James Franklin sheds light on "twisting and turning process" to assemble staff members in college football

The Penn State Nittany Lions of James Franklin were just one win away from participating in the national championship game last season. This is a significant departure from the norm for a program that had consistently failed to take the step to the next level of the game.

Their first participation in the College Football Playoff and advancing to the semifinals was proof that Franklin's team could perform under the spotlight.

In the last few years, school authorities have let Franklin access resources he didn't have before in his chase for the national title. According to Franklin, the work of athletic director Patrick Kraft has allowed him to set lofty goals when assembling his coaching staff at Penn State.

“What’s great about being at a place like Penn State, I’ve been at places in my career where you have a dream list and they’re not really realistic," Franklin said in Wednesday's press conference. "Your dream list at Penn State is realistic, specifically now with the support that we have. But again, it was a twisting and turning process.”

Penn State's James Franklin: Matching expectations through elite hires

In the same press conference, James Franklin highlighted how Pat Kraft's support has allowed him to match the expectations the fanbase of the Nittany Lions sets for the team.

“Yeah, I think it’s very telling, I think it goes back to that statement I made earlier that, you know," the coach added. "I guess what is it going on 12 years now? I think the last two years, our commitment has matched our expectations — I don’t know if I would have said that before.

"I think Pat’s been with us for three years — and the only reason I didn’t say three years before is when you first get here, that first year you’re figuring everything out. But yeah, I think to a passionate and hungry fan base, I think it speaks volumes. I think it speaks volumes.”

Again, crucial to matching expectations, is Franklin's ability to hire an adequate coaching staff. The latest addition to his coaching staff at Penn State was defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who won the national title with Ohio State on Jan. 20.

According to James Franklin, the process to hire him started two days after the Buckeyes national title win. This is a huge hire for Penn State, and it signals an intention to challenge for the national title.