WATCH: James Franklin's clip of throwing ceremonial pitches at Yankees game & Phillies matchup resurfaces

Modified Apr 04, 2025 15:18 GMT

Syndication: Hanover Evening Sun - Source: Imagn

Penn State Nittany Lions coach James Franklin is making preparations for his 12th season with the program. He was hired back in 2014 and has helped the team to one Big Ten championship and one playoff appearance.

On Friday, the Nittany Lions shared a throwback clip of James Franklin. This was from the 2015 MLB season when the head coach threw two ceremonial pitches.

The first one was during the Yankees vs Rays game. Franklin threw a straight pitch to the catcher before greeting him. The second ceremonial pitch he threw was when the Phillies took on the Atlanta Braves. The Penn State head coach then shook hands with former MLB star Jeff Francoeur before exiting the field. You can check out both the pitches below:

#TBT: @CoachJFranklin throws out the first pitch for the @Yankees & the @Phillies." the caption read.

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During the 2015 season, James Franklin led the Nittany Lions to a 7-6 campaign. They qualified to participate in the bowl games but were unfortunately defeated by Georgia in the TaxSlayer Bowl.

Franklin had his best campaign with the team during the 2024 season. The Penn State Nittany Lions lost the Big Ten title game to the Oregon Ducks but qualified for the 12-team playoffs. They managed to defeat SMU in the first round and Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal.

Their quest for a natty came to an end following a 24-27 loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl semifinal game. The Nittany Lions finished the season with a 13-3 campaign.

CFB analyst highlights whether the 2025 season is 'Natty or bust' for James Franklin

There is some pressure on James Franklin to bring home a championship during the 2025 season. But if things don't go according to plan, will he find himself on the hot seat?

On Thursday's episode of his show, CFB analyst Josh Pate discussed the future of James Franklin with Penn State. He offered his perspective on whether the upcoming season is 'championship or bust' for the 12th-year head coach.

"There's a scenario here they beat Oregon in the regular season en route to going undefeated," Pate said. "Then, let's say they play Ohio State in Indianapolis and they beat them and win the Big Ten. And then they go on to win a couple of games in the playoff, they get knocked out in the semifinal or the national title game. That's a bust?

"It's a bust if they got 10-2 and then they are one and done in the playoffs, because you expect more from this group than what they have achieved last year. Yeah, I could grant you that would be disappointing. Bust? I don't know, I think it's disrespectful for how hard it is." (TS-1:11 onwards)

The last time Penn State won a national championship was back in 1986. Will Franklin be able to end this drought this upcoming season?

About the author

Priyam is a College Sports content executive at Sportskeeda with a master's in Advertising and Marketing Management and over two years of experience as a writer. When it comes to reporting, Priyam believes doing a technical deep dive is one of his biggest strengths and he loves to dissect plays on the field and factor out the strengths/weaknesses of players.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Priyam sees Nick Saban as the greatest coach of all time. He is also rooting for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milore after following his progress over the years. The Michigan Wolverines football team is another of his favorite programs and it will be interesting to see how both these teams perform in new coaching eras.

When he’s not reporting, Priyam is usually at the gym or indulging in music. He has been a guitarist and a drummer for the past 17 years and finds his time of peace when playing music.

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Edited by John Maxwell