ESPN sports reporter Pete Thamel said on the "College GameDay Podcast" that Penn State football's head coach job opening is the best on the market. Though LSU and Florida positions opened up after Brian Kelly and Billy Napier were fired from the helm of their programs, respectively, Thamel thinks the Nittany Lions (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten) are in the best spot.
Ranking the top head coach and QB combos that Penn State could bring to Happy Valley
"Penn State is, finally, fully evolved from all their troubles. I think they’re ready to operate as a high-class, Ohio State-level athletic department," Thamel said. "For all of James Franklin’s troubles on the field, talent on the roster was not one of them . . . They were not afraid to go out and spend big money to address needs."
"That place feels ready to go. You have good local talent, you have great tradition and you have a more tenable path to the playoff."
Pete Thamel says Penn State remains as the most appealing head coach job on the market
The more programs move on from their current head coaches, the less likely it seems for Penn State to take big swings or target those "long shot" candidates. However, Thamel doesn't think the name of the SEC programs that parted ways with their head coach outshine what the Nittany Lions have to offer.
That's the direction Penn State needs to capitalize on. Athletic director Pat Kraft needs to focus on everything in Happy Valley and in the Big Ten. The SEC provides a harder road to take to the playoffs, the right coach can get it done easier with the Nittany Lions.
Now that Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, and Oregon head coach Dan Lanning confirmed their loyalties to their programs, Kraft's options are diminishing. However, that also means candidates don't need to worry about the "obvious" choices within the conference waltzing into Happy Valley.
Even though news looks like things are going south for Penn State's head coach hunt, there are silver linings to every update. Attention on the Nittany Lions won't just disappear or fade into the background as coaches get fired left and right. They'll still be in the mix of best job openings, they'll just have more to go up against. If Kraft harps on the right points and takes advantage of his position in the Big Ten compared to his competition, landing the right guy for the job won't be as difficult as it seems to be at the moment.