Trending
Following are the highlights of James Franklin's Monday press conference:
Saturday's game: vs. Rutgers (noon, FS1)
Records: Penn State is 8-2 following last week's 24-15 loss to Michigan. Rutgers is 6-4 overall and 3-4 in the Big Ten after last week's 22-0 loss at Iowa.
Odds: Penn State is a 17.5-point favorite.
Rankings: Penn State is ranked No. 12 by the Associated Press.
Yurcich fallout
As expected, the vast majority of questions centered around Franklin's firing of offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich on Sunday.
He called it a "tough decision," and clarified the decision was his and that athletic director Pat Kraft was kept apprised.
"Obviously, I don't do anything in a silo," Franklin said. "I run things up the ladder and have conversations."
Franklin said the timing of the decision -- now vs. the end of the season -- maintains transparency.
"I feel if you get to a point of that's what you're going to do, you don't delay," he said.
Franklin publicly questioned Yurcich's playcalling after both of the Nittany Lions' losses this year, saying they could have run the ball more at Ohio State and they needed "to do a better job of calling a game to allow our quarterback to get into rhythm," against Michigan.
He inferred a disconnect with Yurcich.
"We've had lengthy discussions and had a plan, but a lot of times when we got to the games, we didn't call the games that way or execute the way we intended," he said.
He said co-coordinators Ja'Juan Seider and Ty Howle will now both be involved in the playcalling, Howle from the press box, where he was with Yurcich, and Seider on the field.
Franklin will also be attending all the quarterback and offensive meetings, he said.
"We're a little bit more collaborate than maybe we've been recently," he said. "I would say my presence is similar to what it's been in the past."
Offensive analyst Danny O'Brien will continue working with the quarterbacks.
Franklin said he informed the quarterbacks of his decision on Yurcich, then told the team in a squad meeting early Sunday afternoon.
He spoke with the quarterbacks' parents after the team practiced later Sunday afternoon, by which point the families had heard the news via social media, which Franklin was trying to avoid.
Franklin said current quarterbacks, such as Drew Allar, will not have input into the interview process but he hopes to bring in someone who fits their style.
He has a list of potential candidates and would like to have the hiring done prior to the bowl game so the new OC can evaluate the Lions before spring practice.
But that may depend on the schedules of other college or perhaps NFL teams.
He said confidentiality is important because it can reduce public leaks and speculation, which make it more challenging to execute a hiring.
Reminded this will be his sixth offensive coordinator before his 11th season begins, Franklin pushed back a bit in saying two of them, Joe Moorhead and Ricky Rahne, left for head coaching jobs.
"For us to get where we want to go, we need each unit to be producing at a high level," he said. "If they aren't, decisions have to be made."
When he was asked how to close the gap between the Lions and Michigan and Ohio State, he said this hiring will be done with that in mind.
"We need to play well, and we need to play well against our toughest opponents," he said. "That's the reality of it."
Thicker skin
Franklin has often referenced the "fire Franklin" chants early in the 2016 season before the Lions launched to the Big Ten title.
Saturday's scene as he headed for the home tunnel brought profanity directed his way. He directed one of his players to the locker room who fired back at some fans.
Franklin said Monday he's tried to take such taunts in stride.
"I'm much more, is the word callused?" he said. "At this stage of my career, (I have a) thicker skin between you (media) guys and my wife that I don't really get into those types of things. I control the things I can control. Not those other things."
Rutgers, please
To steer the narrative away from Yurcich and Michigan, Franklin made a couple separate appeals for Rutgers questions.
He eventually got one as the press conference was concluding.
Rutgers OC Kirk Ciarrocca spent the 2020 (COVID) season with Penn State before Franklin fired him to hire Yurcich.
He said Ciarrocca has been "a really good hiring for them and the complimentary football they want to play."
Neil Rudel covers Penn State football for the Mirror. He can be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com