the development of 59 NFL Draft picks and consistently secured top-tier recruiting classes. Franklin also championed academic and community engagement through initiatives like the Franklin Family Educational Equity Scholarship and ‘Be the Match’ bone marrow drives. He concluded his tenure at Penn State in October 2025, having amassed a 104-45 record with the university.

Franklin’s head coaching career boasts an overall record of 128-60.