STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WHTM) – The Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) are heading to College Park, Maryland this Saturday to face the Maryland Terrapins (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten) where Head Coach James Franklin spent part of his coaching career.
“Obviously I’ve got a lot of history with the University,” said Franklin. “[Maryland] was kind of my first big break in the profession, so I’ve got tremendous respect for the university as a whole and the athletic apartment.”
Franklin worked for the Terrapins from 2000-2004 as the wide receiver/recruiting coordinator and then again from 2008-2010 as the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks. It was his last job before going to Vanderbilt for his first head coaching position.
Franklin worked with Maryland’s Head Coach Mike Locksley for two years from 2000-2002 when Locksley was Maryland’s running backs/recruiting coordinator.
“Got a lot of respect for him and what he’s been able to do throughout his career,” Franklin said.
Maryland’s offensive coordinator also has ties to Penn State. Josh Gattis worked with the Nittany Lions from 2014-2017 as a wide receivers/passing game coordinator, starting the same season Franklin took over the helm of Penn State.
The two programs that share lots of overlapping staff history tip off their Big Ten rivalry matchup on Nov. 4 at 3:30 p.m. Franklin is 7-2 against the Terps in his first nine seasons at Penn State, the last loss coming during the 2020 pandemic season.
Penn State Football fans will get closer than ever to the team this fall, as abc27 launches Nittany Insiders. Every Saturday, the preview show will break down Penn State’s matchup, feature player’s stories off the field, and focus on NIL progress.
The weekly preview show will be co-hosted by former NFL linebacker and Penn State All-American Michael Mauti and abc27 Sports Director Allie Berube.
Each week Allie and Michael will break down the week’s upcoming game and share what the Nittany Lions will need to focus on for a win. Michael will be able to provide a unique expert analysis from the perspective of a former player.
The show will also feature a player spotlight, features on Lettermen, and content highlighting the program’s NIL efforts to create the most comprehensive Penn State show in the state each and every week.
Nittany Insiders will air every Saturday at 11:30 a.m. starting Saturday, August 26th. The 30-minute shows will feature interviews and insight you can only see on abc27.
To sign up for the Nittany Insiders newsletter and other abc27 newsletters, fill out your email and hit the sign up button above.
