James Franklin and Marcus Freeman are set to make college football history this season as a Black head coach will lead a team into an FBS national championship game for the first time. This milestone marks a significant moment for Black men across the nation who aspire to follow in the footsteps of Franklin, who became a head coach at 42, and Freeman, who achieved this at 35.
In a 2019 interview with HBO 24/7, Franklin, who has been at the helm of Penn State for a decade, expressed his desire to accomplish something unprecedented since the inception of the national championship game in college football.
“I don’t usually talk about this, but I want to be the first African-American football coach to win a[n] [FBS] national championship,” he stated, reflecting on the weight of his ambition.
Franklin was just 12 years old when John Thompson made history as the first Black coach to lead a men’s basketball team to a Division I national title in 1984 at Georgetown. This event occurred 41 years ago, a span long enough that neither Freeman nor Franklin could have witnessed it firsthand.
He recalls the pivotal moment in 2007 when Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith became the first Black head coaches to lead their teams to the Super Bowl. At that time, Franklin served as the offensive coordinator for Ron Prince at Kansas State, one of only six Black head coaches in college football. He not only remembers the statistics but also the names: Sylvester Croom at Mississippi State, Turner Gill at Buffalo, Karl Dorrell at UCLA, Randy Shannon at Miami, and Tyrone Willingham at Notre Dame, all among 127 FBS head coaches.
Freeman’s appointment at Notre Dame came 19 years after Willingham’s tenure in South Bend.
“It’s a reminder that you are a representation for many others and many of our players that look the same way I do,” Freeman remarked. “Your color shouldn’t matter. The evidence of your work should. But it takes everybody.”
Prince’s Kansas State staff included current Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who serves as a godfather to Franklin’s daughter, Shola. Like Prince, Franklin ascended to the role of head coach at the Division I level, taking the Vanderbilt job in 2011 before leading Penn State starting in 2014.
Currently, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Northwestern, and Colorado are the only programs to have hired Black head coaches consecutively, with Colorado achieving this feat three times in succession.
Despite this progress, the SEC still lacks a single Black head coach among its 16 teams, having only appointed its first Black head coach in 2004 when Croom took charge at Mississippi State. Among the six programs that have won a national title in the College Football Playoff era—Michigan, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Clemson, and Ohio State—only Michigan has hired a Black head coach, naming Sherrone Moore its 21st head football coach in 2024.
“We want to get the best people. … And doors should not be closed to them simply because of the color of their skin,” Franklin emphasized, highlighting the need for inclusivity in coaching roles.
The ACC currently features only two Black head football coaches: Fran Brown at Syracuse and Tony Elliott at Virginia. The Big Ten had five in 2024 and is now down to four in 2025, including Franklin, Moore, Maryland’s Mike Locksley, and UCLA’s DeShaun Foster. The Big 12 has just one, Deion Sanders.
Franklin, whose heritage includes a white British mother and a Black father, is acutely aware of the significance of this moment alongside Freeman, whose mother is of South Korean descent and father is Black. This matchup, featuring two head coaches leading storied programs into the CFP semifinals, will likely influence future hiring practices in college football.
“I take a lot of pride in it. I think you guys know there’s been some conversations in the past I kept private for a long time. But you know, I take a lot of pride in it. I’m honored. I’m honored to be able to compete against Marcus. I’m honored to be able to compete against Notre Dame,” Franklin expressed, reflecting on the weight of his role.
The trend shows an increase in the number of Black head football coaches. Since 2007, the count has risen from seven to 16, marking a significant advancement. However, until the ratio of players to coaches reflects equality, there remains work to be done. Each hiring, each breakthrough, and each milestone holds importance. This lesson resonates deeply with Franklin, who recalls wisdom from his grandmother.
His grandmother, Peggy Jean Connor, fought for voting rights in Mississippi and won. She stood alongside Fannie Lou Hamer at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, advocating for justice. Her legacy is etched in history, and Franklin carries her spirit forward.
Having joined FOX Sports two years after her passing, he recalls her belief in his potential to honor the legacy of those who paved the way for opportunities today.
Franklin represents. Freeman represents. Together, they embody a new chapter in college football history.
