Alma Mater: East Stroudsburg (Pa.) University (B.S., Psychology, 1995)
Graduate Degree: Washington State University (M.A., Educational Leadership, 1999)
Family: Wife, Fumi; Daughters, Ava and Addison
In one season, Vanderbilt Head Coach James Franklin became the only first-year coach in school history to guide the Commodores to a bowl game,
surpassed the total wins achieved by the program in each of its previous two
seasons and reeled in the best recruiting class in school history.
Through his successes, Franklin has sent a jolt of positive energy throughout
Vanderbilt's football program that has been buoyed by an infectious
personality and unmatched passion for the Commodores.
It remains to be seen what his encore performance has in store, but if it is
anything like year one, Vanderbilt fans will have a lot to cheer about in 2012.
Hired as the 27th head coach in school history on Dec. 17, 2010, Franklin
guided the Commodores to an appearance in the 53rd AutoZone Liberty
Bowl in 2011 and had the Commodores competing at a high level in the best
college football conference in the nation.
The Commodores did not just compete; they sent shivers through the
spines of many of their opponents by being outscored by a mere 27 points
in their final five losses en route to earning a trip to a bowl game for just the
fifth time in school history.
Vanderbilt's drastic improvements can also be measured by statistics. The
offensive and defensive ranks in conference play were the most improved of
any Southeastern Conference team. Offensively, the unit scored more points
than any Vanderbilt team in the previous 50 years. The progress was even
more dramatic on the defensive end where the Commodores finished the
season ranked 18th-nationally in total defense.
Just as Franklin has made an immediate impact on the football field, he
has done the same in the Vanderbilt and Nashville community. Whether it
is speaking before civic groups or helping move students into their dorms,
Franklin has made a strong impact in the community by embracing each
opportunity with the same passion he does a football game.
At the same time, Franklin has provided other members of the community
with unforgettable behind-the-scenes experiences such as leading the team
on the field or receiving a locker room tour. Franklin has also given the public
never-before-seen access inside the program by allowing cameras and
journalists into meeting rooms.
Franklin's first season began with a convincing 45-14 victory over outmanned
Elon. In the second game against Connecticut, the defending Big
East Champions, a series of events late in the game set the tone for the season.
Seeing a lack of energy with his team trailing 21-14 in the fourth quarter,
an emotional Franklin rallied his squad, telling all that this Vanderbilt football
team was different from the others. Within minutes, cornerback Casey Hayward
returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown, and Carey Spear
capped the comeback with a 31-yard field goal to give the program its first
big win in two full seasons. Vanderbilt would win its next two games to begin
the season 3-0 before suffering two straight road losses.
The Commodores returned home to play eventual SEC East Champion Georgia
in what turned out to be one of the most intense games of the season.
Franklin's reaction after a bitter 33-28 midseason defeat to the Bulldogs
drew more admiration from Commodore fans.
"We're going to compete with class," Franklin said at the postgame press
conference. "But we are not going to sit back and take stuff from anybody. Those days are long gone and never coming back. Ever!"
The Commodores seemed to take momentum from the Georgia disappointment.
They had a chance to win all six games afterward, and outscored
those opponents 193-117. Vanderbilt defeated Kentucky 38-8, the widest
margin over an SEC team in 40 years, and thrashed Wake Forest 41-7 on the
road to claim bowl eligibility. The Commodores' last three losses in conference
play came by a total of 14 points.
Vanderbilt's six wins were two more than the 2009 and 2010 Commodore
teams combined for. The team won five of its games at home, which were
the most at Vanderbilt Stadium since the mid-1990s. The Commodores also
outscored their opponents by 73 points, a remarkable 244-point improvement
over the previous year. The point differential by the Commodores is the
largest since 1974.
Several Vanderbilt players enjoyed tremendous seasons during Franklin's
first year on campus. Running back Zac Stacy put together the finest rushing
season in Commodore history, setting a team single-season record of 1,193
yards. He also rushed for 14 touchdowns, the highest total in modern-day
team history. Jordan Rodgers passed for 1,523 yards - the most ever by a
first-year Vanderbilt quarterback - and tossed nine touchdowns, including
at least one in the last six games. Sophomore Jordan Matthews blossomed
as Rodgers' top target, averaging 111 receiving yards during the final six
regular season games. Another young receiver, Chris Boyd, topped all SEC
freshmen with seven touchdown catches. Three linemen - Wesley Johnson,
Ryan Seymour and Kyle Fischer - earned weekly honors from the SEC. On
defense, Hayward, linebacker Chris Marve and defensive end Tim Fugger
earned All-conference recognition.
As a result of his success, Vanderbilt's administration committed to Franklin
on a long-term basis following the regular season. Vanderbilt extended
his contract with a pay raise and promised a series of program upgrades,
including adding an indoor multipurpose facility, new Jumbotron, turf and
meeting rooms.
Prior to accepting the Vanderbilt position, Franklin spent the last five
seasons coordinating highly productive offensive units at top Division I
programs. Most recently, Franklin served as offensive coordinator and
assistant head coach at the University of Maryland.
Coaching Career:
2008-10 Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach, University of Maryland On December 23, 2007, Ralph Friedgen brought Franklin back to Maryland as the Terrapins' assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. In February 2009, Franklin was designated as Friedgen's successor at Maryland.
The Terrapins compiled an 9-4 record in 2010, finishing second in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Atlantic Division and posting a convincing postseason win over East Carolina in the Military Bowl. Redshirt-freshman quarterback Danny O'Brien earned the ACC Rookie of the Year and first-team Freshman All-America honors under Franklin's mentorship, ranking third nationally among freshmen with a pass efficiency rating of 135.2. O'Brien threw for 22 touchdowns against only eight interceptions after becoming the team's starter in week four.
Franklin's offense committed only 12 turnovers during the 2010 regular campaign, ranking No. 3 nationally in giveaways. Wide receiver Torrey Smith also flourished this year, catching 67 passes for 1,055 yards and 12 touchdowns en route to earning first-team All-ACC honors.
For the fourth time in his career, Franklin also was honored as a Top 25 recruiter by Rivals.com for helping to secure a class that included a number of four-star athletes
In Franklin's first season as offensive coordinator in College Park, the Terrapins defeated four ranked teams en route to a victory in the 2008 Roady's Humanitarian Bowl and an 8-5 overall record. Wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey was chosen by the Oakland Raiders as the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
2006-07 Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach, Kansas State University Franklin was hired to be the offensive coordinator for Kansas State in 2006. He helped the Wildcats to a 7-6 record that season, including a 45-42 victory over No. 4 Texas. Kansas State earned a berth in the inaugural Texas Bowl, making its first postseason appearance since 2003.
In 2007, under Franklin's guidance, K-State offense becomes first team in history to feature a 3,000-yard passer, 1,500-yard receiver, and 1,000-yard rusher in the same season. Franklin mentored quarterback Josh Freeman to numerous school records. Freeman threw for 3,353 yards, including 122 completions to All-America receiver Jordy Nelson. Freeman was selected in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft (17th overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is currently their starting signal caller, while Nelson is a key receiver for the 2011 Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.
2005 Assistant Coach, Wide Receivers, Green Bay Packers Assisting Head Coach Mike Sherman, Franklin served as the Packers' wide receiver coach in 2005, mentoring a strong arsenal that included Donald Driver, Javon Walker and Robert Ferguson catching passes from legendary quarterback Brett Favre.
Despite losing Walker to an injury early that season, the Packers still posted the sixth-most receiving yards in the NFL that season. Driver established then-career highs with 86 receptions for 1,221 receiving yards, becoming just the fourth Packers player with 85 receptions in a season.
2000-04 Assistant Coach, Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator, University of Maryland After being hired by Ron Vanderlinden prior to the 2000 season, Franklin continued on with Maryland when Ralph Friedgen accepted the post that November.
The Terrapins would earn three consecutive postseason berths from 2001 to 2003, including an appearance in the 2002 FedEx Orange Bowl, and post at least 10 victories in each of the three seasons. The Terps followed the Orange Bowl berth with a 30-3 victory over Tennessee in 2002 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and a 41-7 win over West Virginia in 2003 Toyota Gator Bowl. Prior to Franklin's tenure under Friedgen, Maryland had made just one bowl appearance in the previous 15 years. In Friedgen's 10-year career that ended when Franklin came to Vanderbilt, the Terps made seven bowl appearances.
In 2003, Franklin was promoted to be Maryland's recruiting coordinator and delivered back-to-back recruiting classes that were ranked among the nation's Top 25 by prominent recruiting outlets. He was named a Top 25 recruiter by Rivals.com in both 2003 and 2004.
1999 Assistant Coach, Wide Receivers, Idaho State University Franklin was the wide receivers coach at Idaho State under Head Coach Larry Lewis, helping the Bengals' offense rank ninth nationally in total offense.
1998 Graduate Assistant Coach, Tight Ends, Washington State University Franklin's first coaching job at a BCS conference school came in 1998 at Washington State as the graduate assistant in charge of tight ends under Head Coach Mike Price.
1997 Assistant Coach, Wide Receivers, James Madison Head Coach Alex Wood hired Franklin to mentor the wide receivers at James Madison in 1997. Junior receiver Earnest Payton would finish his career as the school's leader in receptions with 185.
1996 Graduate Assistant Coach, Secondary, East Stroudsburg Franklin returned to his alma mater, Division II East Stroudsburg, to assist his collegiate head coach, legendary Denny Douds. Franklin helped lead the Warriors to a 6-4 record, including a win.
1995 Assistant Coach, Wide Receivers, Kutztown University Franklin helped lead the Golden Bears to a 6-4 record and a third-place finish in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. He coached Darrien Peoples, who is fifth all-time at Kutztown in receptions (134), and Justin Bordlemay, who is fifth all-time in touchdown catches (16).
NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program Franklin has been involved in the NFL's Minority Coaching Fellowship Program since a 1998 internship with Miami. While assisting the Dolphins, Franklin worked with NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino. Franklin also gained valuable experience through stints with Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999 and Minnesota Vikings in 2008.
Playing Career:
Franklin was a four-year letterwinner at quarterback for East Stroudsburg University from 1991 to 1994. He was a two-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selection. As a senior he garnered team MVP honors and was a Harlon Hill Trophy nominee for NCAA Division II Player of the Year after setting seven school records, including single-season marks for total offense (3,128), passing yards (2,586) and TD passes (19).
Quotes on Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin:
"James Franklin worked for me at the Green Bay Packers. I noticed early on that he always saw the big picture. He didn't just coach his players on the field, but saw the need for them to be accountable off the field as well. He took an interest in every aspect of their lives and coached not just the player, but the person."
"Coach Franklin is a great hire for Vanderbilt University. He will fall in line with the value system of the university as to what they expect from their athletes in all areas, as well as being totally committed to winning football games. I have no doubt he will have great success in Nashville." - Mike Sherman, Head Coach, Texas A&M; former head coach, Green Bay Packers
"Coach Franklin and I worked together at Kansas State back in 2006. He is a first class coach, and a perfect fit for a university like Vanderbilt. He's a tremendous motivator of men, and inspires character in each of his players. He works really hard to be the best that he can be as a coach, and has the toughness to build up a program in the SEC. He will no doubt be a great representative of Vanderbilt University." - Raheem Morris, Head Coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
"Coach Franklin is a terrific fit for Vanderbilt...an over achiever who maximizes every opportunity. He will bring with him a relentless work ethic and a staff that does the same. Working hard and working smart are his trademarks, along with expectations of academic excellence." - Debbie Yow, Director of Athletics, North Carolina State, formerly AD at Maryland
"I've had the chance to work closely with Coach Franklin and I can't say enough good things about his approach, his work ethic, his passion for the game and his ability to teach the game. He's a tireless recruiter and one of those coaches who can get the most out of his players and is excellent at making and maintaining relationships. He would be a great fit with Vanderbilt and an asset to the campus and football program both." - Darrell Bevell, Offensive Coordinator, Seattle Seahawks
"Coach Franklin has a lot of energy, a lot of passion for the game, and obviously knew what he was doing. He cared about his players and was a great family guy. He was intense, but yet had fun and like I said, he had his passion for the game, his love for the game and a love for his players, and he cares about his players like family. I think he'll do a great job and I think Vanderbilt will be pleased with the guy they got." - Jordy Nelson, Wide Receiver, Green Bay Packers, 2009 graduate of Kansas State University
"James did a very good job for us while he was here. I'm very happy that he's gotten an opportunity to be a head coach. We wish him nothing but the best of luck at Vanderbilt." - Ralph Friedgen, Former Head Coach, University of Maryland
"The hiring of Coach Franklin represents a new day for Vanderbilt football. He has my full support and commitment that we will help him create an environment where the successes on the field equal the university's extraordinary successes off the field. Coach Franklin will have an immediate and positive impact on our students, alumni, faculty, staff and broader Vanderbilt community, and I welcome him to Vanderbilt." - Nicholas Zeppos, Vanderbilt University Chancellor
"Coach has meant so much to me, both on and off the field. One of the best things that ever happened to me was getting to work with Coach Franklin."
"I was very raw, and needed development in really every area. Coach taught me proper footwork, how to better understand pass routes and schemes, just how to play the position. Truly, to this day, my fundamental foundation as a quarterback came from the time with him." - Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay QB; former Kansas State QB
