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After last year’s national semifinal appearance, James Franklin had to make some staff changes. He then hired two assistants with national championship experience in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and running backs coach Stan Drayton.
Those additions allowed Franklin to infuse title DNA into his program. In the process, he told Josh Pate he’s also leaning on the two coaches to help show the Nittany Lions what that process looks like.
Franklin said he encourages both Drayton and Knowles to speak up about their experience. Drayton was on three title teams – once as a player in 1990 at Allegheny and twice as a coach at Florida and Ohio State – while Knowles was on the Buckeyes’ staff last year. That means they know what a championship-level team looks like, and Franklin wants them to send that message.
“The other thing is, leaning in – Stan Drayton has been a part of I think three national championships,” Franklin said on Josh Pate’s College Football Show. “Jim Knowles just had a national championship last year, so I’m trying to encourage Jim [to say], ‘I just was a part of it. This is what it looks like. We just did a practice yesterday, that’s what it looks like. This doesn’t. This is not aligned with championship-level football.’ So I’m encouraging them to talk about it because we want to grow from their experiences, as well.”
James Franklin: Jim Knowles is a bit of a ‘mad scientist’
Knowles’ arrival came after Ohio State rattled off an impressive run through the College Football Playoff to bring home its first title under Ryan Day. He oversaw a Buckeyes defense which ranked No. 1 in the nation with 254.6 yards allowed per game and saw seven players selected in the NFL Draft.
But James Franklin also tries to make sure Knowles has a chance to give his messages. Both assistant coaches speak in team meetings – though Franklin noted Knowles’ personality is drastically different from Andy Kotelnicki.
“It’s interesting because in our team meetings, I let the coordinators get up and speak, as well, because I want everybody to hear what the defense is being taught, what the offense is being taught because you can learn a lot that way across the ball,” Franklin said. “It’s funny. Andy gets up. … He’s got a bunch of personality. He’s up there, he’s had like four cups of coffee, he’s talking 1,000 miles an hour. Then Jim gets up, and it takes him three minutes to even start talking. And then, he’s whispering and everybody’s kind of leaning in like the old E.F. Hutton commercials. He’s a little bit, kind of a mad scientist and he kind of looks at things from a different lens – which I love. You don’t want a whole bunch of people in the building that view the game the same way.
“And I think that’s been great. I think there’s really good balance between myself, the coordinators, their experiences. It’s been valuable, but they’re fascinating. Andy and Jim couldn’t be any more different in terms of how they go about things.”
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