Press Conference Notebook: James Franklin 2/13/24

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – James Franklin met with the media on Tuesday afternoon at Beaver Stadium following a fast-paced offseason that featured exciting new personnel and player additions for Penn State. 

Franklin shared his thoughts on hiring three new coordinators who bring Power 5 success and championship pedigree to Happy Valley with spring ball on the horizon. 

Tom Allen Continues The DC Tradition 

Former Indiana head coach Tom Allen and Franklin spent a week talking with one another across in-person meetings and phone calls to build a rapport and a sense of comfortability. That process allowed the duo to create trust with one another and gave Franklin full confidence with who he was bringing in. 

Franklin shared how Allen understands Penn State’s defensive identity and scheme that placed the Nittany Lions as one of the most dominant units in the nation last season. Franklin also learned through that interview process that Allen’s defensive values aligned with Penn State’s which has built a storied history predicated on stifling defenses.  

Allen brings an extensive winning pedigree and Big Ten experience to Penn State which Franklin viewed as valuable when looking to fill the spot. Allen won the 2020 Big Ten Coach of the Year and was the catalyst for developing elite defenses who can create havoc and generate turnovers. These accolades impressed Franklin who indicated that Allen has embraced the culture of Penn State. 

“We wanted to find somebody that philosophically aligned with what we’ve done, understood our personnel, understood the conference, understood where we’ve been and where we need to go, and also spent enough time talking through all those things, and were comfortable,” Franklin said. “I think that’s a big part of our interview process. We try not to leave any stone unturned. We try to talk about everything. Just like we try to do in the recruiting process, we don’t sell people on a dream or a vision. We…