"We all failed Coach Franklin": Penn State's interim HC issues heartfelt message as Pat Kraft hunts for James Franklin's replacement

Penn State interim head coach Terry Snith delivered an emotional message as athletic director Pat Kraft hunts for James Franklin's replacement.

On Friday, ESPN College Football posted a clip on X, which showed Smith talking to the media prior to Penn State's showdown with Iowa. He spoke about the impact of former head coach James Franklin's firing to the team and what's expected of the team under his tenure.

"We all failed Coach Franklin. That's why he's not here, we failed him, and so we have to take ownership in that," Smith said. "As we move forward, we have to correct it."

"We wanna play for him. We wanna play for us. At the end of the day, it's the game of football that we love. So, every guy in the locker room has their own 'why.' That's why you line up in play every snap," he added.

Penn State (3-3, 0-3 in Big Ten) has its back against the wall in its matchup against Iowa (4-2, 2-1 in Big Ten). First-choice quarterback Drew Allar was ruled out for the season due to an ankle issue that required surgery.

Worse, the school announced they parted ways with Franklin, who led the Nittany Lions to a 104-45 record in 11 1/2 seasons. They named associate head coach and cornerbacks coach Terry Smith as interim head coach while Kraft pledged to organize an exhaustive search for Franklin's replacement.

Kraft previously set out the qualities that the school is looking for in their next head coach. These include the traits of toughness, humility, integrity and top-caliber motivator to college football players.

Vanderbilt HC Clark Lea opens up on James Franklin's firing at Penn State

Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea spoke about his reaction over the firing of former Penn State coach James Franklin, who was also a former Commodores coach from 2011-2013 before signing a deal with the Nittany Lions a season later.

Lea, who was hired as lead tactician for Vanderbilt in 2021, was saddened by the firing of Franklin, whom he described as a wholehearted individual.

"This is a really challenging profession. We sign up for it, so there's not one of us that's victimized by the pressure or the need for results," the Commodores coach said. "At the end of the day, I hurt for him because I know how much of himself he put into that program."

Franklin coached for three seasons in Vanderbilt and compiled a record of 24-15 (11-13 in SEC). He led the Commodores to victories in the Music City Bowl and BBVA Compass Bowl in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Franklin's excellent leadership at Vanderbilt led him to securing the job at Penn State where he had 10 winning seasons as a coach from 2014-2025.

Lea, on the other hand, is on his best start in his five-year coaching tenure with a 5-1 record, thanks to the excellent playmaking of quarterback Diego Pavia.