Marcus Freeman, James Franklin hope CFP runs help all Black coaches - ESPN

Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman and Penn State's James Franklin are aware they are on the brink of making history in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl on Thursday.

The winner will become the first Black head coach to take a team to the national championship game. Both were asked about that possibility during their respective news conferences Saturday previewing their matchup.

Franklin said it reminded him of Super Bowl XLI between Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith in 2007, the first Super Bowl featuring Black head coaches. Franklin was the offensive coordinator at Kansas State at the time, coaching for Ron Prince, another Black head coach.

«I remember thinking that, as a coach, how significant that was in the profession, and how significant that was for young coaches coming up in the profession, to see those guys in that role,» Franklin said. «I also remember, at that time, there were a lot of conversations about, 'Will this impact the profession? Will this impact opportunities for guys?'»

At the time, there were six Black head coaches in college football, Franklin said. There are now 16 head coaches in 134 FBS programs, something Franklin described as progress.

«I know some people will say, 'Well, that that's not a huge increase,' but it is an increase,» Franklin said. «At the end of the day, does this create opportunities for more guys to get in front of athletic directors? Does this create opportunities for search firms? I hope so. I think at the end of the day, you just want an opportunity, and you want to be able to earn it through your work and through your actions. I take a lot of pride in it.»

When Freeman was asked, he made sure to note that he is also half-Korean, a nod to his mother.