Penn State coaching hot board 6.0

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Penn State coaching hot board 6.0

Now that the college football regular season is in the rear-view mirror, things are picking up steam on the Penn State coaching search. Rather, it is picking up for potential candidates for Penn State’s vacant position getting rich elsewhere. The recent days in the coaching carousel have seen Penn State getting passed over or turned down by a handful of reported options as coaches at power conference programs have opted to stay where they are for increased pay, and top Group of 5 candidates and coordinators of interest have accepted other opportunities. Having gone into the early signing period without a head coach in place has had a devastating impact on the Penn State Class of 2026 for the moment, making for some tough challenges with roster management for whoever takes over the job.

Needless to say, athletics director Pat Kraft has come under some serious fire for the continued delay in Penn State’s search coming to an end. Is there an end in sight? There could still be, and maybe Kraft has a plan in motion that has yet to come to the surface that will calm the nerves of the Penn State community.

After a flurry of coaching carousel news, it was time to hit the refresh button on the Penn State coaching hot board for the second time this week. Here is a look at some of the latest developments and thoughts on potential candidates, including a few new names I am throwing into the mix for conversation.

Penn State Coaching Hot Board history:1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.2

  • Added: Brian Kelly, Chip Kelly, Mike Gundy
  • Removed: Brent Key, Brian Hartline, Jeff Brohm, Will Stein

The start of the early signing period was accompanied by a number of headlines related to the ongoing coaching carousel. Georgia Tech and Louisville reportedly locked in Brent Key and Jeff Brohm, respectively, to take those ACC coaches firmly out of the mix for Penn State. Brohm had reportedly been interviewed by Penn State during the process. In addition to those moves, a couple of coveted coordinators that could have been on Penn State’s radar accepted head coaching jobs with Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline heading to South Florida, and Oregon’s Will Stein making his way home to Kentucky.

All of that followed the big story earlier this week that Penn State was unable to land Kalani Sitake from BYU and UCLA hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney, taking two potential top picks off the board for Penn State in the process.

With a number of names coming off the list, now feels like a good time to at least entertain some temporary discussions about a couple of options we have not touched on before.

Terry Smith, Penn State interim head coach

Nov 22, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith reacts from the sideline during the second quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The longer this job search goes on, the better the odds of Penn State removing the interim tag from Terry Smith’s title feel. Smith navigated a tough spot and overcame some early losses since taking over the job to get Penn State into the bowl season by ending the regular season with a three-game winning streak fueled by the running game. Smith has received plenty of vocal support from members of the football family, past and present as well as some alums outside of the football family. At this stage, it may even be fair to consider Smith as the favorite for the job right now.

Brian Daboll, former New York Giants head coach

The one name that has been seemingly picking up some steam for whatever reason recently is former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll. Daboll has received a show of public support from his former boss at Alabama, Nick Saban, and he brings an extensive track record with offensive strategy as a coordinator at the NFL level from 2009 with stints with the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, and Buffalo Bills in addition to his lone season with Saban at Alabama in 2017. Daboll’s college experience is short, with two years as a graduate assistant at Michigan State under Saban and a year at Alabama with Saban.

Matt Campbell, Iowa State head coach

It seems that the only person putting Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell on the Penn State radar is college football analyst and podcaster Josh Pate. Pate has been preaching Campbell as a top candidate for the Penn State job, and I have certainly been firm in keeping his name on the radar, but that seems to be it for any talks connecting Penn State and Campbell.

Manny Diaz, Duke head coach

Former Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has a history with Penn State athletics director Pat Kraft, which is a big reason why Diaz should continue to be a name to keep in mind as this job search drags on. Diaz is coaching Duke in the ACC championship game this week, which could explain in part why Penn State could be holding off on making a move if Diaz is to be the guy. But there has not been much noise on this front to this point.

Dan Mullen, UNLV head coach

Dan Mullen has suggested he plans on coaching at UNLV in 2026, but he should still be considered an option for Penn State. Mullen has previous head coaching experience at a high level with Mississippi State and Florida in the SEC and was instrumental in the development of quarterbacks like Dak Prescott and Alex Smith (and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow). Mullen did receive some push in a column on USA TODAY from Blake Toppmeyer.

P.J. Fleck, Minnesota head coach

If Penn State was going to poach a coach from another Big Ten school, then PJ Fleck would seem to make the most sense. Fleck would inject an instant energy jolt into the program and bring some offensive flair to the mix. Fleck may be a tough sell for some with his eccentric approach to motivating the program, and his lines in the media may grind on some people over time, but he may have maxed out whatever is possible at Minnesota. If Fleck had the opportunity to run the Penn State program and all that would be available to him, he could potentially take the next step in his career.

D’Anton Lynn, USC defensive coordinator

We continue to keep a pair of former Penn State players in a coordinator role on the radar simply for their ties to the program. D’Anton Lynn, USC’s defensive coordinator, is the first on the list as he continues to prop up his job profile. Lynn was passed over by crosstown rival UCLA in its head coach search, but he still may be on track to get a head coaching offer sometime soon. This is a move that would likely resonate well with the Penn State football family as a former player in the program.

Bobby Engram, Washington Commanders wide receivers coach

The other former player in a coordinator role is Penn State’s all-time leading wide receiver Bobby Engram. Engram reportedly was getting an interview for the job, according to former Penn State offensive lineman Landon Tengwall, but there has not been much to report on any such development.

Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator

While we are talking about the Washington Commanders, we will continue to attach offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury as an option, given his previous head coaching experience and history with offenses and quarterbacks at the college level. If the move is to hire an offensive mind, Kliff Kingsbury checks off every box on the wish list.

And now we open the discussion for some coaches who have been sent to the unemployment line, who have not been in our discussions previously. Because Penn State has seen so many names come off the list for one reason or another, the job search likely needs to expand with some fresh looks at some other faces.

Brian Kelly, former LSU head coach

Brian Kelly is absolutely a candidate who would draw some mixed reactions. It is easy to be turned off by Brian Kelly as his track record shows at Notre Dame and, most recently, at LSU. But there is no denying he has a pretty solid track record as a head coach. He won back-to-back national championships at Division 2 Grand Valley State in 2002 and 2003, turned Central Michigan into a MAC champion in three seasons, took Cincinnati to an Orange Bowl appearance in the 2008 season and went 12-0 in 2009 before taking the Notre Dame job, took the Fighting Irish to a BCS national championship game and the four-team College Football Playoff before heading to LSU. His success overall is an easy step up from James Franklin, but his personality and coaching approach do wear on everyone around him.

One nugget to keep in mind with Kelly as a potential candidate is that he also has a history with Penn State’s upcoming apparel provider, Adidas. Cincinnati was an Adidas school while Kelly was with the program, and for a few seasons, Notre Dame had a contract with Adidas with Kelly as head coach.

Chip Kelly, former Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator

The stock in Chip Kelly has steadily been on the decline for a while now, but there is no denying his upside potential coaching the offense. Kelly took Orgeon to the BCS national championship game and nearly won it against Auburn before fleeing for the NFL amid some scandal headlines with the Ducks. Kelly has made a number of stops in the coaching world as a coordinator and head coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Ohio State, and the Las Vegas Raiders since leaving Oregon. Outside of his lone season calling Ohio State’s offense last year, there has not been too much positive to say about Kelly. It would be a risk handing him the keys to the Penn State program, and that may be too much to commit to just to save the offense. But he may know the northeast well, but recruiting was never his strongest asset as a coach at Oregon or UCLA.

Mike Gundy, former Oklahoma State head coach

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy walks on the field before an NCAA football game between Oklahoma State and UT Martin in Stillwater, Okla., on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.

Want an outsider who has established a solid track record for success? Why not take a flyer on Mike Gundy? Gundy is as much of an Oklahoma State guy as you will find as a former Cowboys quarterback, assistant coach and head coach, and he was in charge of some of the most impressive stretches of sustained success for the Oklahoma State p[program as you will find. But like James Franklin at Penn State, it had become pretty clear that it was time to change things up for the Cowboys, and that meant moving on from Gundy. Gundy would have some of the same concerns as a head coach with his success that many had with Franklin, but he brings plenty of experience running a power conference program and could be a name to keep an open mind about.

As a side note, Gundy and Franklin worked together on the Maryland coaching staff in 2000 when Gundy was the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, and Franklin was the wide receivers coach and run game coordinator. Gundy had been Maryland’s wide receivers coach for the three seasons prior to Franklin’s addition to the staff in 2000.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State coaching hot board 6.0

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos