By: East Stroudsburg Athletics
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., March 5, 2014 – Building on his mission to “Dominate The State,” Penn State football coach James Franklin, a 1995 East Stroudsburg University graduate, will embark on the Penn State Coaches Caravan tour this spring which will include a stop at his alma mater on Wednesday, May 21.
Franklin and several head coaches of other Penn State varsity sports will make stops in 17 locales over 10 days this spring. Thirteen of the 17 events will take place in Pennsylvania, including four on Penn State campuses, with additional stops in Baltimore, New Jersey, New York City and Washington, D.C.
Franklin, a two-time All-PSAC quarterback and a regional candidate for the Harlon Hill Award in 1994, set or tied 23 school single-game, season or career records as signal caller at East Stroudsburg University.
A product of Langhorne, Pa., Franklin was named the Nittany Lions’ 16th head football coach on January 11.
More information on Franklin’s appearance at ESU will be available soon.
Franklin is scheduled to participate in all 17 Coaches Caravan stops and will be joined by other Penn State head coaches on the tour. At each event, Penn Staters will be treated to a message from the Nittany Lions head coach and at least one other Penn State head coach and have the opportunity to ask questions about the Nittany Lions’ nationally recognized 31-sport athletic department. Each stop will feature a meet and greet with Franklin and the other Nittany Lion head coaches during the lunch or evening receptions prior to the programs. Members of the Penn State football coaching staff may also attend selected events.
“Our staff is so appreciative of the tremendous welcome from Nittany Nation,” Franklin said. “The pride and passion for Penn State, the football program and all our teams are very obvious. We are looking forward to getting around Pennsylvania and the region to visit with all of our proud Penn Staters! The opportunity to share our vision for this program and bring this family back together excites our entire staff!”
Franklin led Vanderbilt University to unprecedented success the past three years as head coach, including consecutive nine-win seasons and bowl victories the past two years, as well as back-to-back Top 25 finishes, all for the first time in VU history. His 24 wins, including five straight to finish the 2013 season, are tied for the most by a Vanderbilt mentor in his first three years as head coach. He is entering his 20th year of coaching.
The Penn State Coaches Caravan, jointly sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association and the Nittany Lion Club, kicks off May 1 with an evening event in State College. The Coaches Caravan customized coach bus will roll out of Happy Valley on May 6 for events in York and Hershey, followed by stops in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. (May 7) and Uniontown and Pittsburgh (May 8) during the first full week. The Coaches Caravan will visit Nittany Nation strongholds across Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic through May 22.
During each of the Coaches Caravan events, Franklin will meet with alumni and fans and talk about his core values for the program, vision for Penn State football and preparations for the 2014 season, as well as how all Penn State alumni and fans can help build on Penn State football’s tradition of excellence.
Franklin will be joined by head coaches who have helped champion Penn State’s “One Team” philosophy, with the 31 varsity teams, athletics, 24 campuses, communities and constituencies all playing a role in the Nittany Lions’ academic and athletic success. Penn State has captured six Big Ten Championships and one NCAA title thus far in 2013-14, with 14 Big Ten crowns the past two years, while earning an NCAA Graduation Rate of 88 percent.
Four of the Coaches Caravan events will be held on Penn State campuses, with stops at Penn State York, Penn State Fayette (Uniontown), the Pennsylvania College of Technology (Williamsport) and Penn State Erie, the Behrend College. The May 21 lunch event will be held in East Stroudsburg, Pa. at East Stroudsburg University, Franklin’s alma mater.
Complete details on the other coaches participating, locations and registration information for each Coaches Caravan stop on the tour will be available soon. As a benefit of membership, Penn State Alumni Association and Nittany Lion Club members will have the opportunity to register in advance before the Caravan is open to the general public. Member registration begins later this month, with general public registration to follow.
The 2014 Coaches Caravan schedule of events (exact locations to be announced later this month):
May 1 State College (Evening reception)
May 6 York/Penn State York (Lunch)
Hershey (Evening reception)
May 7 Baltimore (Lunch)
Washington, D.C. (Evening reception)
May 8 Uniontown/Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus (Lunch)
Pittsburgh (Evening reception)
May 13 King of Prussia (Evening reception)
May 14 Philadelphia/Center City (Lunch)
Scranton (Dinner)
May 15 Northern New Jersey/Whippany (Lunch)
New York City (Evening reception)
May 20 Williamsport/Penn College (Lunch)
Wilkes-Barre (Evening reception)
May 21 East Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg University (Lunch)
Lehigh Valley (Evening reception)
May 22 Erie/Penn State Erie, The Behrend College (Evening reception)
For the third consecutive year, Fullington Tours will provide a customized coach to transport all the Coaches Caravan participants throughout the 17-stop tour.
Fans can follow the Penn State Alumni Association (@PennStateAlums or @PSUFBLetter), Penn State Athletics (@GoPSUsports) and the Nittany Lion Club (@NittanyLionClub) on Twitter.
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