Coaching Rumors: James Franklin to USC, Brady Hoke to Charlotte
This story LINK details some interesting rumors out there. There's a lot of buzz this week about Franklin to USC, but this is the first I've heard that Hoke could be a leading candidate for the Charlotte job. I'd forgotten that Hoke is the DL coach for the Carolina Panthers. I'm sure he'll write the Charlotte AD a letter in all capital letters saying how much he'd like the job.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:39 PM ^
Well unlike living in State College, he doesn't have to live near campus. And $5-6M a year will get you a better place than faculty can afford. Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Santa Monica and the other beach towns are only 30-45min from USC.
Like seriously...how are people trying to argue that Penn State is a better job than USC?
November 21st, 2018 at 3:49 PM ^
Don’t assume that all faculty are workaday stiffs. I actually know someone who commutes from BH to USC. He got pistol wipped and had his car stolen two blocks from the USC campus.
USC is a better football job. South Central LA is a shithole though.
November 22nd, 2018 at 3:47 AM ^
Cool story bro.
This is is one of the dumbest takes I’ve seen on this site. I went to law school at USC and was just down there for the Rams game on MNF. It’s not Beverly Hills, but it’s not like anyone associated with USC is getting pistol whipped on the reg.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:47 PM ^
Yes, but that's only 4-5 blocks away in LA driving time.
November 21st, 2018 at 10:30 PM ^
If you live around the USC campus you better know the words to "Straight Outta Compton".
November 21st, 2018 at 3:25 PM ^
I agree. USC is just a better job than Penn State. Easier to recruit, easier to win, better place to live. Trying to come up with reasons to stay at PSU is pretty tough.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:39 PM ^
Not Los Angeles would spring to the top of my list.
November 21st, 2018 at 5:53 PM ^
John U Bacon says that the insiders at PSU haven't been thrilled with him long before that game.
November 21st, 2018 at 7:04 PM ^
Yep --- Bacon's comments agree with some stuff I've heard.
It's been a series of mis-fires by Franklin since the 4th quarter of that OSU game. (1) Blowing the OSU game itself, (2) getting in a shouting match with a student post-game, (3) the "elite" comment, (4) calling himself a "psycopath" in the same press conference, (5) not having his team prepared and looking awful versus MSU in the next game, (6) being uncompetitive vs. Michigan, and (7-10) each of the 4 wins have all had their various "WTF is he doing?" moments.
That is literally a 10-pack of mis-fires over the course of only 8 1/2 weeks.
November 21st, 2018 at 7:02 PM ^
He hasn't lost any good will and I'm tired of people tradhing the guy. He has made PSU relevant and a perennial top 15 team...
He is good for the BIG.
November 21st, 2018 at 11:41 PM ^
*4th quarters of the last two OSU games, had a double digit lead in both. When will coaches learn that you can't sit on a lead vs OSU???!!!! (Hopefully Saturday)
November 21st, 2018 at 3:22 PM ^
I don't see how its a career mistake. USC is one of the very top jobs in CFB -- Penn State is maybe a top 15-20 job. Plus, the Pac-12 -- and even more so the Pac-12 South -- is a hot mess right now. The path to success and the CFP is a whole lot easier there than it is in the Big Ten. And on that note...is Penn State in a good place? Losing Morehead and Saquon was a big blow, you lose MCSorely next season, and the Big Ten East is a brutal division... Like, how good is it really?
Plus LA and California >>>>>>>>> State College, PA. Penn State is in the middle of goddamn nowhere.
Thought this list of reasons why Franklin would jump at USC was pretty solid, and its tough to argue against any of them.
November 21st, 2018 at 4:51 PM ^
I spent a good deal of my summer doing business all over PA for my company and screw that place. Philly is the worst city I’ve ever been to and most of the state is a mountainous shithole.
November 21st, 2018 at 6:24 PM ^
I’m not from PA, but I find all the PA hate unusual. I’ve been all over the state and I find most of PA beautiful. The drive from Harrisburg to State College is gorgeous. I guess just one person’s opinion.
November 21st, 2018 at 10:28 PM ^
I agree with the prior poster that Philly is not nice, but I agree with you that most of the state is beautiful.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:23 PM ^
I find the Franklin to USC thing hard to believe as well. He doesn’t have a connection to USC and he is PA guy. This move would make no sense, unless he was just trying to get out of the Big Ten East. The article itself is just speculating, they openly state they have no info that Franklin is interested or that USC is interested, they just think it is a good fit.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:28 PM ^
I find it hard to believe because USC would be stupid to hire him. All those noodles have needed for years was to get a smart, stable coach and go back to winning.
I am also disappointed if PSU doesn't hang onto Franklin because--I have always felt--he isn't a good coach. What he gives Michigan now with his decent recruiting is quality but doable wins. I kinda liked that.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:31 PM ^
The fact that people are saying it makes no sense from Franklin's perspective is mind-blowing. Like have you ever been to State College, PA? Its in the middle of goddamn nowhere. Its a small city surrounded by 50-100 miles of forest and farmland in all directions. The nearest airport is Harrisburg, PA and that's 90min away. Philly and Pittsburgh are 3 hours away.
On the other side of things, its USC and California. Who cares if he has no connections? USC recruits itself.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:43 PM ^
State College has an airport served by all of United, Delta and American with flights to Detroit, Atlanta, DC, Chicago and Philly. Yes, that airport isn't huge and to get to most places, you're flying on a regional jet to connect. But you're also not 90 minutes from a commercial airline.
Now --- there IS a small city that's in the middle of nowhere, where you have to drive 90 minutes to get to an airport with any commercial airline service at all: Tuscaloosa, Alabama!!!
Yet, the best coach in all of college football coaches there.
Some coaches prefer a small town over a Los Angeles. Some prefer a Los Angeles to a small town. But there are no universals in that regard.
November 21st, 2018 at 4:52 PM ^
I agree that State College sucks but count me as one that would ABSOLUTELY pick BFE in Pennsylvania over that horseshit in LA. Traffic, taxes, everything is expensive, housing is ridiculous...
It's got the weather going for it; that's IT.
November 21st, 2018 at 5:14 PM ^
I saw a study on state taxes recently and it said California was 9th or 11th. The sales tax is high and if you’re in the top bracket, the income tax is high, but our property taxes are comparatively low due to Prop 13.
My parents bought a house in Michigan ~ the same year I bought one in California. I paid 50% more for my house, but my parents paid ~50% more in property taxes.
But recruits shouldn’t consider LA because of our 4 seasons: Fire, mudslide, traffic and riot.
November 21st, 2018 at 6:31 PM ^
wrong thread, but i'll put this here: and i'm thankful that ST3 takes his job assignment (well, really a request) to make sure that any high level recruits know the dangers and pitfalls of socal.
but you did forget one season....earthquake!!!
November 21st, 2018 at 6:37 PM ^
You mean aside from culture, food, outdoors, education, several major industries, and a real international community. Yeah, you're right, Bumfuck PA is so much better. It's more expensive in LA because it's a much more desirable place to live. No one wants to live in State College.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:30 PM ^
The USC job is better in just about every way. Maybe if Franklin was an alum who played for Paterno the draw of PSU would be too strong. His shelf life is longer at USC too. One more disappointing season and he'll be on the hot seat. I've said this before, he's 3-15 vs the other good teams in the division. That cancels out a lot of the goodwill that one Big Ten title earned him.
November 21st, 2018 at 6:32 PM ^
We're talking about a guy that vets prospective assistants by checking the hotness of their wives and who got himself in trouble at Vandy by, among other things, allegedly personally checking out the suitability of prospective coed escorts...I mean recruiting assistants...
...and you think he wouldn't leave State College for USC in a heartbeat?
November 21st, 2018 at 2:59 PM ^
If Brady Hoke does take the Charlotte job, he will be able to walk there! ;-)
I hope he does well if he takes it.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:01 PM ^
Would explain the recent talk about there being certain reasons why Zach Harrison to Michigan is close to being wrapped up.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:04 PM ^
Always was a UM vs OSU battle with PSU on the outside looking in.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:03 PM ^
I love how everyone just assumes that Helton is getting fired at USC. He probably is, but nothing's official yet.
If Penn State can't pony up the money to keep James Franklin from USC, I don't know how they're going to get and keep a good coach down the line.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:24 PM ^
Being unwilling to pay up for Franklin =\= being unwilling to pay up for a good coach.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:30 PM ^
As NittanyFan points out, it might not be so much CAN Penn State pony up as much as do they WANT to pony up? If Frames leaves, the alums might blow a sigh.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:35 PM ^
I agree with this. They're paying him plenty already. It wouldn't be that hard to match a reasonable offer. He's got a long term deal with an expensive buyout. They should be more concerned about that.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:50 PM ^
They should be more concerned about that.
It's hard to be concerned about that given all the time people associated with Pedo State spend trying to justify why all those people looked the other way when little boys were being anal raped.
It's hard to be concerned about that given all the time people associated with Pedo State spend telling us how they really, truly, were punished... that the fines (which were decreased), and such, give the victims their childhood back or something.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:04 PM ^
There are many coaches USC could acquire who are better than Franklin, IMO. I'd wait to see if Urban goes and then try and talk him into coaching again. Sell Urban on how he could dominate the PAC12 with no competition and I'm sure he'd come. If not Urban, John Harbaugh would be my next choice.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:06 PM ^
I bet they are pumped to have him
You get em tiger.....
November 21st, 2018 at 3:13 PM ^
Can't unsee that.
November 21st, 2018 at 6:30 PM ^
Well that’s disturbing
November 21st, 2018 at 3:07 PM ^
Well at least when Hoke walks to that job, he won't have to go very far.
I was initially really skeptical about Franklin going to USC, as it seems like whatever USC could offer him, money-wise, PSU could match it. But I wouldn't blame Franklin for leaving. Much easier to recruit for USC when you could field an entire team of studs and not have to go beyond a 50-100 mile radius from campus. And the Pac-12 is wide open and much less competitive than the Big Ten right now. He wouldn't have to deal with Meyer, Harbaugh and Dantonio both on the field and on the recruiting trail. He'd really only have to contend with Chip Kelly as a direct threat, and given UCLA's high academic/admission standards, that's another immediate advantage.
Still, wouldn't be surprised if USC runs him out of there after 3-4 years. There's more pressure to win big at USC than there is at Penn State. And going to USC isn't going to all of a sudden make James Franklin a great in-game coach. The same bumbling decisions he makes in State College would follow him to LA, too. Couple that with the fact that I think Chip Kelly could skate circles around him on the football field.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:16 PM ^
Thoughts and prayers to USC fans.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:20 PM ^
I hope Hoke gets it and kicks ass.
I watched the ‘97 UM-OSU game at the gym yesterday. Just seeing him celebrate with Woodson and Carr, and how truly excited he was to beat them warmed the cockles of my heart.
Hoke was not a good fit here as head coach, but he was a great line coach who helped bring a national title to Ann Arbor.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:23 PM ^
If PSU can replace Franklin with Moorhead, that seems like a win for them, no? Seems like PSU should be pushing him out the door.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:24 PM ^
Had no clue Charlotte had a football program
November 21st, 2018 at 3:30 PM ^
Does Hoke want to be a head coach again?
Remember when USC used to be a big deal in college football? Usually the biggest deal.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:31 PM ^
Just actually LOL’d at that last sentence.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:32 PM ^
Brady would love to stay in the Charlotte area. He has family there and they have moved so many times over the years. He is a great person and he would be an excellent fit for that program.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:36 PM ^
Can't wait to see what top job Urban gets after sitting out another year.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:37 PM ^
Perfect for USC. Sneaky Pete acted like a dildo and James Franklin looks like one.
November 21st, 2018 at 3:40 PM ^
How is Franklin so highly regarded as to be considered for USC? Are they that desperate?
November 21st, 2018 at 3:50 PM ^
USC should hire Mike Leach. Could you imagine him in that media market?
November 21st, 2018 at 3:45 PM ^
USC should try to poach Mike Leach. He'd be perfect and would totally fit in to nutty LA culture.