Penn State head coach James Franklin is not a coach without his flaws and share of critics. But by and large, you would have a difficult time finding any national analysts who would argue Franklin isn’t a good coach.
But just how good is he compared to his peers in the coaching profession? The Athletic recently shared an updated annual ranking of college football coaches heading into the 2021 season, and there was a bit of a different pulse registered by writers Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman.
Feldman was willing to give Franklin a little more benefit of the doubt in his assessment of Franklin compared to Mandel, who judged Franklin a tad more harshly in his personal ranking.
“A 4-5 record coming off a top-10 season, where Penn State had just gone 11-2, feels like an aberration,” Feldman concluded in his ranking of Franklin (Feldman ranked Franklin fifth overall in his list). “Franklin is still the same guy who took over a program reeling from hefty sanctions, and by Year 3 he led the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten title.”
Mandel wasn’t quite prepared to give Franklin as much backing under the same conditions.
“Notable opt-outs and injuries certainly contributed to Penn State’s 4-5 (0-5 at one point) campaign, but Franklin has seen considerable staff churn as well,” Mandel explained in ranking Franklin 17th overall in his ranking.
Both Mandel and Feldman were in sync with their top four. Alabama’s Nick Saban, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly, and Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley are at the top of the list in that order for each. Interestingly, Feldman ranked Franklin higher than LSU head coach Ed Orgeron (who has won a national title) and Ohio State’s Ryan Day. Feldman did knock Franklin down a couple of spots from his 2020 ranking, dropping Penn State’s coach from third to fifth overall. Mandel ranked Franklin seventh overall in his 2000 ranking.
How would you rank Franklin among FBS head coaches in 2021?
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter @NittanyLionWire. Like Nittany Lions Wire on Facebook.
What QBs in the transfer portal could be Penn State targets?