Ranking each Big Ten football head coach entering 2024 season
4. James Franklin, Penn State
Franklin is one of the longest-tenured coaches in the Big Ten as he has been at Penn State for over a decade and has turned the program back into a perennial contender. Franklin鈥檚 30-year coaching career has seen him move up from the Division II ranks to the NFL at one point as receivers coach for the Packers. He was also an offensive coordinator at Kansas State and Maryland before earning his first head-coaching opportunity at Vanderbilt. Since arriving in State College, Franklin has had one losing season in a Covid-shortened 2020 campaign. Despite struggles against Michigan and Ohio State, he has led the Nittany Lions to 10 wins or more five times, including each of the last two seasons. With Drew Allar back and plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, Franklin may finally reach the College Football Playoff with an expanded field.
