Pat Kraft Turns Coaching Search Into Costly Fumble

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On Sunday, October 12, following a homecoming loss as a 20-point favorite against Northwestern, Pat Kraft pulled the plug on the James Franklin era at Penn State. That was — and still is — the correct move for Penn State football and James Franklin. The two, for a myriad of reasons, soured on each other and it was time for a split. It was healthy for both. After 12 years, it was abundantly apparent that Franklin was not going to get the job done, and it was trending likely that his tenure was on the downswing. The Nittany Lions were losing games they hadn’t lost before, recruits were beginning to flee, and even Franklin looked and sounded like a defeated man. Add in the experience of Penn State’s 2025 roster and then how inexperienced the 2026 roster was going to be, and it didn’t take Nostradamus to see this thing was headed for very choppy waters. So Pat Kraft did what was necessary for all: a new beginning. Penn State football could begin its search for a new head coach, while Franklin could begin his search for a new home as well.

Franklin found Virginia Tech, where from all accounts it’s a new, budding relationship. He’s already beloved by the fan base as he takes much of the reminisce of Penn State’s/his recruiting class to Blacksburg, a program that needed to be energized and revived.

Penn State sat in a similar spot. The Nittany Lions hadn’t reached the depths of the Hokies — did you know Penn State was in the CFP semifinal last season? — but nonetheless, this was a fan base that needed something new. They needed something different from the last guy. They needed hope; which is actually what most college football hires are about. Yes, you want someone who will do a better job with better results. But the vast majority of coaching changes happen because it’s simply a reset for the program and a reenergizing of the fan base. You bring in the shiny, new toy who sits up on a dais in a suit and tie that matches the school colors and they say things like, “Wow, this is a destination job.” And we as fans — whether we liked the hire or not — we eat it up because we’re stupid idiots and gullible. I remember when Bill O’Brien was hired. Penn State fans were pissed. I also remember the sentiment after his press conference was that he knocked it out of the park and there was excitement to see where he would take the program.

That excitement is what we should be feeling right now, but Pat Kraft failed this program and the fans. He rightfully took his time, turned over every rock, and from all accounts completed an exhaustive search with many, many candidates talked to or interviewed. When it came time to get down to brass tacks, Kraft zeroed in on the “mystery” candidate, who we a few days later found out was Kalani Sitake. We got the formal tweets from On3 and ESPN saying how there’s mutual interest between Penn State and Sitake, and talks of a deal are happening but nothing was signed.

It’s at this point where the next thing that needs to happen is that Kraft gets it across the finish line. Like for me, whatever I think of Sitake as a candidate doesn’t greatly matter. Kraft identified him as the guy, he needed to get him to State College. That’s why he’s paid millions of dollars: to close out a multi-million dollar deal on the most important position of the most important sport in his athletic department.

Instead, BYU, its apparently living (?!) Apostles, and the freaking Crumbl Cookie CEO swooped in and convinced Sitake to stay in Provo.

There was not an issue waiting through the regular season to lock up the next head coach. But when you get to this point, you need to have it guaranteed that he won’t waver because if it falls through, it falls through in spectacular fashion. How do you spin this to other candidates, whichever are left? It’s one thing to know behind-closed-doors that you are a backup plan, it’s a totally different story when THE ENTIRE WORLD KNOWS you were not the first choice and you can’t even lie about it.

What this coaching search was supposed to do was be the first step in healing the fan base. It was supposed to be an exciting time for Penn State football, as we turned the chapter and started anew. Instead, we’ve become the butt of jokes. The “can’t win a big game” jokes have been retired for “Penn State got another coach an extension” followed by point and laughing.

There’s a viable reality Penn State bounces back from this and makes a great hire. Texas A&M went through something similar when it tried to hire Mike Stoops, only for the Board of Regents to shut it down and basically force the AD to hire Mike Elko instead. That’s worked out well. But a big part of this coaching search and hire process was showing and being a unified front. With Kraft’s public debacle, the Penn State community is unified alright — unified against an AD that failed his most important test.

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