Penn State football coach James Franklin received a vote of confidence from athletic director Sandy Barbour on Wednesday, as she told the Altoona (Pa.) Mirror that the coach's job is not in danger.
"He's not on the hot seat, and he's not going to be on the hot seat in December," Barbour told the Mirror. "James is going to be our football coach. I believe in where this football program is going under James Franklin, and I think he's going to be our football coach, period."
Barbour made her statements while at a Blair County Chamber of Commerce WE-LEaD program.
In July, Barbour told ESPN and a small group of reporters that Franklin wasn't on the hot seat any more than any other coach or athletic director in the country.
She also said over the summer that Penn State did "pretty darn good" in the face of sanctions against the program but intimated that seven-win seasons would not be acceptable in the long term.
"Nobody should blow us out," she said at the time. "Nobody."
The Nittany Lions stand 2-2 after losses to Pitt and No. 4 Michigan. After Penn State's 49-10 blowout loss to the Wolverines on Saturday, quarterback Trace McSorley apologized to fans for the performance. And chatter restarted on whether Franklin would be fired after the 2016 season, even with a buyout that currently exceeds $12 million.
Barbour tried to put those fears to rest Wednesday.
"I believe that James is the right guy, and yeah, he's going to be our football coach," she told the Mirror.
Barbour did not immediately return a message from ESPN seeking comment.
Penn State faces Minnesota (3-0) at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday in Beaver Stadium, then plays Maryland (3-0) before a bye week.