Report: Vandy's Franklin is front-runner to coach Penn State
Pennsylvania native James Franklin is said to have talked with Nittany Lions, but Vandy AD might push to keep him.
STATE COLLEGE - James Franklin has emerged as the front-runner to fill the head football coaching vacancy at Penn State, CBSsports.com reported yesterday.
Elsewhere, the website said that athletic director David Williams is likely to push to keep Franklin at Vanderbilt.
Franklin, Vanderbilt's head coach, reportedly interviewed for the job Sunday. Franklin has become the apparent favorite for the job over former Penn State lineman and NFL Hall of Famer Mike Munchak, who was recently fired by the Tennessee Titans, and longtime Penn State assistant Larry Johnson, who was named interim coach after Bill O'Brien resigned to coach the Houston Texans last week.
Munchak, who reportedly met with Penn State on Sunday, will meet with the Detroit Lions about their coaching opening on Friday, according to ESPN's Ed Werder.
Meanwhile, Penn State athletic director Dave Joyner said in a statement released yesterday that efforts to replace O'Brien are on "schedule" and he anticipates having a new coach in days.
Joyner said the search to replace O'Brien is "robust as we anticipated and we have an excellent pool of candidates."
He was not specific about possible candidates but added he has "heard from many coaches, or their representatives, who have expressed their interest in the position."
Franklin, 41, of Langhorne, turned around a Commodores program to collect 18 wins - including two in bowls - in the last two seasons. Vanderbilt is Franklin's first head-coaching stop, and he is 24-15 in three seasons. He also was offensive coordinator with Maryland and Kansas State.
Franklin's Pennsylvania ties include playing quarterback in the early 1990s at East Stroudsburg, and coaching at his alma mater and at Kutztown. He spent two seasons on the Maryland staff with O'Brien, under Ralph Friedgen in 2003 and '04.
Though nothing was official as of last night, some ears perked up in the morning when Vanderbilt offensive coordinator John Donovan (@CoachJ_Donovan) and defensive coordinator Bob Shoop (@CoachShoopVU) began following Penn State class of 2014 recruits on Twitter.
If Penn State hires Franklin, or someone else, the new coach will have to bring almost an entirely new staff with him, as five Penn State assistants resigned Monday. Only Johnson, tight-ends coach John Strollo and offensive-line coach Mac McWhorter remain on Penn State's staff.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.