James Franklin has decided to leave Vanderbilt and become the next head coach at Penn State, according to Bruce Feldman of CBS. Feldman's report has been verified by our sources, and Franklin's hiring will likely be officially announced by the end of the week.
Franklin, 41, has a 24-15 record at Vanderbilt in three seasons with the program. His Commodores have been invited to three straight bowl games, as many as the team attended in a 55-year span before his arrival.
While some PSU insiders expected the hiring to be finalized earlier this week, Vanderbilt matched Penn State's initial offer late on Tuesday. Penn State considered reopening their coaching search, interviewing 49ers OC Greg Roman on Wednesday, but ultimately came back with an improved offer which Franklin is expected to accept.
Franklin is a native of East Stroudsburg, PA, about a two-hour drive from State College, and his first coaching job was at at nearby Kutztown University. Franklin replaces Bill O'Brien, who left to become head coach of the Houston Texans after going 15-9 in two seasons at PSU. O'Brien inherited a team that was immediately depleted and weakened by NCAA sanctions, but still managed to lead the Nittany Lions to two consecutive winning seasons. The Lions have recruited well despite their handicaps, landing last year's Big 10 Freshman of the Year Christan Hackenberg at QB.
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