Former Penn State head coach James Franklin became the most attractive coaching candidate out there for every college around the country — except Penn State. As weeks go by and the college football regular season slowly dwindles away, top choices for the Nittany Lions are locking in with their current teams.
That listed started with Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti and Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning also stated his loyalty to the Ducks, though he was never a legitimate name floating around for the position. Most recently, it was announced that Louisville is working on a contract extension with head coach Jeff Brohm.
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"You think, 'Hey, who's the top coach out there? Who's Penn State going to hire? Top coach? Yeah. Who is it? James Franklin,'" Pat McAfee said on his show on Wednesday. "I don't know if they're going to hire him back."
Needless to repeat McAfee, Penn State doesn't have a lot of viable options remaining on the board. So, who is left that would give the Nittany Lions the shift they need for the future?
Penn State and the Missouri head coach have a mutual interest in each other, according to a 247Sports Tigers insiders whose post was released via Twitter/X.
Eli Drinkwitz brings a certain fire that the Nittany Lions need and when seeking an upgrade from Franklin, there are candidates — like Drinkwitz — who have a real shot at succeeding at that. His SEC experience will translate over well to the Big Ten, having an easier path to the College Football Playoff while having more resources to work with.
On top of that, Penn State needs a head coach that can leverage well in recruitment. The Nittany Lions' classes of 2026 and 2027 are embarrassing, even more so now that Franklin is gone. They need someone in charge that attracts players, both high school four- and five-stars and players in the Transfer Portal. Likewise, Drinkwitz can convince players, like former Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula, to come to Happy Valley.
If conversations between the two parties continue, Drinkwitz remains a prime candidate to replace Franklin.
The New York Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll and talks of him becoming Penn State's next head coach immediately exploded. His combined experience in the NCAA and NFL are significant, even if his most recent history with the Giants isn't impressive.
Daboll coached under former Alabama head coach Nick Saban in 2017 when the Crimson Tide won the College Football Playoff. He was offensive coordinator for the team at the time. Both of these things, winning a championship and improving offense, are what Penn State needs. Daboll has a history of success, and the Nittany Lions need just that. He knows what it takes to win at the collegiate level and he knows how to create a championship-winning team, not just on paper.
While adjusting to the current landscape of college football is one thing, but he won't be left alone on an island to figure out. Athletic director Pat Kraft has a good grasp on what needs to happen on the business or recruitment side of football, at least for the time being before a new staff comes in. Daboll will have guidance and it's assumed he knows how to recruit after learning from Saban.
There aren't many Big Ten names floating around anymore to take the Penn State job, but there are enough SEC candidates to believe one will make the move over. Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea is one of them.
Like Drinkwitz, Lea is in a position where the Nittany Lions offer him more resources and an easier path to thrive as a head coach. He already proved he can build a program, extract the best out of his players, and find the right pieces (and utilize them well). These are traits Franklin did in theory, but not in practice. He had success with the Commodores when he was at Vanderbilt, but that program-building skillset faltered in big moments in Happy Valley.
Lea would absolutely be a case of déjà vu for Penn State. However, what he accomplished at Vanderbilt is already indicative of the success he can have with the blue and white that exceeds what Franklin did.