Penn State's coaching search just got serious, and it's pointing toward Columbia, Missouri
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Three weeks after firing James Franklin and torching a 12-year era built on consistency but lacking championships, the Nittany Lions are now vetting one of the most luring names in college football: Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz.
Franklin's dismissal came after a 3-5 collapse, just one season removed from a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance. Athletic Director Pat Kraft said the move was part of a nationwide search for a coach with a "vision of championships."
That vision may now lead straight to the SEC.
Drinkwitz is leading the race, and his résumé backs why
According to Kalshi Sports' latest odds, Drinkwitz sits at 23%, ahead of Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline (19%), Louisville's Jeff Brohm (13%), and Iowa State's Matt Campbell (11%). It's a stunning rise for a 42-year-old coach who six years ago was rebuilding one of the SEC's most forgotten programs.
Drinkwitz started slow at Missouri with a record of 17-19 through his first three seasons. Then something clicked. The Tigers have gone 27-7 over the last three years, including back-to-back bowl wins and an 11-2 campaign in 2023 that earned him SEC Coach of the Year. That season ended with a Cotton Bowl victory over No. 7 Ohio State, the kind of marquee win that's eluded Penn State for most of the last decade.
Missouri's offense under Drinkwitz has become a case study in controlled aggression: balanced, adaptable, quarterback-friendly. He's 11-3 in one-score games since 2022, a mark that speaks to his in-game management and ability to adjust under pressure — two areas where Franklin struggled.
Drinkwitz's 2025 transfer portal class ranks seventh nationally, a staggering 34 spots higher than Franklin's most recent ranking. It marked the second straight year Missouri finished inside the top 15 in portal acquisitions.
For a Penn State program still trying to figure out how to win in the NIL and transfer portal era, that track record matters.
Why this hire makes sense, and why it might not
What makes Drinkwitz appealing isn't just his record, but his temperament. Kraft's public comments have centered on finding a coach who can "attack the portal" and "elevate recruiting in the NIL era." Drinkwitz checks both boxes.
He also brings proven offensive credentials. A former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator under Gus Malzahn and Bryan Harsin, Drinkwitz built his reputation developing quarterbacks and crafting play designs that adapt to personnel rather than forcing a scheme. At NC State, he helped guide one of the ACC's most efficient offenses and earned a Broyles Award nomination in 2018.
For a Penn State program still searching for an offensive identity after years of inconsistency, that flexibility could be everything.
There's even a built-in recruiting storyline. Drinkwitz has deep ties to Pennsylvania recruiting, where he landed standout quarterback Matt Zollers out of Spring-Ford High last cycle, and his quarterback-friendly system could attract transfers like former Penn State QB Beau Pribula, who played under Drinkwitz briefly before his injury at Vanderbilt.
But the fit isn't perfect.
Drinkwitz's record in big games mirrors the exact flaw that doomed Franklin: a losing record against ranked opponents. He's 7-16 against AP Top 25 teams and just 1-9 versus the Top 10. That's a data point Kraft can't ignore, especially after firing a coach who built a nearly identical résumé.
Recruiting geography brings another question. Drinkwitz has dominated the Midwest and Southeast pipelines, but he has little experience in Penn State's core territories (the DMV, New Jersey, and Western Pennsylvania). Adjusting to that landscape could take time, and Penn State's fan base isn't known for patience.
Then there's the competition. Florida and Texas A&M are both expected to pursue high-profile hires this winter, and a potential bidding war could test Penn State's financial commitment to its football future.
Still, Drinkwitz's candidacy speaks volumes about the direction Penn State wants to go — younger, more modern, more offensively inclined. His track record of program-building and player development aligns with Kraft's vision.
If Drinkwitz can be convinced to leave a top-15 SEC program where he's beloved and secure, the move could mark a bold inflection point for Penn State. It's a bet that innovation and adaptability will succeed where tradition and consistency plateaued.
Pat Kraft isn't just hiring a coach. He's hiring a new identity. And Eli Drinkwitz, the offensive architect from Missouri with a knack for reinvention, just might be the blueprint for Penn State's future.
Penn State's Remaining Schedule: vs. No. 2 Indiana, at Michigan State, vs. Nebraska, at Rutgers
Coaching Odds (Kalshi Sports, Nov. 5):Drinkwitz 23%, Hartline 19%, Brohm 13%, Campbell 11%
This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 6, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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