Following a three-week losing streak that saw Penn State fall from second in the preseason rankings to unranked and potentially miss a bowl game, James Franklin left the program after 12 years. After the latest Florida Gators job rumors, Franklin’s presence at the Falcons game has put him in the spotlight again, with a fresh buzz of potential NFL coaching jobs. But just when everyone thought Franklin was trying to be a pro coach, the real story surfaced.

The only time James Franklin was in the NFL was when he was coaching receivers for the Green Bay Packers. Does Donald Driver ring a bell? Yes, he’s never coached an NFL team, though his 15 years of coaching experience in CFB make him a perfect NFL coach. That’s precisely why fans started speculating that visiting the Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins game indicated his next coaching move.

But Basic Blues Nation ends it, hitting X: “Always have to be skeptical in the age of AI, but it appears like James Franklin made an appearance to support longtime friend and Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris today.” The world of AI blurs the line between reality and fantasy, making it problematic to trust images or videos. However, evidence suggests Franklin made the trip for a different reason.

So, Franklin wasn’t there to make any NFL coaching rumors but probably to support his friend Raheem Morris. Their friendship dates back to the time when both used to work together at Kansas State in 2006. Morris is also the godfather of Franklin’s daughter, Shola. And they constantly support each other on their big days. Like last season, Mooris was present in Penn State’s semifinal game against Notre Dame to help his man, just like Franklin is doing now.

But the Falcons’ condition in the league intensified the speculation even more. As Blues Nation points out in their tweet, “Ironically, Morris will also be on the hot seat after the Falcons fall to 3-4 on the season.” His contract has already forced him to find a new job. With all of Franklin’s coaching experience, getting a job in the NFL would elevate his career.

The real question is, is Penn State better off without Franklin? Let’s not forget they were a big mess after Joe Paterno’s firing in 2011. Sure, Bill O’Brien brought in some stability, but Franklin did play his part in the rebuild. He made sure Penn State got back to its best and did it brilliantly. In 11 years, he had one modest season during the 2020 COVID season. All in all, did he deserve to get fired?

Well, the move shocked all of college football and James Franklin.

James Franklin opens up about his toughest coaching chapter

There’s no doubt that Franklin changed the face of Penn State in 12 years, but his ability to sustain big games became a serious problem. He was just 15-31 against the top 25 teams and even won the conference once. After ending a decade-long career with Penn State Franklin, he’s figuring out his coaching style and trying to come out strong. Therefore, he came out to give his take on the new chapter in his life without football.

“There’s things that I know we did as well as anybody in the country,” Franklin said. “But every offseason, you’ve gotta take time, and after what just happened, we’re gonna do that even more so. I’m gonna do that even more so. How do we take advantage of these situations? How can we maximize opportunities? How do we make the fan base, the alumni, the lettermen super proud of what we’re doing?” 

After facing the second-worst mark against AP top 6 teams with a 2-21 record, looking for answers is the best James Franklin can do. With teams like Arkansas, UCLA, Virginia Tech, and Florida looking for their new leader, having him as their head coach is an honor because a 128-60 career record is no fluke. So, let’s just wait and see which team becomes his ultimate destination.