Penn State football coaching hot board 4.0: Updated look at coaching search
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It has been a few weeks since our last real update on the Penn State coaching hot board. But with just two games remaining in Penn State’s regular season, now feels like as good a time as any to run through the list of potential candidates and provide some updated reactions and feedback, and see which names may be rising up and which may be trending down.
Because it has been a few weeks since the last hot board update, there have been some changes to who appears on this list for a variety of reasons. A few names have joined the hot board for the first time and a number have been officially scratched from consideration as far as I am concerned. One of the biggest developments to go down since our last update is Penn State’s former head coach, James Franklin, officially being hired by Virginia Tech. That also led to Penn State finalizing a restructured buyout with Franklin.
Penn State Coaching Hot Board history:1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0
- Added: Kliff Kingsbury, Bob Chesney, Kalen DeBoer
- Removed: Matt Rhule, Mike Elko, Lane Kiffin, Kenny Dillingham, Urban Meyer, Al Golden
In the time since our last hot board update, there have been some significant developments with names previously appearing on our wide-spanning watch list of candidates. The two most notable names being removed now, arguably, are Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule and Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko. Both coaches have secured fresh new contracts as their names have been popping up in the rumor mill. Elko’s new contract appears more merit based given Texas A&M’s ascension toward the top of the College Football Playoff rankings and SEC standings, while Rhule may have benefited even more from simply having his name attached to the early stages of the Penn State search.
The Lane Kiffin sweepstakes seem to be trending to another school in the SEC as LSU and Florida each make a push for the current Ole Miss coach. I never really thought Penn State would be under serious consideration for Kiffin (or vice versa), but it feels safe to remove him from the Penn State conversation now.
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham made some public comments to shut down the idea he would leave the Sun Devils for Penn State or other jobs. Even with that said, he still appears to be tied somewhat strongly to some of the latest rumors for the LSU job, perhaps as a top backup plan if LSU cannot land Lane Kiffin.
The Urban Meyer talk was fun while it lasted, but some reports have seemingly suggested Penn State athletics director Pat Kraft was not too keen on some of Meyer’s alleged comments and ideas if he were to jump back into coaching. I would personally still be all in on Meyer, but the writing feels to be on the wall and we can move on from this idea.
I also opted to remove Al Golden from my watch list because there has simply been no traction on his potential candidacy. The time for Al Golden to be the head coach is over a decade past its prime.
But let’s dig into some of the new names on the list.
Bob Chesney, James Madison head coach
If there is a coach seeing the biggest rise in his potential job stock, it may be James Madison head coach Bob Chesney. Coming into this week, Chesney has James Madison sitting atop the Sun Belt Conference with a 9-1 record overall and 7-0 in conference play. The College Football Playoff rankings are not being kind to the Dukes, but they remain in the running for a possible spot in the playoff as a conference champion (JMU will need some help in the American and, potentially the ACC).
But Chesney is a Pennsylvania native and played his college football at Dickinson and spent some of his early coaching years as an assistant at Delaware Valley and King’s. He has previous head coaching experience at lower levels, including Division II Assumption and FCS Holy Cross before getting the JMU job in 2024, when he succeeded current Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti.
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama head coach
I had been reluctant to include Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer on my hot board in previous versions simply because I could not envision a world in which Penn State lures away a coach from one of the top coaching jobs in the country. But then Alabama lost to Oklahoma last weekend, thus putting Alabama’s shot at the College Football Playoff in some late-season jeopardy. Alabama is still sitting with the No. 10 spot in the updated CFP rankings, but that is a dangerous spot to be in considering the likelihood that a couple of teams in the 10-12 range could be bumped out in favor of some conference champions from the ACC and Group of Five.
DeBoer’s name has been thrown around enough times to warrant his inclusion on our watch list, at least for now. At 8-2 in his second season at Alabama, after missing the playoff last season after guiding Washington to the national title game the previous season, it is clear that DeBoer is a really good coach. He’s just not Nick Saban, and that is a tough standard to live up to in Tuscaloosa right now.
Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator
A new name popping up on the radar has been Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury is a former Texas Tech head coach and has been an offensive coordinator at USC before heading to the NFL. If Penn State is concerned about quarterback development, then Kingsbury would seem to be a good candidate to address that with positive results. He has played a key role in developing players like Patrick Mahomes and Jayden Daniels. With things going sour with the Commanders this season (in large part due to the injury status of Daniels after a run to the NFC Championship game last season), this could be a time for some changes related to Kingsbury.
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt head coach
The last time Penn State hired a coach from Vanderbilt worked out pretty well, so why not run it back? Clark LEa continues to be a hot name in the coaching rumor mill because of the success he has had with Vanderbilt this season. Lea has the Commodores sitting at No. 14 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, which keeps them in striking distance of a possible spot in the field in the final stretch of the season, although Vanderbilt would likely need a little help to get in. Still, an 8-2 record at Vandy is nothing to dismiss.
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri head coach
Another coach in the SEC that has remained in the thick of the rumor mill is Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz. Perhaps most notable about Drinkwitz is the production he got out of Penn State transfer quarterback Beau Pribula this season before a late-season injury to the former backup to Drew Allar. He will now wrap the regular season with former Penn State recruiting target Matt Zollers.
Brent Key, Georgia Tech head coach
The head coach of Georgia Tech says he bleeds Georgia Tech colors, but it makes sense why he should be considered a rising favorite in the Penn State coaching search. Key has Georgia Tech on the verge of playing for the ACC championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. The competition for Key could be difficult though as Florida appears to be a school showing great interest in the Alabama-native. The majority of Key’s coaching career has come in the South, including some time at UCF.
Brian Hartline, Ohio State offensive coordinator
Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline remains one of the top coordinators to be watching. The No. 1 Buckeyes have benefitted from Hartline’s ability to develop receivers, and that would be a strong reason to like him as a head coach in Happy Valley. The one thing about this potential move. wondering how long Penn State would have to wait to make the hire, or how long until Hartline could potentially take over the job with 100% dedication. Hartline and Ohio State could be prepping for another deep playoff run as they look to win back-to-back national titles. If he is considered the best possible hire, then Penn State should not be concerned about any possible delay in him taking over the role full-time, even if it benefits Ohio State in the process.
Pat Fitzgerald, former Northwestern head coach
I made sure to include Pat Fitzgerald in my hot board list from the early stages, and now it appears as though his name is starting to pick up some noise in the Penn State search. New reports have suggested there has been some interest in the former Northwestern head coach at Penn State, so this is certainly a name that is potentially trending upward.
Alex Golesh, USF head coach
Alex Golesh has long been one of the top names in the Group of Five we have been monitoring. This week saw Golesh shut down rumors about being the next head coach at Oklahoma State. Although he attempted to shut that story down, we’ll keep an eye on his situation in the coming weeks.
Fran Brown, Syracuse head coach
Syracuse head coach Fran Brown was one of the names on the early radar, but his stock has been fading as the season has played out. Syracuse has lost six striaght games to fall out of bowl eligibility contention. It won’t be any easier for Brown this week with a road game at Notre Dame on deck, so this may be Brown’s final appearance on the hot board for me.
Jeff Brohm, Louisville head coach
There have been multiple reports suggesting Louisville is working on a contract extension for their homegrown hero, Jeff Brohm. So it appears unlikely Brohm will be making a return to the Big Ten (he previously coached at Purdue), but until that contract extension is finalized, he remains on the list. Brohm and Louisville took a big loss last weekend to throw the Cardinals out of the ACC championship hunt, but his record against top-ranked teams is the polar opposite of the coach Penn State just parted ways with.
Matt Campbell, Iowa State head coach
Another name that has stuck firmly on the radar for Penn State is Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. There is no disputing Campbell’s track record for overall success. He is 70-55 at Iowa State and owns a career record of 105-70 coming into this week between his stints with the Cyclones and Toledo. Iowa State is on pace for its 8th winning season in 10 years under Campbell, an unprecedented accomplishment in Iowa State program history.
Manny Diaz, Duke head coach
Jumping back into some of the more common names we have had on the hot board, we will check in on Duke head coach Manny Diaz. Things have not been great for the former Penn State defensive coordinator. The Blue Devils have dropped back-to-back games against UConn and Virginia to fall to 5-5.
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame head coach
It appears more and more likely as though Marcus Freeman will be staying in South Bend. The door may not be completely slammed on a possible move for Freeman, but the reports that have surfaced have led some fuel to the idea that he is comfortable where he is. After taking Notre Dame to the national championship game last season, Freeman has the Irish in a great position to return to the College Football Playoff again this season.
Terry Smith, Penn State interim head coach
The support for Terry Smith to remain the head coach has come in from some notable people with ties to the Penn State football family, including former teammate O.J. McDuffie. Smith got a chance to be celebrated following his first career win this past weekend against Michigan State, and Smith can continue to build his case if Penn State can win its final two games to reach bowl eligibility. I personally feel Penn State should go with a clean slate, but it is valid to keep Smith on the list for right now if Penn State starts running out of other options.
Dan Mullen, UNLV head coach
The last time we checked in on the hot board, Dan Mullen was putting out the word that he has every intention of being the head coach at UNLV next season. That message has not changed much, although Mullen’s name has been thrown around as a possible coaching candidate for the Arkansas job. UNLV is 8-2 this season, but will likely not get a crack at playing for the Mountain West Conference championship this season.
D’Anton Lynn, USC defensive coordinator
Things have seemingly been pretty quiet on the D’Anton Lynn front, but his profile is continuing to build up as he approaches his first opportunity to be a head coach. UCLA figures to be an attractive option for Lynn if the Bruins choose to bring in a former assistant (Lynn was plucked from UCLA by crosstown rival USC), but the former Penn State standout could still be somewhere on the radar to come home.
Will Stein, Oregon offensive coordinator
Oregon’s offensive coordinator is in a similar position to Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. Will Stein will be a popular name in coaching rumors as his first opportunity to be a head coach is imminent. Stein may be a more likely option to take over some other programs looking for a head coach, but it is worth keeping him in the mix for now until steam picks up one way or the other.
P.J. Fleck, Minnesota head coach
It should not be surprising to see P.J. Fleck’s name starting to pick up some momentum in the rumor mill. And not just for the Penn State vacancy either. A number of high-profile college football media personalities have floated the idea lately that Fleck will be having his name thrown in the conversation for openings at Penn State, Florida, and UCLA, among others. Fleck’s success with Minnesota is well documented, and what he could do with more resources is believed to be a reason to consider him a strong candidate. His personality may not jive with what Penn State has built itself on, but it is worth considering to inject some new life in the program.
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
We will continue to keep Joe Brady on this list, even if I do still feel like this is not a likely hire to be made. Penn State will probably have its next coach locked in before the NFL coaching carousel takes a real shot at Brady as a head coach. I still feel he is more of an NFL coach anyway, so he would likely be nothing more than a short-term hire for Penn State, similar to Bill O’Brien when he was Penn State’s coach.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State football coaching hot board 4.0: Updated list of candidates
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