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Penn State shocked the college football world by firing long-time coach James Franklin over the weekend. The Nittany Lions have lost three straight games, with the last two as 20+-point favorites to UCLA and Northwestern.
That triggered the abrupt firing of Franklin, who’s tenure at Happy Valley started in 2014.
Penn State is one of the most desirable college football programs in the country. The program has a loyal following, not only in Pennsylvania but across the country.
There have already been big names circulating since the news broke. Though you can’t bet on college football coaches at Pennsylvania sportsbooks, we can still make our own predictions.
Matt Rhule: +150
Current Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule is widely considered the leader in the clubhouse to become the next head coach at Penn State.
The seasoned Rhule has been all over the college map, as well as a short stint in the NFL as the Carolina Panthers‘ head coach.
Rhule rebuilt programs at Temple and Baylor, leaving them in a much better place than when he got there. His familiarity with the Philadelphia area, during his time at Temple, gives him a leg-up in recruiting.
Rhule also attended Penn State and played linebacker from 1994 to 1997. In a recent press conference, he admitted to being a Penn State fan and also said he’s good friends with the school’s athletic director, Pat Kraft.
In his three years at Nebraska, Rhule has not faced Penn State … yet. His first meeting against his alma mater is set for Nov. 22 in Happy Valley.
What kind of reception will he get?
Marcus Freeman: +300
Marcus Freeman is an intriguing name to take over the helm at Penn State. The current Notre Dame coach does not have the same head-coaching experience as Rhule, but he’s certainly made the most of his time with the Fighting Irish.
Freeman has compiled a 37-12 record in his fourth full season as the head coach. He took over for Brian Kelly, who went to LSU, and has not missed a beat. Freeman took Notre Dame to the National Championship game last year, falling to Ohio State, 34-23.
Freeman has built his own winning culture in South Bend. He was able to lead the program to a championship appearance despite losing to Northern Illinois in Week 2.
Notre Dame is obviously one of the best college jobs in America. However, it is not associated with a conference.
The Big Ten offers Freeman a chance for conference titles, along with national titles. He could be high on Kraft’s list.
Curt Cignetti: +500
Curt Cignetti has done a marvelous job at Indiana, which is a reason why he’d be atop anyone’s list.
Cignetti has a 36-6 all-time record at James Madison and Indiana. This is only his fourth year as a head coach (second with Indiana) at 64 years old.
Despite that, Cignetti is proven himself a winner. He led the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff last year, and has his team ranked No. 3 after knocking off No. 2 Oregon on the road last week.
Cignetti can obviously recruit and get his players to play within his style and scheme extremely quickly.
The coach did ink an eight-year extension near the end of last year, which could make him hard to poach. However, most major college programs are willing to spend to get their man.
Manny Diaz: +750
Manny Diaz’s name doesn’t carry the weight of the above three. However, he could make for an interesting option in Happy Valley.
Diaz spent two years as Franklin’s defensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023. He also has experience as a head coach, with stops at Miami, and Duke, where he is currently.
Diaz had actually taken and was introduced as Temple’s head coach in December 2018. However, after two weeks, he accepted the Miami opening after Mark Richt unexpectedly retired.
Diaz went 21-15 at Miami and is 13-6 in two seasons at Duke so far. He certainly has familiarity with the program, which makes him a viable candidate.
Honorable mention
There’s going to be a long list of coaches who are going to be considered for the Penn State job, which hasn’t been open since 2014.
LSU’s Brian Kelly and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney are big college football names that might need a change of scenery depending on how their respective seasons go.
Up-and-comers such as Syracuse’s Fran Brown, who is from the Philadelphia area, and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell could be in play, too. Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin is always a name that draws interest with big openings.
Penn State officials have some time to vet out the best coach for the program, as it named Terry Smith interim coach, conceivably for the remainder of the season.
