The Hidden Architect of Penn State’s Rise To A National Championship

In this episode of Next Up, Adam Breneman sits down with the man behind the curtain at Penn State Football — General Manager Andy Frank. For years, Andy has played a critical but often unseen role in building one of the top programs in college football. He’s been Coach Franklin’s right-hand man going all the way back to their time at Vanderbilt, and now he’s overseeing everything from roster construction and recruiting strategy to navigating the chaos of NIL, the transfer portal, and revenue sharing.

We dive deep into how a college football program is actually built — not just for one season, but for sustained success. Andy talks through how they evaluate players, what they look for beyond size and speed, and how they balance winning now with building for the future. He explained the behind-the-scenes decisions most fans never hear about, like how scholarships are allocated by position, how they plan for injuries or depth issues years in advance, and why culture still matters just as much as talent.

With revenue sharing on the horizon and college football entering a new era, this conversation is a rare look at how top programs are preparing for massive change — and how Penn State is positioning itself to win big. Andy is one of the most thoughtful minds in the sport, and this conversation is packed with insights you won’t get anywhere else.

If you’re a fan of college football, curious about the inner workings of elite programs, or just want to understand what it really takes to build a team at the highest level — this one’s for you.

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CHAPTERS:

1:03 - Andy Frank’s role and Princeton background

3:40 - Relationship with Coach Franklin

4:48 - Preparing for Revenue Sharing 

7:05 - Evaluating players 

9:12 - Building to win now vs. Winning down the road

11:15 - "Non-negotiables" when looking at recruits

13:44 - Personnel Department Structure

 

15:15 - Managing relationships with everyone 

17:00 - Structuring who recruits who

19:03 - The GM Role that fans don’t know about

20:59 - Best talent evaluation

22:15 - What still needs to happen to win a National Championship

On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans. 

Next Up is a Front Office Sports Network show featuring candid, open, and honest conversations with the most impactful figures in college sports including head coaches, athletes, athletic directors, commissioners, entrepreneurs, media personalities, agents, and executives shaping the business of college sports. 

Adam is a former All-American, Penn State alum and media personality. Front Office Sports is the leading multi-platform media and news organization covering the intersection of sports, business and culture.