Around 10 months ago, Penn State was on the verge of the national title game. Three months ago, the Nittany Lions entered 2025 as one of the most hyped teams in the country. Now, they're likely about to undergo a significant transition in leadership.
After an 0-3 start against Power Four teams, including losses to unranked UCLA and Northwestern, Penn State fired Franklin, who had led the team since 2014. It's been quite a while since the Nittany Lions needed a new coach — but now, one of the Big Ten's most famous brands will be entering a new era, with plenty of talent likely to depart as well.
There's been some ambiguity in Penn State's coaching search, from some reported high-profile targets landing extensions from their current schools to limited indications of which names the Nittany Lions have interest in.
Who is Penn State targeting to replace Franklin? Here are the latest news and rumors from the team's coaching search.
MORE: Who has the best odds to become Penn State's next coach?
Penn State coaching rumors tracker
Penn State "in the final stages" of hiring Matt Campbell
- Date: Dec. 5
- Source: Ross Dellenger, Pete Nakos
Penn State has zeroed in on Matt Campbell, and there are reports midday on December 5 that the school is "in the final stages of negotiations" with the Iowa State head coach. At long last, it appears the Nittany Lions have their James Franklin replacement.
Penn State "shifting focus" toward Campbell
- Date: Dec. 4
- Source: Pete Nakos, Chris Low, Brett McMurphy
Campbell's name started picking up steam earlier on December 4, and now it sounds like Penn State is zeroing in on Campbell. On3 reported that the Nittany Lions are shifting its focus to Campbell in its coaching search.
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell has "momentum" for Penn State job
- Date: Dec. 4
- Source: Tyler Donohue
Buzz has picked up surrounding Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, as there is "increased confidence" that "momentum is building" between Penn State and Campbell, according to 247Sports' Tyler Donohue.
Campbell, a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, has been with the Cyclones since 2016. They won 11 games in 2024 and have gone 8-4 in 2025.
Terry Smith drawing interest for UConn, Memphis head coaching jobs
- Date: Dec. 4
- Source: Jordan Schultz
Terry Smith isn't just drawing internal interest for Penn State's job; per Schultz, he's also been a potential target for UConn and Memphis in their head coaching searches.
Kalen DeBoer denies interest in any other head coaching jobs
- Date: Dec. 4
- Source: ESPN
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer has been yet another speculated candidate for the Nittany Lions' job, especially if the Crimson Tide fell out of playoff contention, but he said Thursday that he does not have interest in leaving Tuscaloosa.
"We're extremely happy at Alabama," DeBoer said, per ESPN. "We're extremely happy here, love the challenge, love the grind, love this place. There's never been any link, there's never been any conversation, there's never been any interest either way. So I'm glad we can put that to bed right now."
Top-level Penn State donors pushing for Terry Smith promotion
- Date: Dec. 3
- Source: Pete Nakos, On3
"Top-level" donors at Penn State have been pushing for interim head coach Terry Smith to be promoted to the full-time coach, per Nakos. Players have also voiced their support for Smith as the regular season concluded.
Jeff Brohm 'not exploring any other jobs'
- Date: Dec. 3
- Source: Pete Thamel, ESPN
Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm no longer appears to be a candidate for the Penn State job, as Thamel reports that Brohm "has communicated to his bosses that he’s not exploring any other jobs and is committed to Louisville." He has also reportedly been working on an extension.
Brian Hartline heading to USF
- Date: Dec. 3
- Source: Pete Thamel, ESPN
Another potential Penn State target is off the market. Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline is set to become the next head coach at the University of South Florida, removing an up-and-coming offensive mind from the potential list for the Nittany Lions.
Hartline joins Kalani Sitake, Eli Drinkwitz, Pat Fitzgerald, Will Stein, Curt Cignetti, Mike Elko and Matt Rhule among rumored Penn State targets to either sign an extension with their current team, or head elsewhere.
Kalani Sitake staying at BYU
- Date: Dec. 2
- Source: Pete Thamel, ESPN
BYU coach Kalani Sitake is remaining with the school after considering a pitch from Penn State, ESPN's Pete Thamel reports. Sitake had been the focus of the Nittany Lions' search, but BYU "is in the process of putting together a lucrative contract to keep him," according to Thamel. Not only is he staying put, but BYU confirmed that Sitake will do so with a contract extension.
Penn State targeting BYU HC Kalani Sitake
- Date: Dec. 1
- Source: NBC Sports, ESPN, On3
Reports suggest that Penn State has honed in on BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. The Cougars have an 11-1 record and sit atop the Big 12. Sitake has been at BYU since 2016 and has a career 83-44 record in the regular season.
The sides have met and there is mutual interest, but there is no deal on the table. "The sides have discussed staffing and other details of what Sitake's tenure in State College would look like," per ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Terry Smith declines to specify whether he's received clarification on Penn State future
- Date: Nov. 29
- Source: Lexie Linderman
When asked about if he's received clarification on his future at Penn State, interim head coach Terry Smith said he "came in with a lot of energy" the prior week when talking about his desires to stay the Nittany Lions' coach. Otherwise, he declined to specify if he's had conversations with the school.
Penn State has had a fairly quiet coaching search thus far, with many candidates being pulled off the market. For that reason, Smith's name has increasingly been speculated as the full-time head coach.
Eli Drinkwitz removed from Penn State candidate pool with new Missouri contract
- Date: Nov. 27
- Source: Pete Thamel
Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz no longer appears to be a candidate for Penn State's coaching job, as he has agreed to a new contract with Missouri, per Thamel. The Tigers coach had been connected to the Nittany Lions, but he will not be making the trip to State College.
Penn State players express interest in Terry Smith being retained as HC, will have formal interview
- Date: Nov. 23
- Source: Brandon Marcello
After Penn State beat Nebraska in Week 13, 37-10, players showed their desires for interim head coach Terry Smith to keep his job into 2026, holding signs that said "Hire Terry Smith."
According to Marcello, the Nittany Lions will conduct a formal interview with Smith this week.
Penn State players making their case for interim HC Terry Smith 🤝 pic.twitter.com/C4nYaPbbNJ
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 23, 2025
Penn State showing interest in Pat Fitzgerald
- Date: Nov. 19
- Source: Bruce Feldman | "Bear Bets" podcast
Penn State has shown genuine interest in former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, The Athletic's Bruce Feldman said on the "Bear Bets" podcast. Fitzgerald, who had been connected to the Nittany Lions already in this search, spent 17 seasons at Northwestern, becoming one of the most well-respected coaches in the Big Ten before a hazing scandal ended his tenure in the summer of 2023.
Penn State negotiates new buyout amount for James Franklin
- Date: Nov. 17
- Source: On3
A potential financial factor in Penn State's new coaching search was reportedly settled, as James Franklin landed at Virginia Tech for an unknown contract amount. However, because language in Franklin's former Nittany Lions contract specified that his buyout amount would factor in how much he's paid by his new job, he will reportedly not be receiving the full $49 million buyout.
Per Pete Nakos, Penn State and Franklin negotiated a settlement on his buyout that gives him "roughly" $9 million, instead of the original $49 million.
MORE: Ranking the best fits to replace James Franklin at Penn State
Brent Key, Bob Chesney being 'explored' by Penn State, Daboll and Fitzgerald names to watch
- Date: Nov. 14
- Source: The Athletic
One of the first reports on Penn State's vacancy came on Nov. 14, as The Athletic's Bruce Feldman and Ralph Russo reported that the Nittany Lions were still "exploring a lot of options." Those options included Georgia Tech’s Brent Key and James Madison’s Bob Chesney. Key has led Georgia Tech to a 9-1 start in the ACC in 2025 — and has expressed his commitment to stay with the team — while Chesney has James Madison atop the Sun Belt Conference.
Additionally, per The Athletic, Vanderbilt's Clark Lea is merely viewed as just a speculative fit for Penn State's job, with no real connections yet. The Nittany Lions have "vetted" on assistants like Oregon’s Will Stein and Ohio State’s Brian Hartline, though.
Three more names to watch in the search, per Feldman and Russo, are Pat Fitzgerald, Brian Daboll and Al Golden. Fitzgerald had three 10-win seasons at Northwestern prior to being fired, Daboll was recently let go by the New York Giants, and is a former OC at Alabama. He also has connections to Penn State, as his kids attended the school). Golden is now the Cincinnati Bengals' defensive coordinator.
MORE: How much of a home field advantage does Penn State actually get from its annual White Out Game?
Reunion with Manny Diaz could be under consideration
- Date: Nov. 10
- Source: 247Sports
Manny Diaz, currently the head coach at Duke, could reportedly be a name to watch in Penn State’s coaching search. He makes sense as a candidate primarily because he has prior experience with the Nittany Lions.
From 2022–23, Diaz served as Penn State’s defensive coordinator under James Franklin, a stint during which the Nittany Lions boasted one of the country’s top defenses. In 2023, the Nittany Lions ranked No. 2 in total defense nationally, per CFB Stats, and in 2022, they ranked No. 17. While Penn State already has a big name at defensive coordinator in Jim Knowles, Diaz would help them lead further into a defensive identity.
Diaz was also the head coach at Miami from 2019-21, going 21-15 with the Hurricanes. He's found more success with the Blue Devils, leading the team to a 5-3 start in 2025.
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Cignetti, Rhule, Brohm, Elko among rumored coaches to land extensions
Because Penn State had one of the first coaching vacancies in college football, there’s been time for coaches to be linked to the program. However, many of the rumored or speculated candidates have already signed extensions with their current teams.
Curt Cignetti was one of the early hot names connected to Penn State. A Pennsylvania native, already in the Big Ten, and now one of the most respected coaches in the country, he seemed like a natural fit. But not long after Franklin was fired, Indiana re-signed Cignetti to a new eight-year contract reportedly worth around $11.6 million annually the school announced.
Around two weeks later, another rumored Nittany Lions target took his name out of the running. Matt Rhule had been insisting in press conference that he was committed to Nebraska, and he proved that by agreeing to a two-year contract extension that will take him through the 2032 season, the school announced.
Louisville's Jeff Brohm was another rumored name for Penn State, as he's led the Cardinals to three strong seasons in his tenure. But according to On3's report on Nov. 12, Louisville is "working" on a contract extension to keep Brohm with the team, seemingly taking his name out of the race as well.
One more potential target came off the board in November when Mike Elko signed a new six-year contract that extends through the 2031 season, Texas A&M announced. While Elko was never quite viewed as the kind of favorite for Penn State that Cignetti or Rhule may have been, there were questions over whether he'd depart from the Aggies for a more high-profile job with his 2025 success.