A 3-3 overall record and a fired head coach don't exactly add up to the most passionate fanbase in the country. However, Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft is begging the Nittany Lion crowd to stay strong with half of the regular season remaining.
During a mid-week press conference, as interim head coach Terry Smith worked to turn the program around, Kraft said that everyone needed to focus on the players themselves, and not the drama around them.
"You can hate me, you can hate James [Franklin]. But rally around [the players]," Kraft said. "They deserve it. That’s who Penn State is. That’s who we are."
Former Penn State head coach James Franklin was fired on Sunday after losing his third-straight game of the season (all against conference opponents). With the three losses to Big Ten teams, the Nittany Lions dropped to 3-3 overall (0-3 in conference play) and Franklin was without a job.
James Franklin tenure at Penn State
- 104-45 overall record
- 64-36 Big Ten record
Franklin took over the PSU football program in 2014 and led the Nittany Lions to six postseason victories in 12 bowl game appearances, including a 2-1 record in the College Football Playoffs.
Even with his success in the postseason, winning the Pinstripe Bowl, Fiesta Bowl (twice), Rose Bowl, and Cotton Bowl, it wasn't enough to secure his job through the end of the season.
Nittany Lion football under AD Pat Kraft
- 37-11 overall record
- 22-8 Big Ten record
Kraft was named the Penn State Athletic Director in 2022, just before the football team went 11-2 overall, defeated the Utah Utes in the Rose Bowl, and finished No. 7 in the final AP Top 25 Poll.
The following year, the Nittany Lions went 10-3 overall, losing to the Ole Miss Rebels in the Peach Bowl but still finishing No. 13 in the nation. Last year, Kraft oversaw Penn State's run to the CFP semifinals, where they lost to the eventual National Championship runner-ups, Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Yes, things haven't exactly been perfect during Franklin or Kraft's tenure at Penn State. However, the Nittany Lions' AD is 100 percent correct when he calls for everyone to rally around the players instead of focusing on the negatives.