James Franklin Catches Ride With Dabo Swinney From Las Vegas To Florida After Plane Troubles Stall Hectic Recruiting Trip

James Franklin is extremely grateful for Dabo Swinney. The latter was extremely helpful to the former on the recruiting trail earlier this month.

Dabo Swinney and James Franklin are old friends. (Photos by Jacob Kupferman/Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

With the Early Signing Period set to begin next Wednesday and the transfer portal already open, coaches across the country are out on the road. It's one of the busiest times of years as assistants, position coaches and head coach coaches hop in the car or on a plane, going coast to coast in efforts to try and convince 17-21 year olds to commit to their program.

"There's literally not enough hours in the day," Franklin said while discussing his chaotic schedule.

The process gets even more stressful when things don't go according to plan. That was the case last Friday.

Franklin was in Las Vegas for former Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington's induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. As awesome as that event was, it added to his already chaotic travel schedule.

"What wasn't awesome is the two days before flying out there to be there for LaVar's induction, which I thought was really important," Franklin said. "My flight was at 5:10. The next day the flight was at 5:10."

And then, when it was time to pack up and head out after the induction, the Nittany Lions head coach ran into an obstacle. He was set to fly to Florida at 4:10 a.m., but his plane had broken down.

Franklin arrived to the airport on time for his departure and sat there until 9:00 a.m. with no telling when his plane would be ready to go. He had no choice but to wait— until Swinney arrived at the airport and saved the day.

“Luckily my old buddy Dabo Swinney came in and he was going to the Orange Bowl press conference in Fort Lauderdale," Franklin said. "I said, 'Dabo, can I please jump on this plane with you?' We flew out to Florida. Dabo and Clemson, thank you very much, appreciate you guys. I think Dabo will rub this in and hold it over my head for the next 20 years. I think 'balance' is the right word. It's a crazy, crazy time. It's gotten crazier with everything that's going on in college football."

It isn't often that Big Ten and ACC head coaches cross paths on the recruiting trail, or even at all, but they did on that day and Franklin was fortunate for the encounter. His wife and Swinney's wife are pretty good friends and the four go on the Nike retreat together every year, so the pre-established relationship may have helped things go as they did.

Either way, Swinney got to the Orange Bowl and Franklin got to Florida. It couldn't have worked out any better!