Matt Campbell Respects James Franklin, and Penn State Fans Should Too

Coaching at Penn State is no easy task, and much of that is due to the success other coaches have achieved before. Even James Franklin, who I know some like to criticize, I think it's important we take a step back and really recognize what Franklin did for this program. He brought Penn State back to the top, and there's something to be said about that. 

Perhaps the most recognizable head coach in college football history, Joe Paterno, Penn State certainly has a lot going for it when it comes to history. There's a reason why this program continues to reach levels that many other programs around the country can only wish for one day.

However, that's also what makes bringing in Matt Campbell even more interesting than it seems. 

Campbell is a very well-respected head coach, but he hasn't reached the heights of some others in Penn State history. To be fair, a lot of those coaches before him also didn't reach those heights until they came to Penn State. 

Penn State helps coaches reach the mountaintop much easier than coaching at a place like Iowa State, and it seems like that's something Campbell understands. He also recognizes that this is a place with a lot of history, and his job is to continue finding ways to be consistent at levels that others before him have.

“Yeah, I think it’s too early to know that, other than you know that you’re at a place that I think you’ve seen – whether that was Coach Franklin, Coach O’Brien, Coach Paterno, in our recent history – have found ways to create that consistency, have found ways to create consistency of success.

“And I certainly feel like you’ve seen the fruits of their labor within the football program in different ways. Whether it’s our former players of the Coach Paterno era, whether it’s seeing it with the current players here at Penn State that Coach Franklin had, whether you see what Coach O’Brien did during his time, I think you just see the fruits of those labors within the walls of this football program,” Campbell said, per BWI.

Campbell saying all of this is certainly a good sign, but it's also important to recognize that it doesn't guarantee that Penn State will find the success that it needs to. Just because a coach understands what it takes to win at this level doesn't mean it's going to happen until it does. I have a lot of trust in him doing that, but only time will tell.