Ranking all 14 Big Ten head coaches entering 2023 season
3. James Franklin, Penn State
The job Franklin has done at Penn State is hard to ignore, and he continues to have the Nittany Lions contending in the Big Ten East. Franklin has been coaching football for just shy of three decades, getting his start at the NCAA Division II level before moving up to Division I with the likes of James Madison, Washington State, Maryland and Kansas State. Following an NFL stint as wide receivers coach of the Green Bay Packers, Franklin鈥檚 first head-coaching opportunity came at Vanderbilt.听
After leading the program to three bowl games in three years, he was tasked with continuing to pick up the pieces at Penn State after the Jerry Sandusky scandal. He has done that and more in nine seasons, going an impressive 78-36 with four 11-win seasons, one of which came last year. Continuing to bring in talent like five-star 2023 starting quarterback Drew Allar, the future remains bright at Penn State under Franklin鈥檚 reign.
