Penn State's head coach hunt gets scarier by the day as coaches sign extensions with their current teams, locking ideal candidate down. Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea and Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz are the latest additions to that group — two candidates who floated at the surface of likely hires.
On top of them signing contracts, schools are giving these coaches more resources to work with. Athletic director Pat Kraft initially had an enticing pitch for coaches, like Lea and Drinkwitz, that the Nittany Lions' resources could give them more opportunity to rebuild a top program. That's a lot less intriguing now that schools are opening up possibilities for their coaches that weren't there before.
Penn State's creativity in the coach hunt can't stray too far away from what's realistic. However, Nick Saban stretched out a little bit to endorse this former NFL coach as a good fit for the blue and white.
3 realistic Penn State head coach targets after Eli Drinkwitz, Clark Lea extensions
Nick Saban says former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll is an "outstanding hire" for Penn State
On The Pat McAfee Show, Saban expressed his opinion on who should be in consideration for the Penn state job.
"[Brian Daboll is] a very good coach, he's a bright guy, he's a good recruiter, he relates well to the players, he's a good teacher, he's got a good offensive mind, he'll be able to put a good staff together," Saban said. "I think that would be an outstanding hire."
NEW: Nick Saban is in favor of Penn State hiring former Giants head coach Brian Daboll:
— On3 (@On3sports) November 26, 2025
"He's a very good coach, he's a bright guy, he's a good recruiter, he relates well to the players, he's a good teacher, he's got a good offensive mind, he'll be able to put a good staff… pic.twitter.com/VhmbD24Uhl
Daboll was let go from the New York Giants after a 2-8 start to the season on Nov. 10. The Giants just lost to the Chicago Bears when Daboll was fired.
Before heading over to the NFL, he started his coaching career as a volunteer and graduate assistant at William & Mary and Michigan State. Since 2000, Daboll has bounced around different professional teams, like the Patriots, Chiefs, Bills, and eventually the Giants. However, he took a brief intermission in 2017 to join Saban's staff as offensive coordinator at Alabama. The Crimson Tide won the national championship that season.
The Nittany Lions need that home run hire. Especially after parting ways with incoming Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin, Kraft can't settle for anything less than what Franklin provided the program. With coaches coming off the candidate board left and right, Penn State needs to look in different areas for its next hire.
If anyone knows what Daboll can do at the collegiate level, it's Saban; and his endorsement should matter when the Nittany Lions have close to zero worthy options.