James Franklin was born to a white mother and a black father, making him bi-racial and having mixed ethnicity.
James Franklin is an American football coach and former player who was born on February 2, 1972.
After holding the same role at Vanderbilt University from 2011 to 2013, Franklin has been the head football coach at Penn State University since 2014.
He started his coaching career as a wide receiver coach at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in 1995.
After the season, he assumed the role of defensive secondary coach at East Stroudsburg, his alma mater.
In that same year, he served as the offensive coordinator for the Danish American Football Federation’s Roskilde Kings.
He took over as James Madison’s wide receivers coach in 1997. The following year, he was appointed Washington State’s tight ends coach.
James Franklin walking off of the field following the Fiesta Bowl victory pic.twitter.com/QzHOs8NUA1
— Lyle Alenstein (@LAlenstein) January 1, 2025
When he was Idaho State’s wide receivers coach in 1999, the team finished ninth in the country in terms of total offense.
That year, the Bengals had one of the best statistical seasons in school history, recording over 3,300 passing yards, 258 receptions, and 29 touchdowns.
Additionally, Franklin has interned with a number of NFL teams, such as the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, and Philadelphia Eagles.
James Franklin Identifies With Both African-American and Caucasian Heritage
Born and raised in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, James Franklin was the son of Jocelyn “Josie” Franklin and James Oliver.
While serving in the Air Force, James Oliver Franklin, Franklin’s father, who was Black American, met Caucasian Jocelyn Franklin in Manchester, England.
Additionally, the couple moved to Pennsylvania after eloping to Ireland, but they eventually split up.
Growing up mostly with his mother, she exposed him to the cultural influences of both his parents’ upbringings.
His mother, Jocelyn, maintained close ties with his Black aunts LaWanda, Romaine, and Melbadene, while Oliver vanished from his son’s life.
Despite having both Black and White ancestry, people frequently refer to him as African American, reflecting his racial identity.
Additionally, James Franklin is a bi-racial person of African American ethnicity, though it is unclear which African nation his ancestry is from.
Notably, Franklin joined Penn State University as their first African-American head football coach in 2014.
As Penn State’s first Black head coach, he has also stated that he feels obligated to use his position.
Franklin is the first and only African American head coach to win a Big Ten championship and to reach 100 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) victories in his career.
At Vanderbilt, he is also the first African American to serve as head coach of a major sport.Â
Growing up, Franklin spent significant time with both sides of his family, which helped shape his diverse cultural identity.
He has spoken about the challenges and experiences of being biracial in America.
Unfortunately, James Franklin’s mother, Jocelyn, passed away in 2007 after battling cancer.
I think my background is one of my greatest assets as a professional because it’s helped me to relate and empathize with people from varying circumstances in a way that’s somewhat unique.
She played a significant role in raising James and his sister, Debbie, as a single mother.
As for his father, James Oliver Franklin Sr., there isn’t much public information about his current whereabouts or activities.
It seems he was mostly out of the picture after the separation from Jocelyn.
Additional Information
- James Franklin has three children with his wife, Fumi Franklin.
- The estimated net worth of James Franklin is $25 million.
- James Franklin matched a $10,000 Goodyear donation to the Children’s Medical Center Dallas before Penn State’s 2019 Cotton Bowl show.
