James Franklin splits Coach of Year honors

A few nights ago, James Franklin hung out with Penn State students camping out for tickets to the Big Ten Championship Game.

He was on his way home from the football offices. He said those students hanging out in more than 100 tents deserved some attention on a cold night.

"Kind of walked through thanking everybody. I've worked a lot of different places, I've never seen anything like that," he said. "I think that's one of the things that makes this place special, the support we get from our students as well as the community."

Who would have thought, just two months ago, that the Nittany Lions would be playing for a league title — and that Franklin would be winning coach of the year honors?

But on Tuesday evening he was named the Dave McClain Coach of the Year in the Big Ten, an award voted on by the media. He split the honors with Wisconsin's Paul Chryst, who earned the coaches' vote and the Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year.

READ MORE: Why this Penn State team isn't done yet (column)

After up-and-down struggles the past two years, Franklin has led Penn State to eight straight victories and a 10-2 regular season and the school's first appearance in the league title game. Penn State's Bill O'Brien won the same honor in 2012 and Joe Paterno won it in 1994, 2005 and 2008.

Franklin will receive a $100,000 bonus for the award, per his 2014 contract.

"I'm honored and humbled, but this is a team award, this is a staff award," Franklin told the Big Ten Network.

​Franklin also is a semifinalist for the George Munger coach of the year award, presented by the Maxwell Football Club.

During his weekly news conference earlier in the day, Franklin praised his coaching staff and coordinators Brent Pry and Joe Moorhead, in particular. He talked extensively about the influence of his East Stroudsburg University head coach Denny Douds, his most important mentor.

Mostly, he tried to keep the focus on Wisconsin. And that didn't seem too difficult because of Franklin's ultimate attention to detail and his long business hours.

"I don't get out a whole lot. I think two weeks ago I went and had lunch with my daughters at school. That's really it. ... I go to my radio show. That's about the most excitement I have for the week, that and the quarterback club.

"I used to go out to dinner on Thursday nights with my wife, kind of date night. (But) we have our radio show Thursday night, then put the girls to bed."

Davis, Sickels honored by Big Ten

Junior Tyler Davis was named to the league's first-team, the first time for a Penn State kicker since Kevin Kelly in 2008. Davis was voted in by the coaches.

Davis is 21-of-23 on field goals and leads the team with 113 points. He is tied for first in the Big Ten and eighth nationally in field goals per game (1.75).

Junior defensive end Garrett Sickels picked up second-team honors by the coaches. He leads the Lions with 12.5 tackles for loss and is tied for the lead with six sacks.