“Problematic Time” James Franklin Opens Up About Running Back Coach Search, What Penn State is Looking For
Penn State Football head coach James Franklin met with the media for a press conference for the first time since long-time Penn State running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider was linked to the running back coaching position at Notre Dame.
In his press conference, Franklin confirmed that Seider had “moved on” from Penn State and wished the long-time assistant coach “nothing but the best.”
While Franklin had well wishes for Seider and his family moving forward after seven seasons on James Franklin’s staff in the Nittany Lions program, Franklin did note that the timing was “problematic” for Penn State this late in the coaching cycle.
“It’s very detrimental to lose people in your organization this late in the process,” Franklin said of the timing of Seider’s departure.
Franklin noted that buyouts and extensions of coaches already moving or retained during the coaching cycle can make it expensive for a team to fill a coaching position in February. On that note, however, Franklin did mention that he “always has a list” of candidates for each staff position ready in case an opening occurs.
In answering a question about the process of looking for a new running backs coach for the first time since 2018, James Franklin expressed that Penn State’s opening is arguably “the most attractive [running back coaching] job in the country.”
With Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen already announcing their intentions to play a fourth season at Penn State, a stable of healthy, talented young running backs already on the roster behind them, and two elite running back prospects committed in the 2026 and 2027 class, Penn State has one of the best situations in the country for a running back coach to walk in to.
What James Franklin is Looking For in Next Penn State RB Coach
Franklin also noted, that although he will not consult Singleton or Allen throughout the hiring process, Franklin is “not hiring anybody that Nick and Fat [won’t] feel great about.”
In explaining the reasoning behind leaving Singleton and Allen out of the process, Franklin likened it to the hiring of Andy Kotelnicki, where star quarterback Drew Allar was also not consulted to help insulate players from getting overly emotionally attached to a candidate who may not ultimately take the job.
So what is James Franklin looking for in the Nittany Lions next running back coach?
Franklin explained that Penn State will look for a balance between experience and an upward trajectory while also making sure the coach will have a positive impact on the team in 2025.
On the balance, Franklin stated “There’s some young guys that you can hire that are on the upward trajectory, are going to have really good careers, but you may not get the return on your investment until year 2. And then there’s other guys that are much more seasoned, but you want to make sure that they haven’t gotten to the point of their career where their career is starting to decline and go in the opposite direction.” Franklin continued, “So you’ve got to find that sweet spot of a guy that’s got enough experience, both in coaching and recruiting at this level.”
Franklin further noted that recruiting experience in the Big Ten footprint or northeast area would be a plus for a potential hire.
With the team’s sky-high expectations heading into 2025 with a large cohort returning from last year’s playoff semifinal run, Penn State will look for a candidate that will give the Nittany Lions a return on investment quickly in 2025.
Given the opening occurring at the end of the coaching cycle, Penn State will have to navigate a difficult search, with many potential candidates already extended or hired by another school during the cycle. Penn State may once again have to pay a premium to land their preferred candidate ahead of a very important 2025 season for the Nittany Lions.
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- “Problematic Time” James Franklin Opens Up About Running Back Coach Search, What Penn State is Looking For - February 11, 2025
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