James Franklin
James Franklin went 133–62 as a head coach, 2011–2026, at Vanderbilt, Penn State and Virginia Tech. Wikipedia’s season articles record one season differently (2026, 4–2); by them his record is 132–62. Share
- Record
- 133–62 career
- Seasons
- 16
- Schools
- 3
- Final AP top 10
- 5 seasons
- Born
- Feb 2, 1972
- Alma mater
- East Stroudsburg 1995
- Best season
- 2024 13–3, No. 5
Season by season
| Season | School | Record | Conference finish | Bowl | AP final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Vanderbilt | 6–7 | T–4th | Liberty Bowl L | ||
| 2012 | Vanderbilt | 9–4 | 4th | Music City Bowl W | 23 | |
| 2013 | Vanderbilt | 9–4 | 4th | BBVA Compass Bowl W | 24 | |
| 2014 | Penn State | 7–6 | 6th | Pinstripe Bowl W | ||
| 2015 | Penn State | 7–6 | 4th | TaxSlayer Bowl L | ||
| 2016 | Penn State | 11–3 | T–1st | Rose Bowl L | 7 | |
| 2017 | Penn State | 11–2 | T–2nd | Fiesta Bowl W | 8 | |
| 2018 | Penn State | 9–4 | 3rd | Citrus Bowl L | 17 | |
| 2019 | Penn State | 11–2 | 2nd | Cotton Bowl W | 9 | |
| 2020 | Penn State | 4–5 | 3rd | |||
| 2021 | Penn State | 7–6 | 4th | Outback Bowl L | ||
| 2022 | Penn State | 11–2 | 3rd | Rose Bowl W | 7 | |
| 2023 | Penn State | 10–3 | 3rd | Peach Bowl L | 13 | |
| 2024 | Penn State | 13–3 | T–2nd | CFP First Round W; Fiesta Bowl, CFP Quarterfinal W; Orange Bowl, CFP Semifinal L | 5 | |
| 2025 | Penn State coached six of 13 games | 3–3 | ||||
| 2026 | Virginia Tech | 5–2 (Wikipedia: 4–2) |
Each season links to the team’s season page; bowls and playoff games link to the game. Conference finishes from the Wikipedia article’s record table.
Players he coached
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Abdul CarterNo. 3 pick, 2025- Olu FashanuConsensus All‑American, 2023
- Chop RobinsonNo. 21 pick, 2024
- Olaivavega IoaneNo. 14 pick, 2026
- Nick Dawkins2024 Wuerffel Trophy
Every player from his seasons with a Heisman top-five finish, a national award, consensus All-America honors or a first-round pick. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, free licenses; credits on each player’s page.
How his teams did
| Kind of game | Games | Record | Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Against ranked teams | 54 | 17–37 | 31% |
| Against top-10 teams | 30 | 4–26 | 13% |
| Against rivals | 71 | 40–31 | 56% |
| Conference games | 128 | 77–51 | 60% |
| Bowls and playoffs | 15 | 8–7 | 53% |
| Decided by 8 points or fewer | 69 | 33–36 | 48% |
| At home | 105 | 81–24 | 77% |
| On the road | 71 | 41–30 | 58% |
| At neutral sites | 19 | 11–8 | 58% |
| As our Elo’s favorite | 138 | 115–23 | 83% |
| As our Elo’s underdog | 57 | 18–39 | 32% |
His own 195 games on file, 2011–2026, as played (vacated wins counted, ties as half a win). Ranks are the AP poll going into the game; rivals are the ones either program’s Wikipedia article names; favorite and underdog by our own Elo rating, which reads only scores.
Against other head coaches
| Coach | Record | Their schools | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Locksley 2015–2026 | 7–1 | Maryland | 8 | |
| Jim Harbaugh 2015–2022 | 3–5 | Michigan | 8 | |
| Tom Allen 2017–2023 | 6–1 | Indiana | 7 | |
| Kirk Ferentz 2016–2023 | 5–2 | Iowa | 7 | |
| Mark Dantonio 2014–2019 | 2–4 | Michigan State | 6 | |
| Ryan Day 2019–2024 | 0–6 | Ohio State | 6 | |
| Pat Narduzzi 2016–2026 | 3–2 | Pittsburgh | 5 | |
| Pat Fitzgerald 2012–2022 | 2–3 | Northwestern | 5 | |
| Urban Meyer 2014–2018 | 1–4 | Ohio State | 5 | |
| Greg Schiano 2020–2023 | 4–0 | Rutgers | 4 |
James Franklin’s record against the head coaches he met three or more times, from the games on file, as played.
Most-faced opponents
| Opponent | Games | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Marylandseries | 12 | 10–2 |
| Ohio Stateseries | 11 | 1–10 |
| Rutgersseries | 10 | 10–0 |
| Indianaseries | 10 | 9–1 |
| Michigan Stateseries | 10 | 5–5 |
| Michiganseries | 10 | 3–7 |
| Illinoisseries | 7 | 5–2 |
| Iowaseries | 7 | 5–2 |
How he was hired
- Hired by Penn State for the 2014 season from Vanderbilt, where he was head coach.
Power-conference head-coaching hires since 2010, with each coach’s previous job and ties to the school as collected by hand from Wikipedia: Hiring facts: M. Schuckers, cfb_coach_analytics.
Career
| Years | Team | Job | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Kutztown | Wide receivers coach | |
| 1996 | East Stroudsburg | Defensive backs coach | |
| 1996 | Roskilde Kings | Offensive coordinator | |
| 1997 | James Madison | Wide receivers coach | |
| 1998 | Washington State | Tight ends coach | |
| 1999 | Idaho State | Wide receivers coach | |
| 2000–04 | Maryland | Wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator | |
| 2005 | Green Bay Packers NFL | Wide receivers coach | |
| 2006–07 | Kansas State | Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | |
| 2008–10 | Maryland | Assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | |
| 2011–13 | Vanderbilt | Head coach | |
| 2014–25 | Penn State | Head coach | |
| 2026–present | Virginia Tech | Head coach |
Every job as the infobox of his Wikipedia article lists it (CC BY-SA), assistant jobs included.
Coaching tree
Worked under
- Alex WoodJames Madison
- Mike PriceWashington State
- Ron VanderlindenMaryland
- Ralph FriedgenMaryland
- Mike ShermanGreen Bay Packers
- Ron PrinceKansas State
Assistants who became head coaches
- Bob ShoopColumbia
- Brent PryVirginia Tech
- Charles HuffMarshall, Southern Miss, Memphis
- Ricky RahneOld Dominion
- George BarlowNew Mexico
- Terry SmithPenn State
- Joe MoorheadMississippi State, Akron, Fordham
- Kirk CampbellLos Angeles Chargers (OA)-->
- Gerad ParkerPurdue, Troy
- Manny DiazMiami, Duke
- Stacy CollinsSouth Dakota Mines
- Tom AllenIndiana
- and 4 more
Worked under (6)
| Head coach | Team | Years | His job | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Wood | James Madison | 1997 | Wide receivers coach | |
| Mike Price | Washington State | 1998 | Tight ends coach | |
| Ron Vanderlinden | Maryland | 2000 | Wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator | |
| Ralph Friedgen | Maryland | 2001–10 | 2001–04: wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator; 2008–10: assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | |
| Mike Sherman | Green Bay Packers NFL | 2005 | Wide receivers coach | |
| Ron Prince | Kansas State | 2006–07 | Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach |
Coached under him, later head coaches (16)
| Coach | With him | Head coach at | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Shoop | Vanderbilt, 2011–13: defensive coordinator and safeties coach; Penn State, 2014–15: defensive coordinator and safeties coach | Columbia | |
| Brent Pry | Vanderbilt, 2011–13: assistant head coach, co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach; Penn State, 2014–15: assistant head coach, co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach; 2016–21: defensive coordinator and linebackers coach; Virginia Tech, 2026: defensive coordinator and linebackers coach | Virginia Tech | |
| Charles Huff | Vanderbilt, 2011: offensive quality control coach; Penn State, 2014–17: running backs coach | Marshall, Southern Miss, Memphis | |
| Ricky Rahne | Vanderbilt, 2011–13: quarterbacks coach; Penn State, 2014–15: quarterbacks coach; 2016–17: tight ends coach; 2018–19: offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | Old Dominion | |
| George Barlow | Vanderbilt, 2012–13: defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator | New Mexico | |
| Terry Smith | Penn State, 2014–15: cornerbacks coach; 2016–20: assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach; 2021–25: associate head coach and cornerbacks coach | Penn State | |
| Joe Moorhead | Penn State, 2016–17: offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | Mississippi State, Akron, Fordham | |
| Kirk Campbell | Penn State, 2017–19: offensive assistant | Los Angeles Chargers (OA)--> | |
| Gerad Parker | Penn State, 2019: wide receivers coach | Purdue, Troy | |
| Manny Diaz | Penn State, 2022–23: defensive coordinator and linebackers coach | Miami, Duke | |
| Stacy Collins | Penn State, 2022–23: special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach | South Dakota Mines | |
| Tom Allen | Penn State, 2024: defensive coordinator and linebackers coach | Indiana | |
| Jim Knowles | Penn State, 2025: defensive coordinator | Cornell | |
| Stan Drayton | Penn State, 2025: running backs coach | Temple | |
| Josh Conklin | Virginia Tech, 2026: defensive assistant | Wofford | |
| Warren Ruggiero | Virginia Tech, 2026: offensive assistant | Glenville State |
Other assistants under him (24)
| Coach | With him | |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Beatty | Vanderbilt, 2011: wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator | |
| Herb Hand | Vanderbilt, 2011–12: offensive line coach; 2013: running game coordinator and offensive line coach; Penn State, 2014–15: running game coordinator and offensive line coach | |
| John Donovan | Vanderbilt, 2011–13: offensive coordinator and running backs coach; Penn State, 2014–15: offensive coordinator and tight ends coach | |
| Robert Livingston | Vanderbilt, 2011: defensive quality control coach | |
| Sean Spencer | Vanderbilt, 2011–13: defensive line coach; Penn State, 2014–17: defensive line coach; 2018–19: assistant head coach and defensive line coach; Virginia Tech, 2026: defensive line coach | |
| Josh Gattis | Vanderbilt, 2012–13: wide receivers coach and offensive recruiting coordinator; Penn State, 2014–17: passing game coordinator, offensive recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach | |
| Tyler Bowen | Penn State, 2014: graduate assistant; 2018–19: tight ends coach and offensive recruiting coordinator; 2019: interim offensive coordinator; 2020: co-offensive coordinator, offensive recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach | |
| Will Windham | Penn State, 2014: graduate assistant | |
| Matt Limegrover | Penn State, 2016–19: running game coordinator and offensive line coach | |
| Tim Banks | Penn State, 2016–20: co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach | |
| Phil Galiano | Penn State, 2017: defensive consultant; 2018: special teams coach and assistant defensive line coach | |
| David Corley Jr. | Penn State, 2018: wide receivers coach | |
| Ja’Juan Seider | Penn State, 2018–20: running backs coach; 2021–24: assistant head coach, co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach | |
| Bill Lazor | Penn State, 2019: analyst | |
| John McNulty | Penn State, 2019: offensive assistant | |
| John Scott Jr. | Penn State, 2020–21: defensive line coach; 2022: running game coordinator and defensive line coach | |
| Kirk Ciarrocca | Penn State, 2020: offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | |
| Ty Howle | Penn State, 2020: analyst; 2021–22: tight ends coach; 2023–25: co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach; Virginia Tech, 2026: offensive coordinator and tight ends coach | |
| Anthony Poindexter | Penn State, 2021–25: co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach | |
| Mike Yurcich | Penn State, 2021–23: offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | |
| Charlie Frye | Penn State, 2022: offensive analyst and analytics coordinator | |
| Robb Smith | Penn State, 2023–24: analyst | |
| Andy Kotelnicki | Penn State, 2024–25: offensive coordinator | |
| Anthony Midget | Virginia Tech, 2026: pass game coordinator and safeties coach |
From coaches’ Wikipedia infoboxes (CC BY-SA) and each season’s article for its coordinators: an assistant’s seasons at a school count under its head coach in our records; jobs in the NFL and elsewhere, under the head coach whose own article lists the job that year. Names without a page here link to their Wikipedia articles.
Pay
| Year | School | Job | Contract pay | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Penn State | head coachbonuses up to $1,000,000; $900,000 in bonuses paid; buyout $21,858,333 | $4,600,000 USA Today | |
| 2016 | Penn State | head coachbonuses up to $1,000,000; $200,000 in bonuses paid | $4,500,000 USA Today | |
| 2015 | Penn State | head coachbonuses up to $1,000,000; $200,000 in bonuses paid | $4,400,000 USA Today | |
| 2014 | Penn State | head coachbonuses up to $1,000,000 | $4,300,000 USA Today |
USA Today’s coaches salary database (2014–17, from public-records requests to the schools; Rachel Ehlers’ copy): the season’s contract pay, school pay plus outside money, before bonuses.
Pay of public employees in their public job only: head coaches, and assistants in the seasons our records name them a coordinator, at public universities.
How he coached
Franklin’s teams went for it on 22% of fourth downs and on 41% of those where the model said go for it, passed on 48% of plays and took 25.3 seconds a play, 2011–2026.
| Season | School | Went for it on fourth | When the model said go | Pass rate | Seconds a play | EPA a play | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 13 g | Vanderbilt | 18 of 99 18% | 31% | 45% | 25.1 | −0.11 | |
| 2012 13 g | Vanderbilt | 30 of 114 26% | 45% | 43% | 25.8 | −0.06 | |
| 2013 13 g | Vanderbilt | 26 of 107 24% | 44% | 44% | 25.6 | +0.02 | |
| 2014 13 g | Penn State | 19 of 122 16% | 35% | 58% | 25.4 | −0.15 | |
| 2015 13 g | Penn State | 24 of 122 20% | 29% | 54% | 27.0 | −0.08 | |
| 2016 14 g | Penn State | 20 of 106 19% | 31% | 45% | 24.3 | +0.09 | |
| 2017 13 g | Penn State | 14 of 84 17% | 31% | 54% | 25.6 | +0.15 | |
| 2018 13 g | Penn State | 16 of 101 16% | 29% | 46% | 23.2 | +0.06 | |
| 2019 13 g | Penn State | 16 of 89 18% | 52% | 45% | 24.2 | +0.11 | |
| 2020 9 g | Penn State | 22 of 69 32% | 55% | 47% | 25.1 | +0.04 | |
| 2021 13 g | Penn State | 27 of 114 24% | 39% | 56% | 23.2 | −0.02 | |
| 2022 12 g | Penn State | 28 of 95 29% | 55% | 49% | 25.7 | +0.05 | |
| 2023 12 g | Penn State | 25 of 97 26% | 49% | 46% | 26.6 | +0.08 | |
| 2024 16 g | Penn State | 25 of 100 25% | 48% | 44% | 27.2 | +0.16 | |
| 2026 7 g | Virginia Tech | 12 of 46 26% | 53% | 52% | 25.9 | +0.15 | |
| All 187 g | 322 of 1465 22% | 41% | 48% | 25.3 | +0.03 |
His seasons as a head coach from 2004 on, from ESPN’s play by play: fourth downs where he went for it out of every fourth-down decision; how often he went when SportsDataverse’s fourth-down model said going for it was the better call; the share of his offense’s plays that were passes; seconds of game clock per offensive play (lower is faster); and expected points added per offensive play (EPA, a measure of how much each play moved the offense toward points). The season in progress counts its games so far. SportsDataverse’s coach tendencies, from ESPN’s play by play; the EPA and the fourth-down model are SportsDataverse’s.