NEW YORK (WFAN) – What to look for in an assistant football coach: a solid grasp of the X’s and O’s; inspiration and fire; the ability to squeeze the last drop out of young talent.

And if you’re Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin, an attractive spouse.

“I’ve been saying it for a long time, I will not hire an assistant coach until I’ve seen his wife,” Franklin said Wednesday during an appearance on 104.5 The Zone in in Nashville. “If she looks the part, and she’s a D-1 recruit, then you got a chance to get hired. That’s part of the deal.

“There’s a very strong correlation between having the confidence, going up and talking to a woman, and being quick on your feet and having some personality and confidence and being fun and articulate, than it is walking into a high school and recruiting a kid and selling him.”

It didn’t take long for the public to throw the flag at Franklin, who issued an apology Thursday via Twitter: “My foot doesn’t taste good, I hope I did not offend any1, I love & respect ALL.”

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