James Franklin worked for one of the six Black head coaches in college football while serving as Kansas State’s offensive coordinator in 2007. That was the year Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith faced off in the Super Bowl, a monumental moment for Franklin and others who looked like him. It’s astonishing that it’s taken this long for a Black head coach to play on the collegiate level’s brightest stage.
But the time has come. Franklin and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman will match up in the Orange Bowl on Thursday. Regardless of whether Penn State or the Fighting Irish leaves Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium victorious, a barrier will be broken. There is set to be a Black head coach in the FBS national championship game for the first time ever.
“I take a lot of pride in it. I’m honored,” Franklin said on Saturday. “I’m honored to be able to compete against Marcus. I’m honored to be able to compete against Notre Dame. Most importantly, I’m honored to represent Penn State and the young men in that locker room. For me to sit here and say that it’s not important, it’s not significant, would not be accurate.”
Sylvester Croom, Karl Dorrell, Turner Gill, Randy Shannon and Tyrone Willingham were the other five Black FBS coaches during that 2007 season. Just six out of 134. Dungy and Smith provided a glimmer of hope for a community that had, to the point, not made their championship mark in the major college football coaching world.
“I remember thinking that, as a coach, how significant that was in the profession,” Franklin said, “and how significant that was for young coaches coming up in the profession, to see those guys in that role.”
Freeman was a college student that season, a standout linebacker at Ohio State. And by the time he graduated, just a year later, the number of Black head coaches in the FBS had dropped to four. It didn’t appear that the Super Bowl that featured Dungy and Smith would make the impact Franklin had anticipated.
But it did. Franklin entered the head coaching ranks in 2011. Freeman got the Notre Dame job in 2021. And there are now 16 Black head coaches in major college football. But not until this year had one coached in the College Football Playoff, let alone the national championship game.
“It’s a great honor to be even mentioned, to be in this position. It’s a reminder that you are a representation for so many others that look like you, and I don’t take that for granted,” Freeman said. “I just want to work tirelessly to be the best version of me. And it’s great, because even the guys in our program, my own kids, can understand — don’t put a ceiling on what you can be and what you can do.”
The increase in Black head coaching representation from 2007 to 2025 — from 4.4% of all FBS coaches to 11.9% — isn’t much, but it’s something. It’s likely that number only increases within the next 18 years, especially with a significant barrier set to be broken this season. The national championship will coincidentally be played on Jan. 20, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, when history is set to be made.
“Does this create opportunities for more guys to get in front of athletic directors? Does this create opportunities for search firms? I hope so,” Franklin said. “I think at the end of the day, you just want an opportunity, and you want to be able to earn it through your work and through your actions.”
