USC? LSU? James Franklin opens up about being linked to the rumor mill

Penn State head coach James Franklin just can’t seem to avoid the coaching rumor mill, whether he wants to be in it or not. Speaking to the media on Monday, Franklin reflected on how he handles having his name thrown in the mix for various coaching opportunities outside of Penn State.

The commotion kicked up a bit more this week following news that LSU is officially moving on from Ed Orgeron ahead of the 2022 season. Franklin’s name was among the handful of popular names thought to be a possible candidate for the LSU job. During his weekly press conference, James Franklin shared some frustration overseeing reports of him being linked to other jobs and explained how he needs to talk to the administration on how to handle these situations when they arise.

“I care what people think and I want to handle things the right way all the time with the players, with the staff, with the administration,” Franklin explained. “I want to use the golden rule… treat people the way you want to be treated.”

We have already been through this process multiple times during Franklin’s tenure in Happy Valley, of course. Just earlier this year, Franklin’s name was among the first to be mentioned by analysts as a potential candidate for the USC coaching vacancy after Clay Helton was removed as head coach of the Trojans. Franklin made it clear he would not discuss that situation too much publicly but that those inside the program will be his primary concern.

This week Penn State returns the game action as they look to rebound from their first loss of the season as they take on Illinois on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. eastern on ABC from Beaver Stadium.

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