How James Franklin and Bill O'Brien Will Make Penn State Football History Again

Former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg discusses his coaches meeting in the Virginia Tech-Boston College game.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Bill O'Brien talks to quarterback Christian Hackenberg during a 2013 game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

James Franklin and Bill O’Brien share a long history. Notably, Franklin took the Penn State head-coaching job in 2014 after O’Brien left Happy Valley for the Houston Texans.

Now, the former Nittany Lions coaches are set for a full-circle moment together and a rare instance in Penn State football history. Franklin’s Virginia Tech Hokies visit O’Brien’s Boston College Eagles at noon Saturday in the first game between the two as head coaches.

The game also marks the first time in more than 100 years that two former Penn State head coaches will compete against each other with different schools. It first happened in 1899, when the Nittany Lions’ first two head coaches, George Hoskins and Samuel Newton, faced each other in a game between Bucknell and Lafayette. 

A year later, Newton led Lafayette against Dickinson, guided by Penn State’s third head coach, Sam Boyle. The Franklin-O’Brien matchup marks only the third known game between former Penn State head football coaches.

For many Penn State fans, and those who played for O'Brien and Franklin, the game is compelling, particularly since the Nittany Lions host Wisconsin at 5 p.m. Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Among those following will be Christian Hackenberg, who played quarterback for both coaches at Penn State.

“I'll probably be at a tailgate [at Penn State], might actually have a pregame show when that kicks off,” Hackenberg said. “But yeah, we'll be watching. We'll have eyes on [the Virginia Tech-Boston College game].”

Taking a 'neutral stance' toward Franklin vs. O'Brien

Penn State Nittany Lions coach James Franklin talks to quarterback Christian Hackenberg and center Angelo Mangiro before the 2015 game against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hackenberg started 12 games for O’Brien in 2013 and 26 games for Franklin between 2014-15. He keeps up with the Nittany Lions now while working with State Media, a platform that covers Penn State sports, and recalled his relationship with both coaches in an interview this week.

Hackenberg said he’ll have a "neutral stance” while watching Boston College play Virginia Tech. He said his former Penn State teammates aren’t “necessarily talking about” that game, as he’s “a little locked in” on the Nittany Lions’ Big Ten opener against Wisconsin.

But Hackenberg still enjoys watching his former teammates on various coaching staffs, including Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Ty Howle, who was his center at Penn State in 2013.

“I love Ty,” Hackenberg said. “I'm really pulling for him. Obviously, getting things going there is priority No. 1 for him. So yeah, if I've got a game on and I've got someone like that — Billy Fessler, who was a backup quarterback for me, he's the quarterbacks coach at Ohio State — I'll tune into those things.”

Hackenberg was a true freshman when O’Brien named him Penn State’s starting quarterback in 2013. He threw for 2,955 yards and 20 touchdowns that season and said O’Brien had a “very big influence” on how he approached and learned football.

“OB was awesome for me,” Hackenberg said. “Like, just being a young guy, really young, and not early enrolling, and having to come in in the summer, and then ultimately getting rolled out there Week 1. Very hands-on, taught me a ton about the game, like defensive recognition, how to apply things, and then frankly gave me a ton of freedom that not most 18-year-olds have. I’m very indebted to him.”

Hackenberg said O’Brien could “walk on water” to him, and he stays in contact with his first college head coach. In fact, Hackenberg spent a day with O’Brien at Boston College in 2024 to interview him for an episode of Adam Breneman’s podcast. Breneman was a tight end at Penn State from 2013-15.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Bill O'Brien talks to quarterback Christian Hackenberg during a 2013 game vs. the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hackenberg also was Franklin’s first starting Penn State quarterback in 2014-15. Hackenberg said he had a different relationship with Franklin than with O’Brien, as they navigated depth issues due to the lingering NCAA sanctions. 

"We had to deal with a lot that didn't necessarily directly impact football, if that makes sense,” Hackenberg said of his time with Franklin. “From that point in time, we were just trying to stabilize things, so that relationship was like a lot more of just, divide and conquer and plug the gaps and plug the holes in the ship with duct tape and like let's just make this work."

Hackenberg highlighted that Penn State didn’t have a losing season during his two years with Franklin despite those depth issues affecting the Nittany Lions “a lot.” Penn State went 7-6 both seasons.

“Coach Franklin leading the ship did a really good job there,” Hackenberg said. “I think it taught me some things that were much different, and maybe I didn't appreciate as much at that point in time but definitely appreciate now the older I've gotten. So very different relationships [with each coach], but both [had] positive impacts in my life in the long run.”

Franklin, O'Brien share a coaching history

An image from the 2004 Maryland Terrapins football media guide featuring assistant coaches James Franklin and Bill O'Brien. | Maryland Athletics

Franklin and O’Brien worked together as assistants on Ralph Friedgen’s staff at Maryland from 2003-04. Franklin coached the wide receivers, and O’Brien coached the running backs. O’Brien said their offices were right next to each other, and he believes they “owe a lot” to Friedgen for teaching them offensive football.

“[Friedgen] was tough, demanding, tough to work for, and we were all in it together as assistants,” O’Brien told reporters at Boston College this week. “We also lived near each other. We lived in Crofton, [Maryland,] so our wives are friends, and he's always been great to my family.”

Years later, O’Brien landed his first head-coaching gig at Penn State in 2012, and the NCAA instituted its sanctions later that year. They included a four-year bowl ban and a reduction in scholarships from 85 to 65.

But O’Brien led Penn State to an 8-4 record in his first season, earning several national Coach of the Year awards. Franklin said O’Brien did a “great job” at Penn State and helped him take the job with the Nittany Lions after the 2013 season.

“We were able to have a ton of conversations before taking the job,” Franklin told reporters at Virginia Tech. “Had a number of conversations with him about the job, and obviously he did a phenomenal job. Very, very appreciative of Billy and what he was able to do there.”

Using the foundation that O’Brien built, Franklin propelled Penn State back into the national rankings, including a Big Ten title in 2016. The NCAA restored the Nittany Lions’ bowl eligibility and full scholarship load early in 2014, for which O’Brien credited Franklin.

“I think a lot of that had to do with James, how he came in there with a positive attitude, and the NCAA saw that and gave him the scholarships back,” O’Brien said. “He did an unbelievable job at Penn State.”

Virginia Tech Hokies head coach James Franklin celebrates with quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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