Penn State’s James Franklin discusses firing of Mike Yurcich: ‘It’s about actions’

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State coach James Franklin walked into the Beaver Stadium media room Monday, wearing an all-black Nike jumpsuit with a measured look on his face.

Franklin’s attire and expression fit the somber mood as he discussed his program’s future after another flat showing against Michigan along with the decision to fire offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich on Sunday.

“I’m not great at faking it,” Franklin said in his weekly news conference. “So when you get to the point you feel like that’s the right decision, then I think you make it.”

Franklin had said earlier this season that he wasn’t “in the business” of evaluating his staff at midseason. Apparently, that changed with the decision he made this week — the first time Franklin has fired a coordinator at midseason in his Penn State tenure, which began in 2014.

Franklin mentioned Saturday after the 24-15 loss to Michigan that the offense needed to do a better job of getting quarterback Drew Allar in rhythm with easy throws. Franklin was asked Monday if he personally lobbied for those “easy throws.”

His answer was a telling one.

“I have conversations about all the things I have concerns about, and more so than I speak in the press conferences. I think you guys have heard me come in and talk, whether it’s openers, third down, starting fast, all these things are things that we’ve had lengthy discussions about and had a plan for,” Franklin said. “But a lot of the times when we got to the games, either we did not call the games that way or we did not execute the games the way we intended them to.

“Yeah, those things were asked for,” he finished.

The other part of Yurcich’s dismissal? Falling to 0-6 against Michigan and Ohio State in the last three seasons. Franklin flatly said it was a “big part of the decision.”

» READ MORE: Penn State fires offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich after loss to Michigan

“We have lost to two of the best teams in college football, who also happen to be in the same side of our conference. We understand that. We recognize that,” he said. “I get it. Me sitting here saying things is fine, but I think at the end of the day, it’s about actions.”

Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider and tight ends coach Ty Howle will serve as Penn State’s co-offensive coordinators for the remainder of the season.

Because Yurcich was also the quarterbacks coach, offensive graduate assistant Danny O’Brien — who has been praised for his work with the position this season — will have more responsibilities in the meeting room. Franklin will join O’Brien in daily quarterback responsibilities.

Howle and Seider will make the game plans together, Franklin said. Play calling has yet to be decided, but both Seider and Howle will be involved. “I think we’re a little bit more collaborative right now than what we have been here recently,” Franklin said. “I think it’s been good.”

So what’s next? Franklin already has a list of candidates he’s interested in researching and interviewing for the opening. In an ideal world, he said, they’d be able to fill the job ahead of the bowl game and get the coach working with the offense during bowl prep — much like they did with defensive coordinator Manny Diaz in December 2021.

Regardless of who becomes the next offensive coordinator, Penn State once again has been all but eliminated from College Football Playoff contention. It’s a team that has constantly searched for a way to break into the upper tier but has yet to do so, with an expanded and more competitive Big Ten soon on the way.

When asked Monday why Nittany Lions fans can still have hope, Franklin mentioned his own hopefulness thanks to alignment in the administration with university president Neeli Bendapudi and athletic director Patrick Kraft.

”But it’s not like these people get in those positions and six months later snap their fingers and things are fixed or moving,” Franklin said. “It takes time. I think we’re in a position to do that.”

At the end of the day, though, Franklin had said many of the same things since 2021 about a program stuck one rung below college football’s elite.

“For us to win the way we want to win at the very highest level, every single unit needs to be producing and working at the highest level year-round, 365 days a year,” Franklin said. “There have been a lot of hurdles and battles to overcome to get there since we arrived on campus, to be honest with you, and the reality is we can’t afford not to be thriving in every single one of those areas to be able to beat the people we need to beat on a consistent basis.”