‘He’s well liked by the decision-makers in Happy Valley’ – Former Alabama QB names the best head coach candidate for Penn State
The Penn State Nittany Lions are looking for a new head coach. There should be no shortage of interested candidates to replace James Franklin as the program’s head coach.
It’s still early in the Penn State Nittany Lions’ search for a head coach to replace the recently fired James Franklin, but we’re already starting to get an idea of which names might become factors.
Some of the big names that have been tossed around are Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman.
Cignetti seems to be the most popular name among Penn State fans.
Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Ohio State’s Ryan Day have already been ruled out as candidates — though you never say never in this sport.
Former Alabama quarterback and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy thinks another name is the best fit for the Nittany Lions, but it’s not one likely to provide a spark for the program.
Former Alabama QB Greg McElroy says former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald is the best candidate for Penn State
McElroy said this week during an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter that he thinks former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald is the best candidate to replace Franklin at Penn State.
Fitzgerald was the head coach at Northwestern from 2006 to 2022. He went 110-101 during his time leading the Wildcats. Fitzgerald had three 10-win seasons at Northwestern, but he also won three or fewer games in three of his final four seasons with the program.
The longtime head coach was fired just before the start of the 2023 season amid allegations of hazing in the program. Fitzgerald later sued Northwestern for $130 million for wrongful termination. The lawsuit was settled in August.
“I’m going to go with Pat Fitzgerald,” said McElroy when asked who the best candidate is to replace Franklin. “He is the former coach of the Northwestern Wildcats, and was famous in his time as the head coach there for doing more with less. Very few in the country were able to overachieve the way Pat Fitzgerald did in his 17 years there. Frankly, he led them to the highest highs ever.
“At the end of his tenure, there was some scandal, but at the end of the day, it was resolved. Northwestern ended up having to pay Pat Fitzgerald for firing him. So now that that’s clean and behind him, he becomes a very intriguing candidate for many, many jobs. And I think he’s a perfect fit for Penn State. He has a great understanding of the Big 10. I think he’s well-liked by those decision makers there in Happy Valley. And I think he could instill the type of mentality necessary to get Penn State over the top and hopefully, at some point, beat some of those teams that have been in the way the last 10 or 12 years.”
You never know how a coaching hire will work out. There are too many factors to consider to know whether a coach will succeed (the relationship with the athletic director, the staff assembled, the daily support, etc.).
Fitzgerald, though, would be an uninspiring choice after firing a guy who nearly led Penn State to an appearance in the national championship game less than a year ago.
Penn State Nittany Lions News
National analyst says former Penn State head coach James Franklin would be a ‘home run hire’ for Power-4 program
Former Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin is expected to be a hot name during the coaching cycle this winter, despite getting fired six games into the 2025 season.
