Penn State announced the hiring of veteran college football coach Stan Drayton as the program’s next running backs coach last Friday. Drayton was part of two national championship coaching staffs at Florida and Ohio State, most recently serving as Temple’s head coach until his dismissal in November.
Drayton spoke publicly for the first time since the hiring, speaking with Penn State play-by-play announcer Steve Jones. The conversation was shared on Penn State football’s social media accounts, and it primarily focused on Drayton’s admiration for and connection to James Franklin.
“I’ve known James for a long time, and he’s always handled himself with such high integrity,” Drayton said. “As an individual, you hold yourself to such a standard, you know it’s only going to permeate into a program that you’re in charge of. I’ve watched him over his career, and he’s held that standard everywhere he’s been.”
It is clear that Drayton has been a long-time admirer of James Franklin, and for a coach who was a free agent when Penn State came calling, it was a perfect opportunity.
“I went to school in this state [Allegheny College], all you hear is Penn State. I’ve worked in this state, all you hear is Penn State,” Drayton said. “This is a premier opportunity with a premier coaching staff for me to continue my career. And so it was a no-brainer for me, it really was. A high-tier program that holds integrity. It’s all about raising the whole man here, and I appreciate that.”
Franklin and Penn State hired another coach with deep Pennslyvania ties earlier this offseason, renowned defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Knowles, a Philadelphia native, echoed a similar sentiment when he said he seemed destined to coach at Penn State at some point and that now was as good a time as any.
Both coaches will be coaching together in State College…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/stan-drayton-views-penn-state-234001192.html
Author : Nittany Lions Wire
Publish date : 2025-02-20 23:40:00
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