Penn State’s interim coach had a brutally honest message about James Franklin’s firing

Penn State interim coach Terry Smith isn’t sugarcoating the implications of the program’s firing of coach James Franklin this weekend. Less than two months ago, the Nittany Lions were ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll and among the favorites to return to the College Football Playoff. Midway through the season, they lost three straight games and saw Franklin get fired.

“We all failed Coach Franklin. That’s why he’s not here,” Smith told reporters Wednesday.

Captain Nick Dawkins and many of his teammates have been feeling guilty since Franklin’s firing. “At the end of the day, as players, it’s an overwhelming feeling of guilt — like we got our coach fired, we didn’t play well enough, we didn’t do our job well enough,” Dawkins said, according to 247Sports“Tyler Donohue. “And now he doesn’t have a job. … Just a new sense of belonging, of responsibility.”

Smith is aware of the emotions his players are experiencing as they adjust to the disappointment of their start to the season, starting quarterback Drew Allar going down with a season-ending injury and the firing of Franklin, who recruited them at Penn State.

“It’s obviously a tough week,” Smith said. “The guys are reacting somewhat. We still have work to do. They’re all hurt and torn, disappointed with what happened. Coach brought everyone into the building. They’re young guys, they’re not used to people. As adults, we have to adapt quicker. We’re just taking the time to mentor these guys and spend quality time with them to get them interested and motivated to come back here.”

Penn State canceled practice Sunday following the news of Franklin’s firing and took things one day at a time.

“We have to prepare for Iowa, but I have to prepare these guys emotionally to play a football game,” Smith said. “…Every day gets better. Sunday was really traumatic for them. Monday, they called a little bit but they were a little angry. Yesterday it was for the practice coach and you put in the effort. Today it was, ‘Hey, we’re going to run a little harder.’ “I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

The Nittany Lions don’t have much time to try to turn things around. Because the firing didn’t happen while they were on leave, they have to adjust to a coaching and quarterback change in just one week, all while preparing to face Iowa, one of the top 10 defenses in the country. It won’t get any easier after this week either, as Penn State has matchups looming against No. 1 Ohio State and No. 3 Indiana.

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