James Franklin is one of the top college football coaches in the country. Since arriving at Penn State University in 2014, Franklin has led the Nittany Lions to three top-10 finishes and a Big Ten championship. His journey took him from Division II quarterback to college coach, where he found unlikely success at Vanderbilt before taking on the challenge of rebuilding the storied Penn State program. On this episode, we dig into how he built trust in a tough environment when he arrived at Penn State and the ways his leadership approach has evolved over the years.
Follow James: Twitter
Show Notes
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- How his upbringing shaped the person he is today (2:21)
- Why he got into coaching football while pursuing his master’s degree (4:32)
- What fuels him more- the desire to win or the fear of failure? (7:28)
- His approach to building community support and alignment when he took the Penn State job (9:00)
- How he built trust and relationship in a tough environment (13:05)
- Team building tips to enhance team chemistry (16:14)
- The unique locker room setup designed to build connection (17:54)
- The importance of consistency in rebuilding a program (19:00)
- How to balance the need for structure with embracing change and flexibility (21:54)
- Learning how to handle losses better (24:32)
- The greatest leadership lesson he’s learned (27:22)
Resources / People Mentioned
- James Franklin, bio
- Penn State football
- Saquon Barkley, NFL
- East Stroudsburg University
- Vanderbilt football
- David Williams, Vanderbilt AD
- Penn State Berkey Creamery
- Keegan-Michael Key’s perfect James Franklin imitation
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Dabo Swinney on Leading from the Heart
- Herm Edwards on You Play to Win the Game
- Tom Izzo on Maximizing Your Team’s Potential
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