Top Candidates for Penn State Head Coach POSITION
Following yesterday’s inexcusable loss to Northwestern, the Penn State Nittany Lions have officially fired James Franklin. Many fans believed that this was long overdue but the contract buyout ($49 million) was holding them back. The Lions fans expressed their anger with the team and coaching staff as boos echoed throughout the stadium. Also, during the game quarterback Drew Allar was injured on a play resulting in a season ending injury. Penn State will mark this season down as a loss and start building for next year. It’s going to be difficult for the Lions to get back to form as the firing of Franklin has caused highly rated recruits to decommit from the program.
Who will become the next head coach?
Penn State is one of the best coaching jobs in the sport. Coaches across the country will be interested in taking the job. But, I would imagine the boosters and fans don’t want a “rebuild” they want someone that can come in and make an immediate impact. The Nittany Lions have historically been great and they demand excellence. They expect to compete for a conference and national title every single year.
SMU, Rhett Lashlee
The Mustangs have been one of the most surprising teams in the country over the last couple of seasons. Lashlee has led the team to a 11-3 record the last two seasons. In 2024, the SMU Mustangs were able to make the ACC championship game as well as the 12 team playoffs. Lashlee is boasting a 33-14 overall record in his tenure at SMU but he has a 23-3 record in conference play. He has proven that he can turn programs around quickly and can recruit the best players he can for what he has to offer. I’m sure going to Penn State will spike his recruiting rankings as it’s more of a blueblood program!
Georgia Tech, Brent Key
This may be a long shot because Georgia Tech is Key’s alma mater but he's perfect for the job. Key is one of those coaches that is able to get everything and more from his players. Georgia Tech has been a team that has been able to pull off quite a few upsets. They give 100% effort every single play and always seem to have a chance to win. Penn State should be very interested as he has been able to turn a mediocre program into an ACC contender. Key is 7-1 against ranked opponents in his tenure at Georgia Tech. Penn State could use a coach that has a track record of beating top teams as they have fallen just short the last couple of seasons.
Kansas, Lance Leipold
The first couple of seasons at Kansas for Leipold were great as he was able to bring them back to life and start bringing a winning record to Kansas. Over the last couple of seasons we have not been able to notice any other growth of the program as their records have been around the same each year. I believe that Leipold needs some new scenery and what better place than Penn State? He will be able to accrue much better talent in Happy Valley and he will be able to build his winning culture at a top program.
I decided to pick coaches that coach smaller programs as many of the top programs have their coaching staff in place. Penn State does have lots of things to offer so I wouldn’t be surprised if a “big name” coach is hired. But, I believe the best coaches are set in stone at their programs and the Lions should be focusing more on younger up and coming coaches!
