By Eric Rotteveel
Staff Writer

On Jan. 11, 2014 Penn State announced the hiring of former Neshaminy graduate James Franklin as their new head football coach. After years of coaching all around the country, Franklin will come back close to home for the job he has always wanted.

“This is where I want to be,” said Franklin in a Jan. 12, 2014 article by Mark Wogenrich in the Bucks County Courier Times. “Wearing these colors, representing this state, representing these high school coaches and the people of the fine state of Pennsylvania is what I want to do for a very, very long time.”

The Lower Southampton native previously coached three seasons at Vanderbilt where he led the perennial bottom-feeder of the SEC to national relevance. The team made it to a bowl game every year under his watch including finishing in the top 25 in each of the last two seasons. His impressive work in recent years made him one of the top coaching candidates for teams all around the country.

Franklin comes in as the replacement to Bill O’Brien, who posted a 15 – 9 record in his two years at Penn State before leaving for the NFL to take the Houston Texans head coaching job. Although the record seemed to be modest, especially for a program like Penn State, it was actually rather impressive considering the NCAA sanctions put down on Penn State after the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal. Franklin will also have to manage the challenges of less scholarships and a bowl ban as O’ Brien did in his tenure.

With the departure of O’Brien, a state of uncertainty swirled around the future of quarterback Christian Hackenberg. People around Penn State worried that the Big Ten Freshman of the Year would transfer, but Hackenberg soon assured them of his plans to stay.

“He shared his plans on what he wanted to do. He really didn’t have to sell me on anything,” said Hackenberg in a Jan. 15, 2014 article by Audrey Snyder on pennlive.com. “I’m still here, this is where I want to play ball so it was a great meeting and I just got to know him on a personal level more so than the recruiting process.”

Franklin also comes to Penn State with some advantages. After growing up in Neshaminy School District and attending East Stroudsburg University, a solid knowledge of the local area will give him a clear edge in recruiting. He also has had some players that were committed to him at Vanderbilt change their commitment to Penn State.

“I believe in the high school coaches in this state,” said Franklin in a Jan. 14 article by Steve Sherman on trentonian.com. “I know how well players are coached and developed. I know how talented this state is, as well, and I know how important football is here.”

The many Penn State fans at Neshaminy are given an extra incentive to root for the Nittany Lions in the future. With the hiring of Franklin in Happy Valley, Neshaminy will be represented nationally. Assistant football coach Neil French offered his thoughts on the hiring.

“It’s really exciting to see a Neshaminy grad at Penn State. It’s a good motivator for our guys to see what they can do if they work hard,” said French. “I think he’ll be successful because of his passion and enthusiasm. He was the same way as a player at Neshaminy, and it feeds off to his players today.” There is no doubt that Franklin still holds Neshaminy in a special place in his heart, and that he represents it well at Penn State.