You know, I think Danny White was really smart to kick the tires on James Franklin. He is really disliked on this forum, but he is a freaking winner and would have done well here.
We came out in the best possible situation, but I was good with Franklin being the HC. He could recruit lights out in Knoxville, and we would have been really good in a few seasons.
Like Kiffin, he was an A-Hole, but he was our A-Hole for almost a year. Franklin can get in the heads of coaches and opposing fanbases, and I admire that if it can be backed up, and Franklin does back it up 90% of the time. He has a lifetime job at PSU due to the situation he walked into and turned them back into contenders. It will be tough to lure him away.
He'll win the B1G once in a blue moon, and that's enough in Happy Valley. Win 9-10 games each season feasting on also-rans, Lurk around the Top 10-15, sniff a National Championship once or twice per decade, and he is golden. I think Franklin has a higher ceiling than PSU, and may eventually bolt for a perfect opportunity, but until then, he is in a really good situation.