Franklin is who we should have hired instead of Sumlin. He'd have had a more balanced attack than Sumlin did and likely better results. He'd also recruit better here, I'd think, than he does at Penn State.
If you're dismissing him solely due to his record, that's foolishness. On the other hand, if he has the tendencies that made Sumlin and Jimbo (as well as other coaches we've had in the last 40 years) not work out -- stubbornness, lack of willingness to recruit speed on defense, etc. -- then yeah, we don't want him anywhere near here.
If we were to hire Franklin after Dec. 31, he'd have a $2 million buyout. That's pretty cheap for a coach of his caliber. He's won the Big 10, the Rose Bowl and 3 other NY6 bowls. None of the other coaches we're looking at can say that. Every year, except his first year and Covid year, when he had a subpar year, the team was strong the next year. They'll almost certainly win 10 games this year with a bowl win getting them to 11. We won't.
Am I advocating we hire him? Not necessarily, but I think he deserves a look. A fresh start MAY be what he needs. However, as I said, you have to identify what has kept him at the 11-win plateau and see if he can come up with a plan to remedy it.
Remember: there are no guarantees with any hire. Too many of you forget that. t.u. thought they had that with Herman.
