Three week after Robbie Caldwell “resigned” as Vanderbilt’s head coach, it appears the school is on the verge of putting the finishing touches on its coaching search.
According to the Washington Post, Maryland offensive coordinator James Franklin has emerged as one of the two finalists for the vacancy. Stanford assistant Greg Roman is believed to be the other finalist.
Both Franklin and Roman have reportedly interviewed for the position within the past week.
VandySports.com writes that they believe Vanderbilt plans to pick a coach as early as this weekend, and certainly no later than next week.
Franklin is not only the Terrapins’ coordinator, but he’s also the head coach in waiting at the school. If he’s not named head coach by January of 2012, his contract calls for a $1 million payout from the university. With current coach Ralph Friedgen coming off a turnaround season in College Park -- and talking contract extension as he enters the final year of his deal -- it appears Franklin will have to move on if he wants to run his own program.