Penn State football has transformed from a program under NCAA sanctions to a Big Ten powerhouse in the past decade.
Head coach James Franklin led this resurgence after taking over in January 2014, when many experts predicted years of struggle for the Nittany Lions following the Jerry Sandusky-Joe Paterno era.
The team’s success peaked last season with appearances in both the Big Ten Championship against Oregon and the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame.
Former Penn State tight end Adam Breneman, now a college football analyst, shared insights about Franklin’s early challenges on the Mid Pen Bank podcast.
“You think about what Coach Franklin walked into at Penn State,” Breneman said. “One of the most unprecedented situations in all of college football history. It was a team that was shattered by sanctions, had a depleted offensive line, a locker room – I was there at the time – had, quite frankly, been through like five head coaches with the interims, and the negativity in the media and the press.”
Breneman, who played for Penn State from 2013-2015, witnessed Franklin’s immediate impact on team culture.
“He, very quickly after that, built trust with the program and build relationships,” Breneman said. “I watched him do it week by week by week. The one great judge of a coach I think is how they’re best players talk about them. That’s the tale. One, he’s built great relationships, and then two, he set that program up, too, in a very short period of time.”
The Nittany Lions claimed a Big Ten title in 2016, marking a turning point in Franklin’s tenure.
“I mean, so quickly after Franklin got there, he turned that program into a winner, consistently in the top-8 programs in college football,” Breneman said. “Time after time – and I’ll say this, too – without the resources that a lot of other programs have.”
Despite these achievements, Franklin remains focused on a larger goal.
“What he [has] done at that program is remarkable,” Breneman said. “But, James Franklin, he’ll tell you the goal is to win a national championship.”
