Penn State Predicted to Replace James Franklin With SEC College Football Coach
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The Penn State Nittany Lions fired James Franklin after 12 seasons with the program.
The move came after the Nittany Lions started the year 3-3. Since then, they’ve dropped to 3-5.
Franklin led Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinal last season but over his tenure, failed to win the big game.
Now, Penn State is tasked with hiring a new head football coach for the first time since 2014.
Many names have been floated as Franklin’s replacement. Many originally pointed to Nebraska’s Matt Rhule played for Penn State back in the day.
Rhule recently signed an extension, and now the focus is on several others.
On Tuesday, Kalshi Sports shared odds of who the next head coach at Penn State will be.
The leader was Missouri’s Eliah Drinkwitz (23%), followed by Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline (19%), Louisville’s Jeff Brohm (13%) and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell (11%).
BREAKING: Eli Drinkwitz is the new favorite to become the next coach at Penn State, with a 23% chance on Kalshi. pic.twitter.com/f8Z4Q86imF
— Kalshi Sports (@KalshiSports) November 5, 2025
Drinkwitz has been the coach at Missouri for six seasons now.
In the first three years, Drinkwitz went a combined 17-19 but since then has gone 27-7.
He was also named the SEC Coach of the Year in 2023 and has led Missouri to back-to-back bowl wins.
As for Penn State, the Nittany Lions will look to finish the season strong and reach a bowl game. Their four remaining games are against Big Ten opponents, No. 2 Indiana, Michigan State, Nebraska and Rutgers.
Related: Major College Football Head Coach Shuts Down Penn State Rumors
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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