Why Penn State coach James Franklin is in Vanderbilt's dugout at the SEC Baseball Tournament championship game

Penn State football coach James Franklin got a premium seat for Sunday's SEC Baseball Tournament championship game clash between Vanderbilt and Ole Miss in Hoover, Alabama. Franklin, who just wrapped up his 12th spring practice with the Nittany Lions, is hanging out in the Commodores' dugout as they take on the Rebels.

Franklin, who coached at Vanderbilt from 2011-13, remains close friends with Commodores skipper Tim Corbin, dating back to their time together in Nashville.

"I was in Destin (Florida) with my family, we checked the schedule, saw that they were playing today, so we got up early this morning and drove down," Franklin said in a mid-game interview with the ESPN broadcast. "Me and Tim have been very close since my first year at Vanderbilt."

Franklin was seen celebrating after Vanderbilt third baseman Brodie Johnston hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to give the Commodores a 2-0 lead.

Current Vanderbilt football coach Clark Lea is also in attendance at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, though he's occupying a seat behind Vanderbilt's dugout.

Here's Lea's reaction in the stands to a fifth-inning homer from Jacob Humphrey, who went on to receive a congratulatory high five from Franklin at the end of the dugout.

In three seasons at Vanderbilt, Franklin amassed a 24-15 record with three bowl appearances (and two wins) prior to his hiring at Penn State ahead of the 2014 season. Before Franklin's arrival, Vanderbilt had four bowl appearances in program history.

Franklin has remained a steady Vanderbilt baseball supporter since he departed the university. He joined the Commodores at the 2014 College World Series when Corbin, who was hired at Vanderbilt in 2003, won his first national title. Franklin also left the 2023 NFL Draft, hosted in Nashville, Tennessee, to take in a Friday night regular season clash between Kentucky and Vanderbilt at Hawkins Field.