Sitting behind a raised table at the Gossett Teamhouse in their Sunday best outfits, Athletic Director Debbie Yow, football coach Ralph Friedgen, and offensive coordinator James Franklin joined together Friday for an announcement meant to provide stability and continuity to a Terp football program that has slowly earned credibility during Friedgen’s tenure.
Franklin, entering the second season of his second stint with the Terps, has been designated the coach-in-waiting when the soon-to-be 62-year old Friedgen steps aside.
“I just want to thank everybody for this opportunity,” Franklin, 37, said as part of his opening statement. “I can guarantee I won’t let you down.”
Friedgen’s contract runs through the end of the 2011 season, and Franklin’s new deal calls for the situation to be re-evaluated if Friedgen’s contract is extended past January 2, 2012.
Friedgen, who has led the Terps to six bowl appearances in his eight seasons, spoke of his deep connection to Franklin and the desire to name his successor for the sake of his other coaches and recruiting. Both Friedgen and Yow were clear that Friedgen’s health is not an issue in the timing of the announcement.
“Obviously, I wouldn’t have agreed to it if I didn’t think that James was the right person,” Friedgen said.
What was motivation for the announcement was trying to keep Franklin in College Park. According to Yow, there was discussion about putting this clause into Franklin’s contract when he came to this university from Kansas State in December 2008.
This offseason Franklin, noted for his recruiting abilities, said he had “probably three different opportunities at well-respected NFL organizations and colleges.” One of those opportunities was believed to be with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and new coach Raheem Morris, who Franklin called one of his best friends.
“For us it’s been a year’s type of conversation,” said Yow, who called the move a “common sense decision. “[It was] an occassional thing and not a focus by any means, but we weren’t going to stand by and let a professional team take him away at this point.”
Franklin, who is African American, would be the first minority football coach at this university. There are currently just seven coaches at the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision schools and just one at BCS schools, Miami’s Randy Shannon. Shannon is the second African American coach in ACC football history.
Naming successors has become a trend in college sports where recruiting continues to begin earlier and earlier. Schools such as Florida State, Texas and Purdue have named coaches-in-waiting behind successful head men to lock-in promising assistants and avoid negative recruiting related to coaching questions.
“Coach Friedgen has established a foundation these last eight years,” Yow said. “That foundation is going to be protected.”
More on this story in Monday’s Diamondback.
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