James Franklin on Trace McSorley hiring: He’s a special guy to Penn State

Penn State football brought home one of its own this winter, adding Trace McSorley to its staff as assistant quarterbacks coach. One of the most beloved Nittany Lions of the last decade, McSorley now transitions from his playing career by helping guide the room he once captained.

With spring ball in full swing, we’ve now had the opportunity to see the newest Penn State coach in action. On Tuesday, James Franklin explained why the decision to hire the iconic Nittany Lions quarterback made sense and how McSorley is performing in his first weeks on the job.

Trace McSorley, assistant QB coach and ball security final boss pic.twitter.com/11LL5Hr0pP

— Johnny McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) April 1, 2025

“You guys know how I feel about Trace and his whole family,” Franklin said following practice. “Trace is a special guy to me. He’s a special guy to Penn State, our history, and our tradition.

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“So he chased his dream as long as he thought it made sense in the NFL and was able to play at a level that very few people get to play at for a number of years. And We’d been talking to him the last couple of years that he was going to probably get into coaching, whether that was at the NFL level or with us.

“We had an opportunity open up and presented it to him and had some good discussions on what it would look like. He’s been great.”

What unique value does Trace McSorley bring to the Penn State quarterback room?

Former Penn State football quarterback Trace McSorley. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The first quarterback James Franklin recruited to Happy Valley, Trace McSorley adds to the cadre of Nittany Lion lettermen and former Franklin-led players to join the Penn State staff.

But beyond his familiarity with the process and culture, McSorley brings a special value-add to the Nittany Lions quarterback room. He will always hold a special place in Penn State football history as one of the players to help put the program back on the map in the post-sanctions era.

Additionally, as the last Penn State signal caller to win a Big Ten Championship, McSorley’s experiences will be extremely beneficial for Drew Allar and the rest of the Nittany Lion quarterbacks as they look to build upon the program’s College Football Playoff Semifinal appearance from a season ago.

“You look at [quarterbacks coach] Danny O’Brien, who played for me and coached for me. Trace McSorley, who played for me and coached for me. I think that helps with the learning curve because they already know the culture, they already know the expectations,” Franklin said.

“I also think it helps our quarterback room having somebody that played quarterback at Penn State. Because until you’ve actually sat in that chair, it’s different. You guys heard me say it before: the head coach and the quarterback, it’s different. So having Trace to be able to mentor that room from his experiences, I think, is valuable.”

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