James Franklin on Vanderbilt’s success: ‘this is just the beginning’

Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin has been mentioned in connection with job openings from USC to Texas to Penn State, where he will interview on Sunday, to the NFL and after the Commodores knocked off Houston in the BBVA Compass Bowl Franklin spoke about the success of Vanderbilt and his being mentioned with openings elsewhere.

"“We’re going to be better. We’re going to be better next year, because of the foundation that these guys have laid.”"

Three straight years and three straight bowls for the team that was permanently at the bottom of the SEC east standings for decades and decades before he arrived with a new mindset, energy and approach that breathed life into this program that may be among the hardest places to have sustained success.

"“The best thing we have at Vanderbilt — we sell the academics, we sell the city, we sell all these wonderful things we have in the SEC — but the best thing we have are these guys. We bring recruits, and they get around these guys. I get Jordan (Matthews) up on the mic in front of the parents of the recruits? It’s over. That’s why we’re so proud of these guys. Really, really excited about next year, what we’re building and the direction we’re going. This is just the beginning, because of the foundation these guys have laid.”"

Coaches in all sports like to say they hope to leave a place in position to succeed when they leave for other opportunities, and Franklin has put Vanderbilt in that position with good recruiting classes, the support of the university and a growing fan base.