Penn State’s James Franklin fires key coach after loss to Michigan
Penn State coach James Franklin is firing his offensive coordinator after the Nittany Lions lost to Michigan on Saturday.\
Penn State football coach James Franklin is shaking up his offensive staff. Franklin fired offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Yurcich following the team’s loss to Michigan, per the Center Daily Times. Yurcich had been with the team for three seasons.
Penn State lost yet again to the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, 24-15. The Nittany Lions offense struggled to move the ball, despite having one of the best young college quarterbacks in the country, Drew Allar. Allar scored a touchdown in the final few minutes of the game for Penn State, making the score more respectable. The loss dropped
James Franklin’s record against Michigan to 3-7, and Franklin said following the loss that those results weren’t good enough for the program. Clearly, the head coach felt a change needed to happen for his offense.
Penn State lost earlier in the season to Ohio State, and the Nittany Lions are now 8-2 on the year. Penn State still has games left this season against Rutgers and Michigan State, along with a bowl game. It’s unclear if Franklin will take over play-calling duties or one of his assistants for those games. Penn State should be favored against both the Scarlet Knights and the Spartans.
James Franklin and the Nittany Lions could finish the year with 10 wins and a top 25 ranking, but many fans are restless that the team hasn’t been able to win more games and Big Ten championships in Franklin’s tenure. Saturday’s game against Michigan was a perfect opportunity for the program since Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was serving a suspension. It didn’t work out as Franklin had hoped.
Ben Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees
