Losing to a winless UCLA team started the speculation.
Losing the next week to an unranked Northwestern team ended it.
Penn State parted ways with head coach James Franklin the day after the Nittany Lions lost their second straight game despite entering the contest as at least a 25-point favorite. After losing to UCLA two weeks ago — a team that had not even led at any point this season before that game — Penn State lost to Northwestern at home to drop to 3-3 overall, and 0-3 in the Big Ten.
Despite the massive buyout in Franklin’s contract rumored to be around $50 million, the school has decided to make a change.
Who could be the next head coach at Penn State? Here are some candidates to watch, starting with perhaps the most likely option.
As far as fit and culture go, there might not be a better option than Matt Rhule.
The current Nebraska head coach was a walk-on player under Joe Paterno as a linebacker, and after starting his coaching career as a volunteer assistant for the Nittany Lions, he eventually worked his way through the ranks, including a long stint at Temple, where he went from a defensive line coach to head coach.
Under athletic director Patrick Kraft, who now serves in that capacity at Penn State.
Rhule has won at the college level at both Baylor and Temple, and with the Cornhuskers at 5-1, he’s put that program in line for a big season in his third campaign. He now has some NFL experience to go along with his time in the Big Ten.
And if he can get Dylan Raiola to tag along ..
There might not be a hotter head coach candidate right now than Curt Cignetti.
After taking over at Indiana last season, Cignetti secured a College Football Playoff spot for a program that went 3-9 the year before he arrived. Now the Hoosiers are 6-0, coming off a huge win on the road against Oregon, and look primed not just for a spot in the College Football Playoff, but perhaps even a national title.
And it just so happens that Kraft played his college ball in the red and white.
Would Cignetti leave Indiana after just two seasons, or choose to turn the Hoosiers into a perennial powerhouse?
Matt Campbell, Iowa State
For what seems like a decade, Matt Campbell’s name has been associated with every available job, including openings at the next level. But Campbell has remained in Ames while spurning potential jobs, including turning down an interview with the New York Jets and a reported offer from the Detroit Lions.
But you wonder if this would be the time for the 45-year-old Campbell to make the move to a big program, despite inking a new contract with Iowa State this past August, one that keeps him with the school through the 2032 season.
If Kraft has concerns over continuity, he might look to promote from within.
That might make Terry Smith the best option for Penn State.
Smith has been a part of the program since his days as a player, when he caught 108 passes for 1,825 yards and 12 touchdowns as a wide receiver from 1988 through 1991. He returned to campus as a defensive coach under Franklin, and is currently the team’s associate head coach and cornerbacks coach, while also serving as Penn State’s defensive recruiting coordinator.
Given that the Nittany Lions built a roster they believed would contend for a title, Smith might be the way to keep that roster in State College.
If Kraft wants to go down the road of bringing someone home and passes on Rhule and Smith, Manny Diaz could be another option.
Diaz was Penn State’s defensive coordinator from 2022 through 2023 and built a strong group on that side of the ball. He was also a semifinalist for the Broyles Award in 2023, given to the nation’s top assistant coach.
He knows the program and has enjoyed success building defenses. The question mark might be his lack of success as a head coach, given his 21-15 record at Miami from 2019 through 2021, and his current 13-6 mark at Duke.
As well as his links to Franklin’s tenure.
After taking over at Georgia Tech midway through the 2022 season, Brent Key has delivered back-to-back bowl campaigns for the Yellow Jackets.
Now, Georgia Tech is 6-0 on the season, currently ranked 12th in the latest AP Poll, their highest ranking since they finished the 2014 season at No. 8. The Yellow Jackets have just one team left on their schedule that is currently ranked — their annual clash with Georgia to close out the regular season — and they are in position for a spot in the ACC title game.
That could get Key a look for several jobs, starting with Penn State.
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Despite Franklin’s background on the offensive side of the football, if you spend time talking to any fan of Penn State, they will quickly pivot the discussion towards their hope that the next version of the Nittany Lions has a better offensive philosophy.
That might make Kenny Dillingham their ideal candidate.
Dillingham’s coaching journey began when he was still a senior in high school, as he moved into coaching after tearing his ACL. After working with the junior varsity team at Chaparral High School for a few seasons, he then took over as the varsity offensive coordinator.
He was only 21 years old at the time.
On his way to Arizona State, Dillingham made stops at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State, and Oregon, serving as an offensive coordinator at each of those four schools. Arizona State was his first head coaching job and he has gone 18-14 since taking over, including a spot in last year’s College Football Playoff.
He might just be 35, but if Penn State is going for a splashy hire that also knows the offensive side of the ball, he might be the best candidate.
