Assessing Penn State’s head coach options following Week 14
Penn State’s coaching search tightens after Week 14 as extensions take top names off the board, leaving the Nittany Lions to evaluate the few real options still standing.
Penn State is running out of proven options to replace James Franklin. The list of reliable names shrank this week as Eli Drinkwitz signed a contract extension at Missouri and Clark Lea signed a deal to stay at Vanderbilt. Two big names are now off the board. And, while interim coach Terry Smith has believers in the locker room, it’s not obvious he’s the answer.
That leaves Penn State facing a stark choice: hiring a first-time Power 4 head coach or taking a riskier approach. Meanwhile, in the eyes of many players and fans, Smith already has the momentum. But momentum may not be enough.
Below, we explore all of Penn State’s rumored coaching options, breaking down the positives, negatives, and possibilities of each potential hire.
The off-board and unreachable names
Off the board with new deals: Curt Cignetti, Matt Rhule, Mike Elko, Drinkwitz, and Lea. All of them were once floated as serious options. Not anymore.
Highly unlikely to leave current posts: Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame), Kalen DeBoer (Alabama).
Long shots: Lane Kiffin, Brian Hartline.
Hartline, Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and elite recruiter, just helped Ohio State beat Michigan for the first time since 2019. It was a master class in scheme, play-calling, and recruiting power. But at this point, Penn State seems far more likely to swing for a wild-card candidate than attempt a coordinator snatch that might grow cold.
The rising contender: Brian Daboll
Brian Daboll, recently let go by the NFL’s New York Giants, suddenly looks like the wild card Penn State might chase. Several outlets — including Sports Illustrated and Newsweek — list him among the “serious consideration” options for the job.
He’s not a traditional college hire. Daboll has no prior head-coaching experience in college, and his most recent college job was as offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2017 — the season they won the national championship.
Still, his championship pedigree, NFL-level experience, and offensive mindset make him an intriguing target. Legendary coach Nick Saban publicly endorsed Daboll this week, calling him an “outstanding hire.”
Daboll’s reputation as a teacher, quarterback developer, and recruiter could fill the void left by Franklin. If Penn State wants a reset with instant credibility and a modern offensive identity, Daboll may be the perfect candidate.
Plausible, but imperfect options
Bob Chesney (James Madison): Chesney has a 20-5 record over the last two seasons, leading JMU to an 11-1 2025 season capped by a 59-10 blowout of Coastal Carolina. Results matter, but the leap from FCS to the Big Ten is treacherous.
Matt Campbell (Iowa State): Campbell earned an eighth win for the Cyclones on Saturday, something he’s done five times in his tenure. But consistent plateauing and a lack of resources leave serious doubts about whether he can scale up to a Power 4 heavyweight.
Brent Key (Georgia Tech): Key nearly dragged the Yellow Jackets into the ACC Championship game despite gaps on defense. If he brings his offensive coordinator with him, he might offer excitement and energy — though likely not the proven track record Penn State needs now.
Pros and Cons of Terry Smith
Smith, the interim coach many players and fans want, kept Penn State alive, finishing the 2025 season with three straight wins. The team clawed back to bowl eligibility with a gutsy 40-36 win over Rutgers in Week 14. The win was sealed by a bold fourth-down decision that paid off, demonstrating Smith’s confidence in his team.
But college football jobs don’t hinge on guts alone. Depth charts, NIL deals, recruiting momentum, and long-term vision matter more. A shaky shell of a roster, portal turnover, and recruiting uncertainty are considerable headwinds.
Smith may get the job, but right now, the safer, higher-upside bet might lie elsewhere.
What Penn State’s next move says about its future
If State College’s next hire is Campbell or Chesney, then it would signal a conservative approach: steady but modest. If it’s Key or another coordinator-to-head-coach gamble, the message is flexibility, perhaps even ambition.
If it’s Daboll, then it’s a bet on bold offense, NFL experience, and instant credibility. It’s the kind of hire that could seriously reshape recruiting and roster building.
At this point, Penn State’s decision isn’t just about who leads the next season. It’s about what kind of program they want to build: safe and steady or bold and modern.
Breaking: Penn State Rumored to have interest in Lincoln Riley
USC head coach Lincoln Riley watched his odds of leaving surge to 23 percent last week, fueling widespread speculation that the Trojans’ difficulties in the expanded Big Ten could drive him elsewhere. By Monday morning, however, those odds had plummeted to just 3 percent.
Riley addressed the rumors directly, telling reporters that “I’m right where I’m supposed to be… I love being here, and that’s really the end of it,” according to USC Trojans on SI. The dramatic fluctuations underscore the challenging nature of Penn State’s coaching search, which has already seen several viable candidates commit to staying put.
Penn State Nittany Lions News
Penn State’s coaching search tightens as the program runs out of proven options
Penn State enters its regular season finale with bowl hopes on the line as Terry Smith makes his final case for the full-time job, while key coaching candidates come off the board.
