Reading the trajectory of the program from the top seat, Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft felt he was left with no choice but to remove James Franklin as head coach on Sunday.On Monday, he committed to finding an “elite” replacement who lives out the meaning and magnitude of “We are,” referring to the university’s defiant motto, “We are … Penn State.””This person has to fit Penn State. They need to represent the toughness, the blue-collar work ethic and the class that defines this institution. We want someone who honors our tradition but isn’t afraid to evolve, someone who understands the weight of ‘We are’ and leads us forward with a vision of championships,” Kraft said.” “The right coach will rebuild the unity and pride that defines this historic program, and they will ignite this fan base around a shared belief that we’re capable of greatness, and we’re going to do it the right way. We are the best program in the country.”Penn State lost three games in a row after cracking the Top 5 in the AP poll. The season unraveled with consecutive losses to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern before Kraft pulled the plug on Sunday.Kraft promoted associate head coach Terry Smith to interim coach and said he would “absolutely” be in position to earn consideration for the full-time role.In an emotional press conference Monday, Kraft called on Penn State’s fan base to amplify their support for players on the current roster and point their rage at him. The response was in part a critique of indefensible video of fans screaming in the faces of Franklin’s children and harsh words shared after quarterback Drew Allar left his home field for the final time on Saturday with a season-ending injury.”You can hate me, you can hate James,” Kraft said. “But rally around (the players). They deserve it. That’s who Penn State is. That’s who we are.”Turning around the season is a tall order for Smith, who not only lost Allar as the QB1 but has a remaining schedule as daunting as any team in the nation with No. 1 Ohio State and No. 3 Indiana on the docket. With little time to exhale, Smith said he’s working diligently to get quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer ready for the challenge.”He’s been thrown in there just like I’ve gotten thrown in there, so we got something in common,” Smith said, adding he would love the opportunity to stay as PSU’s head coach.”It means everything to me. I don’t see working here as a job. I love waking up every morning and showing up for work and trying to make us better.”
