The life of a head coach can be stressful. When you win everyone will nitpick what you could have done better. When you lose, people are calling for your job. At the end of the day, you have to find a source of inspiration to keep a level-headed mindset. For Penn State football coach James Franklin, he has been able to do just that. But where does the Nittany Lion head coach gather his inspiration from?

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Who inspires James Franklin?

Not only does James Franklin have to deal with the local media asking him the tough questions immediately after a big game. But he has to deal with the national media poking at his record against AP Top 10 teams and all of the other statistics. To keep a level-headed mind, Franklin needs to find that source of inspiration. On this week's episode of Quite Franklin with LVar Arrington and James Franklin, the two discussed this topic.

Franklin said, "Personally my mom, no doubt about it. Raised for the most part by a single mom and my older sister. She came to this country from England and had no support system, no friends, and no family. It didn't work out with my dad so she poured her entire life into me and my sister. So, she had a huge influence she worked at my high school, in a number of different roles. No doubt, my mom and the sacrifices that she made."

But on a professional level, he is influenced by another source. Franklin continued, "Professionally, I would say Ralph Friedgen, we just played the University of Maryland. That was my first big break in the profession, I was there for five years we won a ton of games. I left and went to the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, and then ended up coming back as a coordinator for another three years. I was there for eight years with Ralph. Excellent football coach, and a demanding guy again that was my first big break, my first experience with major college football. We went to a ton of bowls, we went to the BCS Orange Bowl, we did a ton of really good things, ACC Championship. He probably had the biggest influence on me professionally."

It's safe to say that James Franklin is able to find inspiration from two major influences in his life, his mother and the man who gave him his first big break in the college football world. Now, Franklin turns his attention to the Michigan Wolverines in the biggest game of the 2023 season.

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