Penn State targets Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer as the surprise favorite to replace James Franklin
Penn State’s coaching search has zeroed in on a surprise name as insiders say Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer has emerged as the Nittany Lions’ primary target.
Penn State was supposed to be deep into the reset by now. James Franklin has moved to his new home at Virginia Tech. The Nittany Lions are in Week 5 of a coaching search that has been airtight, silent, and increasingly tense around the edges. But a new name has pushed the conversation into overdrive: Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer.
Kalen DeBoer rises to the top of Penn State’s board
According to Centre Daily Times reporter Jon Sauber, DeBoer is not just on Penn State’s radar. He is the “primary target.” Sauber’s newest coaching board dropped this week, and it included the usual suspects. Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame. Bob Chesney at JMU. Brent Key at Georgia Tech. All realistic fits in one way or another.
But the name that detonated across the fan base was the one sitting at No. 2. Sauber says DeBoer is Penn State’s preferred choice, but ranked second only because the leap from Tuscaloosa feels impossible on paper.
“DeBoer is the other candidate at the top of the list right now and is still the program’s primary target,” Sauber wrote. He added that the only barrier is the obvious one. Poaching Alabama’s head coach would take the kind of chaos that even this hiring cycle has not produced yet.
But chaos is exactly what Sauber is forecasting.
How Alabama’s turbulent season could open the door
Alabama is not falling apart, but it is wobbling. Last week’s loss to Oklahoma was the first crack. Another stumble would turn the pressure up fast.
“The Alabama head coach is much more likely now than he was last week,” he wrote. “If they lose to Auburn to close out the season, likely guaranteeing they miss the playoff, the tension will be high in Tuscaloosa.”
DeBoer did not walk into a normal job. He stepped into the shadow of the greatest dynasty in college football. Missing the CFP again would not break Alabama, but it might break patience around the program. Sauber calls it out plainly. “He’s not a great fit at the program already,” noting that donors and fans would grow restless fast.
That creates one scenario where Penn State could actually make a run for him: DeBoer does not get fired, but chooses to step out of the furnace before it cooks him.
A long shot, but not a fantasy
There is an obvious counter. What does it say if Alabama’s coach flees Tuscaloosa for Penn State? Would he get crushed nationally? Would the move make him look rattled by the pressure?
Those questions are real. But there’s a possibility that Penn State tests the water anyway.
This search has made one thing clear: The Nittany Lions are aiming high. They want a proven winner who can walk into the Big Ten’s new era and compete immediately. And according to Sauber, they believe DeBoer is that coach.
However, it’s still a long shot. A lot has to go wrong for Alabama before it even becomes a conversation. But the fact that Penn State considers him the primary target shows exactly how bold this hiring cycle might get.
If the Tide stumble again, don’t be shocked if the whispers grow louder. Penn State is watching Tuscaloosa closely. And for the first time, the door is not completely locked.
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