Jim Harbaugh is almost universally regarded as one of the ten best coaches in college football.
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James Franklin is, well, not seen on that level.
However, a group of four panelists for PennLive.com joined together in declaring that they would rather have Franklin than Harbaugh. No, really, this happened.
To be at least somewhat fair, this piece comes with a heavy Penn State lean, but in the same breath, it is jarring to read the reasoning behind taking Franklin, who has never notched double-digit victories in a season, over the established presence of Harbaugh. Here is a short breakdown of what transpired.
Panelist Bill Engel was perhaps the most glowing about Franklin:
I would take James Franklin over just about any coach out there. Why? Because he is building a program from the ground up and doing it in a way that should make us proud to be Penn Staters again. He is bringing in quality players who are also high character guys who will graduate with Peen State degrees.
Panelist Carole Kirkpatrick showed allegiance to Franklin based on the following (and more):
I am sticking with King James. Franklin has proven to be a steady leader, great recruiter, and a likable face for the Nittany Lions.
Finally, panelist Lauren Shipper portrayed the most level-headed picture, admitting that Harbaugh would be seen as the better option but declining to "trade coaches":
It's true that Harbaugh likely would be regarded as the better coach at this point in time, but this is the first year Penn State has had the full number of scholarships.
With all of this in mind, I wouldn't trade coaches if I had the chance — there are too many unknowns and it's not a fair comparison.
Frankly, there are more amusing tidbits to be pulled from this article and the entire thing is worth a read in its absurdity.
James Franklin could easily be seen as an above-average coach given the work that he did in transforming Vanderbilt into a solid SEC performer and, after that, he has done a reasonable job at Penn State. Still, his in-game coaching tactics have been the source of comedy nationwide during his stay in Happy Valley, and Jim Harbaugh is frankly very good at his job.
There his homerism and there is homerism. This falls into the latter category for Penn State.
Enjoy.
