Franklin was fired a day after PSU lost 22-21 to underdog Northwestern at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith celebrates a defensive play during the fourth quarter. Aug. 31, 2024. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com PennLiveafter an embarrassing loss on Saturday at Beaver Stadium, there was only one logical choice to be the Lions’ interim leader.
So, Smith, the Lions’ associate head coach who has been with the Lions since 2014, is the interim head coach, moving forward. The Lions made an announcement Sunday afternoon on the decision to fire Franklin in his 12th season and hand the reigns to Smith, a man with strong Pennsylvania ties and a coach who is a terrific recruiter.Franklin is gone after the Lions, three-touchdown underdogs, surrendered a late lead in a 22-21 loss to Northwestern on Saturday. PSU, viewed as a national championship contender at the start of the season, has dropped three consecutive games to Oregon, UCLA and the Wildcats. “Penn State owes an enormous amount of gratitude to Coach Franklin who rebuilt our football program into a national power,” Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft said in a release. “He won a Big Ten Championship, led us to seven New Year’s Six bowl games and a College Football Playoff appearance last year. “However, we hold our athletics programs to the highest of standards, and we believe this is the right moment for new leadership at the helm of our football program to advance us toward Big Ten and national championships.”Smith inherits a pair of veteran coordinators in Andy Kotelnicki and Jim Knowles.If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
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