Penn State head coach James Franklin‘s name is back in the headlines – being linked to both the LSU and USC openings.
This is hardly the first time Franklin’s name has been brought up when the USC job has come open. Just a few years ago before the Trojans inked Clay Helton to a new deal, Franklin was seen as one of the frontrunner’s for the job.
With both LSU and USC being legitimate options, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum named the better landing spot for Franklin. He thinks the Penn State coach would fare better with the Trojans.
“I think he would be better off going to USC because to me, he’s a CEO coach and I don’t mean that as a shot,” Finebaum said Wednesday on Keyshawn, JWill and Max. “He’s in command of the program. At SC, he’s already got people on that staff who he could keep in place and maintain recruiting and relationships. LSU is a maze. You go down there, it’s a different world. I think you hear the word fit all the time, but I think he’s a better fit out there.”
Finebaum thinks Franklin would relate well to the area.
“I think he’d relate well to that city. He’d need to clean up some of his misleading statements because in Hollywood, you have to do it, bigger and better and broader than be obvious that you’re not telling the truth.”
Franklin has already had success in the SEC, at a Vanderbilt program that has been a shadow of itself since he left. He carried that success to Penn State, but hasn’t been able to consistently win big games.
Will Franklin be back in Happy Valley next season?