Penn State started the season with legitimate national championship aspirations. Now, the school is looking for a new coach after firing James Franklin on Oct. 12.
Franklin’s fall was stunning, swift and historic, beginning with a type of loss (Oregon) that has come to define his Penn State tenure, and continuing with two other losses (against major underdogs UCLA and Northwestern) that have not. A season-ending injury to starting quarterback Drew Allar against Northwestern added even more anguish to an awful afternoon in Happy Valley.
Just like that, Franklin’s tenure of 11-plus years at Penn State is over, within the same calendar year as Penn State reached the cusp of the national championship game, only to fall to Notre Dame in a CFP semifinal. Penn State entered this season with a championship-or-bust mission, and boy, did things go bust. Although things fell apart quickly for Franklin, it also became harder to envision a path forward, despite his many successes at Penn State.
Where does PSU go from here? The school has made significant investments in facilities, NIL and other areas. Athletics director Patrick Kraft is a football guy who wants to win at the highest level. Penn State has access to talent in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, and can compete for major goals on a regular basis. The team can aim high with candidates, including from within the Big Ten, and certainly target those with a track record of winning the biggest games. However, two coaches who would have been considered top targets, re-signed with the their current schools. Indiana’s Curt Cignetti signed a new eight-year contract, paying him about $11.6 million annually, on Oct. 16. Then, Matt Rhule, Nebraska’s coach and a Penn State alum, signed a two-year extension to stay with the Cornhuskers until 2032 on Thursday.
Here are several candidates Penn State could pursue, as well as the roster and recruiting situation amid a coaching transition. — Adam Rittenberg
Candidates | Transfers | Recruits
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea: The idea of Penn State hiring Vanderbilt’s coach twice in a row might not sit well with some in its fan base, but Lea and Franklin are very different, and Lea would fit the structure in State College well. He has elevated his alma mater to historic heights this fall, as Vanderbilt entered the CFP mix behind transcendent quarterback Diego Pavia. Lea’s pivot toward Pavia and others from New Mexico State, including former Big Ten coach Jerry Kill, revived a Vanderbilt program that had gone 9-27 through his first three seasons. The 43-year-old has experience in the Northeast at Syracuse from 2013 to 2015, and also made stops at Wake Forest and Notre Dame. Penn State would be banking on potential a bit here, but Lea has won big games at Vanderbilt and could help take the Nittany Lions over the top.
Texas A&M coach Mike Elko: The Aggies’ incredible start and a likely CFP appearance could prevent any type of move, but Elko absolutely fits what Penn State wants in its next coach. He’s quickly establishing himself as a championship-level coach at a Texas A&M program that has often underachieved. Elko, 48, also had success at Duke and has roots in the Northeast, growing up in New Jersey and playing college football at Penn. He’s 32-14 overall as an FBS coach, and while he hasn’t won a championship yet, Texas A&M is certainly on a promising trajectory. The timing might not be right this season, but Penn State absolutely should make a push for Elko.
Iowa State coach Matt Campbell: His name has appeared often on lists such as this over the years, but Campbell has stayed loyal to Iowa State, a program he built into a Big 12 contender. Penn State has long been mentioned as a program that would intrigue him, along with fellow Big Ten heavies Ohio State and Michigan, as well as Notre Dame. Campbell would bring a background on offense and with quarterbacks that could serve Penn State well after the end of Franklin’s tenure, where the offense never consistently reached its potential. He played a season of college ball at Pitt before finishing at Mount Union, in his home state of Ohio, where he spent his entire coaching career before taking the Iowa State job. The time seems right for the 45-year-old to make a big move, and Penn State would be a sensible landing spot.
Louisville coach Jeff Brohm: He addresses the primary reason why Penn State fired Franklin – a lack of signature wins. Brohm has delivered those at both Purdue and now Louisville, going 4-4 against AP top-five opponents during his career. He also will bring a creative and aggressive offense to State College, and can likely get more out of the quarterback play there. Brohm, 54, also has Big Ten experience, taking Purdue to the league title game in 2022 and going 12-6 in league play during his last two years with the Boilers. He also has incredibly deep roots both with the University of Louisville and the city of Louisville. Will Brohm actually make a move? He’s certainly worth a call with a 91-53 FBS record.
Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline: The fair assumption when Penn State fired Franklin is that it needed a replacement with previous head-coaching experience to push for national championships. But many of the sport’s top programs are led by first-time head coaches, including Ohio State, where Ryan Day guided the team to a national title last season. Hartline, 38, has had an essential role in his alma mater’s success, and was a candidate for West Virginia’s coaching vacancy last year. He’s an elite recruiter who should be able to energize Penn State’s passing game. This is a big jump for the former NFL wide receiver, who has spent his entire coaching career at Ohio State. But he might be the next great first-time coach. — Rittenberg
DE Chaz Coleman: The true freshman pass rusher has made a huge impression since arriving on campus and would be extremely coveted if he explored a transfer. Coleman was an ESPN 300 recruit as a 6-foot-4, 220-pound athlete who also played quarterback in high school. In his first year in the program, he has already bulked up to 246 pounds and has flashed big-time potential with 11 pressures through his first five games, three tackles for loss and a strip sack against FIU that he returned 39 yards.
LB Tony Rojas: We’re finding out just how valuable Rojas is for a Nittany Lions defense that’s struggling to stop the run without him. Rojas, a 20-game starter, went down with an unspecified long-term injury in practice days after the Oregon loss, and it’s unclear when he’ll return. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound junior was tied for the team lead in TFLs with 4.5 when he went down and would have two more seasons of eligibility if he needs to take a medical redshirt for 2025.
OL Anthony Donkoh: If we’re assuming Olaivavega Ioane goes pro after this season, Donkoh would be Penn State’s most experienced returning lineman next year. The 6-foot-5, 323-pound redshirt sophomore started 10 games at right tackle last year, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition, before suffering a season-ending knee injury in November. He started the first four games this season at right guard. Donkoh has two more seasons of eligibility and should be a leader for this offensive line next year.
CB A.J. Harris: Harris transferred in from Georgia in 2024 and immediately proved he was ready to be a difference-maker as a sophomore, earning 15 starts and finishing with 48 tackles, one interception, five pass breakups and the seventh-best defensive grade among Big Ten starting corners, according to Pro Football Focus. If Harris stays in school for his senior season, he could compete for All-Big Ten honors. True freshman cornerback Daryus Dixson looks like a future star as well and would be another important cover man to hold onto.
TE Luke Reynolds: Tyler Warren is emerging as one of the top tight ends in the NFL as a rookie, and now it’s up to Reynolds to replace him as Penn State’s next great tight end. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound sophomore earned four starts during his debut season and ranks fifth among Big Ten tight ends with 197 receiving yards on 18 catches this fall. He’ll be a key target for Penn State’s inexperienced QBs to finish out this year and will have two more seasons of eligibility. — Max Olson
OT Kevin Brown, No. 80 in the ESPN 300: ESPN’s No. 2 prospect in the state of Pennsylvania this cycle, Brown is the type of offensive tackle talent Penn State has at times struggled to land as it strived to compete atop the Big Ten in recent years. That’s what made Brown such an important piece of Franklin’s latest recruiting class as one of the Nittany Lions’ earliest pledges in the cycle. Brown, out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has visited Penn State more than a dozen times, but with offensive tackle talent at a premium at this stage, home ties might only do so much in keeping the 6-foot-5, 245-pound blocker committed to the Nittany Lions.
RB Messiah Mickens, No. 135 in ESPN 300: Mickens is a teammate of Brown’s at Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) High School and stands as the longest-tenured member of the Nittany Lions’ class. ESPN’s 14th-ranked running back in 2026, Mickens flirted with a flip to Notre Dame earlier this year before shutting down his recruitment in March. Mickens has been sidelined by an injury over the past month. But with upheaval at Penn State, Notre Dame — with former Nittany Lions running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider on staff — should be one of the many programs to circle back with Mickens, Pennsylvania’s 2024 Gatorade Football Player of the Year. — Eli Lederman