Penn State began the season with official nationwide championship aspirations. Now, the college is searching for a brand new coach after firing James Franklin on Oct. 12.
Franklin’s fall was beautiful, swift and historic, starting with a kind of loss (Oregon) that has come to outline his Penn State tenure, and persevering with with two different losses (in opposition to main underdogs UCLA and Northwestern) that haven’t. A season-ending harm to beginning quarterback Drew Allar in opposition to Northwestern added much more anguish to an terrible afternoon in Comfortable Valley.
Similar to that, Franklin’s tenure of eleven-plus years at Penn State is over, inside the similar calendar 12 months as Penn State reached the cusp of the nationwide championship recreation, solely to fall to Notre Dame in a CFP semifinal. Penn State entered this season with a championship-or-bust mission, and boy, did issues go bust. Though issues fell aside shortly for Franklin, it additionally grew to become more durable to examine a path ahead, regardless of his many successes at Penn State.
The place does PSU go from right here? The college has made important investments in amenities, NIL and different areas. Athletics director Patrick Kraft is a soccer man who needs to win on the highest degree. Penn State has entry to expertise within the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, and might compete for main objectives regularly. The group can goal excessive with candidates, together with from inside the Huge Ten, and definitely goal these with a monitor file of successful the most important video games. Nonetheless, two coaches who would have been thought-about high targets, re-signed with the their present faculties. Indiana’s Curt Cignetti signed a brand new eight-year contract, paying him about $11.6 million yearly, on Oct. 16. Then, Matt Rhule, Nebraska’s coach and a Penn State alum, signed a two-year extension to stick with the Cornhuskers till 2032 on Thursday.
Listed here are a number of candidates Penn State might pursue, in addition to the roster and recruiting state of affairs amid a training transition. — Adam Rittenberg
Candidates | Transfers | Recruits
5 candidates for the job
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea: The thought of Penn State hiring Vanderbilt’s coach twice in a row may not sit effectively with some in its fan base, however Lea and Franklin are very completely different, and Lea would match the construction in State School effectively. He has elevated his alma mater to historic heights this fall, as Vanderbilt entered the CFP combine behind transcendent quarterback Diego Pavia. Lea’s pivot towards Pavia and others from New Mexico State, together with former Huge Ten coach Jerry Kill, revived a Vanderbilt program that had gone 9-27 by means of his first three seasons. The 43-year-old has expertise within the Northeast at Syracuse from 2013 to 2015, and likewise made stops at Wake Forest and Notre Dame. Penn State could be banking on potential a bit right here, however Lea has received large video games at Vanderbilt and will assist take the Nittany Lions excessive.
Texas A&M coach Mike Elko: The Aggies’ unimaginable begin and a possible CFP look might forestall any sort of transfer, however Elko completely suits what Penn State needs in its subsequent coach. He is shortly establishing himself as a championship-level coach at a Texas A&M program that has typically underachieved. Elko, 48, additionally had success at Duke and has roots within the Northeast, rising up in New Jersey and taking part in school soccer at Penn. He is 32-14 general as an FBS coach, and whereas he hasn’t received a championship but, Texas A&M is actually on a promising trajectory. The timing may not be proper this season, however Penn State completely ought to make a push for Elko.
Iowa State coach Matt Campbell: His identify has appeared typically on lists reminiscent of this through the years, however Campbell has stayed loyal to Iowa State, a program he constructed right into a Huge 12 contender. Penn State has lengthy been talked about as a program that may intrigue him, together with fellow Huge Ten heavies Ohio State and Michigan, in addition to Notre Dame. Campbell would carry a background on offense and with quarterbacks that would serve Penn State effectively after the tip of Franklin’s tenure, the place the offense by no means constantly reached its potential. He performed a season of faculty ball at Pitt earlier than ending at Mount Union, in his residence state of Ohio, the place he spent his whole teaching profession earlier than taking the Iowa State job. The time appears proper for the 45-year-old to make a giant transfer, and Penn State could be a wise touchdown spot.
Louisville coach Jeff Brohm: He addresses the first purpose why Penn State fired Franklin – a scarcity of signature wins. Brohm has delivered these at each Purdue and now Louisville, going 4-4 in opposition to AP top-five opponents throughout his profession. He additionally will carry a inventive and aggressive offense to State School, and might seemingly get extra out of the quarterback play there. Brohm, 54, additionally has Huge Ten expertise, taking Purdue to the league title recreation in 2022 and going 12-6 in league play throughout his final two years with the Boilers. He additionally has extremely deep roots each with the College of Louisville and town of Louisville. Will Brohm truly make a transfer? He is actually value a name with a 91-53 FBS file.
Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline: The truthful assumption when Penn State fired Franklin is that it wanted a substitute with earlier head-coaching expertise to push for nationwide championships. However most of the sport’s high packages are led by first-time head coaches, together with Ohio State, the place Ryan Day guided the group to a nationwide title final season. Hartline, 38, has had a necessary position in his alma mater’s success, and was a candidate for West Virginia’s teaching emptiness final 12 months. He is an elite recruiter who ought to be capable of energize Penn State’s passing recreation. It is a large soar for the previous NFL huge receiver, who has spent his whole teaching profession at Ohio State. However he could be the subsequent nice first-time coach. — Rittenberg
5 necessary gamers to retain
DE Chaz Coleman: The true freshman go rusher has made an enormous impression since arriving on campus and could be extraordinarily coveted if he explored a switch. Coleman was an ESPN 300 recruit as a 6-foot-4, 220-pound athlete who additionally performed quarterback in highschool. In his first 12 months in this system, he has already bulked as much as 246 kilos and has flashed big-time potential with 11 pressures by means of his first 5 video games, three tackles for loss and a strip sack in opposition to FIU that he returned 39 yards.
LB Tony Rojas: We’re discovering out simply how worthwhile Rojas is for a Nittany Lions protection that is struggling to cease the run with out him. Rojas, a 20-game starter, went down with an unspecified long-term harm in apply days after the Oregon loss, and it is unclear when he’ll return. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound junior was tied for the group lead in TFLs with 4.5 when he went down and would have two extra seasons of eligibility if he must take a medical redshirt for 2025.
OL Anthony Donkoh: If we’re assuming Olaivavega Ioane goes professional after this season, Donkoh could be Penn State’s most skilled returning lineman subsequent 12 months. The 6-foot-5, 323-pound redshirt sophomore began 10 video games at proper sort out final 12 months, incomes honorable point out All-Huge Ten recognition, earlier than struggling a season-ending knee harm in November. He began the primary 4 video games this season at proper guard. Donkoh has two extra seasons of eligibility and ought to be a pacesetter for this offensive line subsequent 12 months.
CB A.J. Harris: Harris transferred in from Georgia in 2024 and instantly proved he was able to be a difference-maker as a sophomore, incomes 15 begins and ending with 48 tackles, one interception, 5 go breakups and the seventh-best defensive grade amongst Huge Ten beginning corners, in line with Professional Soccer Focus. If Harris stays at school for his senior season, he might compete for All-Huge Ten honors. True freshman cornerback Daryus Dixson seems like a future star as effectively and could be one other necessary cowl man to carry onto.
TE Luke Reynolds: Tyler Warren is rising as one of many high tight ends within the NFL as a rookie, and now it is as much as Reynolds to switch him as Penn State’s subsequent nice tight finish. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound sophomore earned 4 begins throughout his debut season and ranks fifth amongst Huge Ten tight ends with 197 receiving yards on 18 catches this fall. He’ll be a key goal for Penn State’s inexperienced QBs to complete out this 12 months and could have two extra seasons of eligibility. — Max Olson
Key recruits
OT Kevin Brown, No. 80 within the ESPN 300: ESPN’s No. 2 prospect within the state of Pennsylvania this cycle, Brown is the kind of offensive sort out expertise Penn State has at instances struggled to land because it strived to compete atop the Huge Ten lately. That is what made Brown such an necessary piece of Franklin’s newest recruiting class as one of many Nittany Lions’ earliest pledges within the cycle. Brown, out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has visited Penn State greater than a dozen instances, however with offensive sort out expertise at a premium at this stage, residence ties would possibly solely achieve this a lot in protecting the 6-foot-5, 245-pound blocker dedicated to the Nittany Lions.
RB Messiah Mickens, No. 135 in ESPN 300: Mickens is a teammate of Brown’s at Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) Excessive College and stands because the longest-tenured member of the Nittany Lions’ class. ESPN’s 14th-ranked operating again in 2026, Mickens flirted with a flip to Notre Dame earlier this 12 months earlier than shutting down his recruitment in March. Mickens has been sidelined by an harm over the previous month. However with upheaval at Penn State, Notre Dame — with former Nittany Lions operating backs coach Ja’Juan Seider on workers — ought to be one of many many packages to circle again with Mickens, Pennsylvania’s 2024 Gatorade Soccer Participant of the 12 months. — Eli Lederman