A silver lining to this crapfest:

ApexLion

Heisman
Nov 1, 2021
6,459
10,956
113
Does anyone think Franklin wanted fired. I mean that meant he kept his money until he was hired by another team.

Then Kraft couldn't find anyone that wanted to work for him.

Then finally he goes with an offer to Campbell, and Matt has no idea what he signed up for. Sometimes, you have to know how to pick a boss. How long did Franklin work for Kraft? Just wondering.
There was friction. Two similar personalities. My contacts told me Kraft gave Franklin objectives and it wasn’t well received. I said so at the time on premium and Nate Bauer basically told me to shut up. Remember, the Duke athletic dept is tight with the PSU AD office. I hear things down here.
 

LionJim

Heisman
Oct 12, 2021
16,577
22,770
113
I think Franklin was a great recruiter, an average game coach, and a poor coach when he had equal to less talent. That being said, Kraft not supporting him made him worse because he was a paranoid coach. Kraft playing tough guy made him worse. He needed to go, but not as much as his boss.
Good take, “a paranoid coach.” I’ve heard worse takes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lion4ever76

Marshall2323

All-American
Aug 7, 2024
5,142
5,397
113
I just wrote a manifesto on our entire situation. Seriously 14 paragraphs.

After reading it aloud to myself I realized that this whole thing has driven me to the point of visiting the psychologist office. But even knowing that I would still nuke everything from the BOT down and start over. I have for a very long time viewed that admin at PS as being inbreed and corrupt.

Then there is the alumni situation which has been relegated to peasant status and forced to live in the land of the nerds to the point of nerdism, it has become a cancer. All we get from them are nerdy suggestions and nerdy candidates.

I'm trying to figure out a way to dig up JoePa and clone him then somehow infuse that into the university.
Let Joe rest. Lots of the loyal fan base wanted to fire him too. We are surrounded be Joe "but" fans.
Only you would know. You've been the biggest blow hard and know it all on this board from day one. Please retire old man. The game has passed you by.
Must have me confused with some one else. I've told everyone Campbell couldn't walk on water for months before the season started. Not my fault PSU is terrible. But we do have office space, white shoelaces, a ball cap, more media access, shorter practices and culture. Next year luxury boxes. Enjoy 😉
There was friction. Two similar personalities. My contacts told me Kraft gave Franklin objectives and it wasn’t well received. I said so at the time on premium and Nate Bauer basically told me to shut up. Remember, the Duke athletic dept is tight with the PSU AD office. I hear things down here.
True. Oil and water. The stadium project was a big disagreement. Especially with NIL shortfalls.
It wasn't all Kraft wishing to meddle with Franklin. He was being nudged by those who are now in hiding.
 

Marshall2323

All-American
Aug 7, 2024
5,142
5,397
113
And yet..... almost universally, people who know football, not just the talking heads, praised the hiring of Campbell. So where is the disconnect? Were they universally wrong? People came blame Kraft all they want, and he certainly deserves his share, but he doesn't coach the team. MC was given a pile of money, got to bring over all his best players and coaches, got a schedule avoiding the top three teams in the conference, and got an incredible honeymoon period that is now crushingly over. Something doesn't add up. I don't know what that is, and apparently neither does he.
Kraft must shoulder a significant part of the blame for a disastrous coaching search that lost an entire recruiting class (repercussion to be felt for 3 years) and creating unrealistic expectations (the next hire will bring excellence at the highest level) and spreading outright lies about the size of the roster $$$.
MC's pile of money ranks about 7th best in conference. By the time he was hired virtually every premier portal hopeful had a destination. Campbell had to backfill the roster as best he could.
Keep in mind that these players have representatives that are working without regard to the published dates of the portal. I guarantee you that some on the squad are already reading travel brochures. Kraft got away with making Franklin the fall guy. It's not working this time. But him credit, we have luxury boxes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PSUFTG

Marshall2323

All-American
Aug 7, 2024
5,142
5,397
113
Does anyone think Franklin wanted fired. I mean that meant he kept his money until he was hired by another team.

Then Kraft couldn't find anyone that wanted to work for him.

Then finally he goes with an offer to Campbell, and Matt has no idea what he signed up for. Sometimes, you have to know how to pick a boss. How long did Franklin work for Kraft? Just wondering.
Well there was the hugging period and then there was the I think you need to do this period. Then there was the I know how to run this program better than you at the end.
 

Electric Lion

Freshman
Nov 7, 2021
43
55
18
I didn't see any universal approval- lots of people saw the whole thing as a clusterfuk
Let me be more clear. The hiring of CAMPBELL as a coach was met with near universal praise. The process of how it came to be was a cluster to be sure. His coaching ability was highly regarded. But in the current landscape, coaching ability is not even close in importance to the $ spent on roster construction. As to why 5 star OL recruits are having a hard time blocking against NW and we can't get open with 3 of 4 NW DB's being backups, you got me.
 

Nitt1300

Heisman
Nov 2, 2008
7,823
14,698
113
Here's the "silver lining".

A bottom half of the league finish- in spite of the soft schedule- not the best way to attract high end recruits.

Bottom half of the league NIL budget- not the best way to buy the services of said recruits.

Looks more like lead than silver.
 

Bvillebaron

All-Conference
Feb 4, 2004
3,231
3,165
113
Does anyone think Franklin wanted fired. I mean that meant he kept his money until he was hired by another team.

Then Kraft couldn't find anyone that wanted to work for him.

Then finally he goes with an offer to Campbell, and Matt has no idea what he signed up for. Sometimes, you have to know how to pick a boss. How long did Franklin work for Kraft? Just wondering.
Given that Franklin said it was his fault and he would get things turned around the day before he was fired and that he thought he would be given a little grace (chance to stay) F
Well there was the hugging period and then there was the I think you need to do this period. Then there was the I know how to run this program better than you at the end.
Exactly. And we see how well that’s working. Kraft must be taking lessons from Jerry Jones.
 

Bvillebaron

All-Conference
Feb 4, 2004
3,231
3,165
113
Does anyone think Franklin wanted fired. I mean that meant he kept his money until he was hired by another team.

Then Kraft couldn't find anyone that wanted to work for him.

Then finally he goes with an offer to Campbell, and Matt has no idea what he signed up for. Sometimes, you have to know how to pick a boss. How long did Franklin work for Kraft? Just wondering.
Given that Franklin said it was his fault and he would get things turned around the day before he was fired and that he thought he would be given a little grace (chance to stay), I doubt he wanted to be fired.
 

Bvillebaron

All-Conference
Feb 4, 2004
3,231
3,165
113
Here's the "silver lining".

A bottom half of the league finish- in spite of the soft schedule- not the best way to attract high end recruits.

Bottom half of the league NIL budget- not the best way to buy the services of said recruits.

Looks more like lead than silver.
BINGO
 
  • Like
Reactions: Marshall2323

JoePaMajorCFBrecord409Ws

All-Conference
Jun 26, 2025
1,089
1,113
113
Sunday, October 4th. Pat Kraft has not been fired yet.

How he still has a job is a very sad indictment of the PSU administration - an administration that keeps begging the Alumni for more $$$, but doesn't listen to anything they want. Krafty The Clown has done nothing but decimate PSU's franchise. There is only one way to deal with these empty-suit jackwads - stop supporting the University financially. BTW, why is PSU hiring all these awful empty-suit administrators traditional b1g losers who do nothing but damage to PSU -- Rodney Erickson (Minnesota), Pat Kraft (Indiana)............
 
BWI

Latest

  1. 01 BWI Football Here's how Chip Kelly Broke The Penn State defense. Can other teams replicate it?
  2. 02 BWI Football In July, Pat Kraft thought Penn State was "poised to have a really exciting year." So far, it's been anything but
  3. 03 BWI Football Penn State Defensive Film Thread: Reviewing the Gory Details of a 400-Yard Rushing Performance
  4. 04 BWI Football Penn State has an identity problem. Matt Campbell knows fixing it starts with him
  5. 05 BWI Football First Impressions from Penn State's embarrassing 34-13 loss at Northwestern