"We're nearly there", Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour said about a possible extension for Franklin at the second stop of the 2017 Penn State Coaches Caravan on Tuesday. "But now that we've gotten these rings, we're not talking about it again".
The Lions might not have that kind of depth of every position - yet - but they're much closer than they were when Franklin arrived in January 2014 when NCAA sanctions from the Jerry Sandusky scandal were hitting the Penn State football program hardest.
Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour speaks to members of the media on Tuesday afternoon during the Coaches Caravan event at Penn State Hazleton.
Fueled by an October upset of No. 2 Ohio State, the Nittany Lions won the Big Ten East Division title. He's done that in recent years, signing Miles Sanders of Woodland Hills, C.J. Thorpe of Central Catholic and Lamont Wade of Clairton. And if you've been paying attention, you'll realize I buried the lede: after a 2017 draft class where a dozen Wolverines and Spartans got drafted (including one in the top 25), no prospects from either MI school made this list.
"We made a lot of progress this year [with facilities], but we still got a lot of work to", Franklin said.
Denise St. Pierre (women's golf) on the dais.
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If the results remain as they are - 43 seats for the Liberals, 41 for the NDP - then the Greens would hold the balance of power. They voted for action on climate change, and they voted for an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top".
"I don't know when they're doing all that", he said. "It gave us hope, that you can start off struggling a little bit, but if you stay the course, great things can happen".
With Lake-Lehman grad Connor McGovern shifting from guard to center for his sophomore season, star receiver Chris Godwin gone to the National Football League and some holes on the defense to patch, Franklin and the Lions have a lot of work to do to live up to a likely top-10 preseason ranking.
"We're in a better place", Franklin said, noting he senses a sigh of relief from past lettermen and the Penn State community following last season's success.
During Tuesday's luncheon, Franklin pulled 12-year-old Notre Dame fan Connor Shamany to the stage and let him touch the team's 2016 Big Ten Championship trophy. We're on to the next season and what we need to do moving forward. It's approaching things at a different angle or with a different perspective because of the experience we had previous year. "People want to be at a place where they feel comfortable, respected and appreciated."Barbour said paying coaches competitive salaries is "becoming more and more challenging."We're really fortunate that we're one of those institutions that has more resources than most", she said. I think it won't be long".
At this year's Blue-White Game McSorley looked lost while playing against Penn State's second-team defense.
James Franklin worked the room like a seasoned politician in his home district. "They appreciate what it means to be a Penn Stater".
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