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James Franklin put some closure on his Penn State tenure by appearing as a guest on ESPN Gameday Saturday morning.
Franklin said he was "pretty much in shock" after being informed of his dismissal last Sunday afternoon by Athletic Director Pat Kraft, who according to Franklin, "walked in and said, 'We're going to make a change, I'm sorry.''
The Nittany Lions (3-3) were ranked No. 2 by the Associated Press to start this season but lost three straight, including to a pair of unranked teams, which sparked fan unrest and “Fire Franklin” chants at Beaver Stadium.
Franklin, who was 104-45 in 12 seasons, said the decision was "hard for me to comprehend,” but he shifted to the good days he said he had at Penn State.
"What I want to focus on is all the unbelievable moments," he said. "I had a great run there — 12 years. Penn State was good to me and my family."
He left no doubt that he intends to coach again, perhaps as soon as next season.
"I thought we were going to win a national championship (at PSU)," he said. "We were close. That goal hasn't changed. We're just going to win a national championship somewhere else now."
The Mirror will have more in Monday’s Penn State Extra, including coverage of the Nittany Lions’ game at Iowa.