Soon, there may be a new age in Happy Valley. Northwestern beat Penn State 22–21 at home on Saturday. Since the team has lost three game...
Northwestern beat Penn State 22–21 at home on Saturday. Since the team has lost three games in a row and Beaver Stadium has had an odd feeling all day, it looks more and more possible that 2025 will be James Franklin's last season in Happy Valley.
It hasn't been said yet whether that will happen in the next few days or at the end of the season. Franklin's $56 million buyout makes some people think that Penn State University won't be able to make the choice, but a few names keep coming up to replace the 12-year head coach.
If there is a search for a new coach to replace Franklin, these are some names to keep an eye on: from well-known names to all-star picks.
Curt Cignetti
In his first two years on the job, Curt Cignetti has taken Indiana's football team to new heights. Before he took over, the team was ranked as one of the worst in college football history.The Hoosiers beat Oregon on Saturday, which was a big win for Cignetti and maybe even Franklin's best win at Penn State. The last 17 games for Indiana have gone well under Cignetti. They are on track to win the Big Ten title and make the College Football Playoff for the second year in a row. Cignetti is one of the best people Penn State could hire. He's got fire that Franklin hasn't had this year, and it's clear that he's ready to do anything to win. Also, Indiana doesn't have as many resources as the Nittany Lions, so Cignetti may decide to take the job even though he has a deal with the Hoosiers until 2032.
If Penn State wants to hire Cignetti, Indiana will probably have to pay them some money. But it's worth it because he made the Hoosiers competitive so quickly. It looks like 2026 will be a bad year for the Nittany Lions, so they need someone like that.
Matt Rhule
It seems likely that Matt Rhule, who is currently the head coach of Nebraska, would be interested in the Penn State job. He played defender for the Nittany Lions from 1994 to 1997 and helped out as a volunteer in 1998.Rhule is known for building programs and rerouting teams that usually do well in his third year as head coach.
With Temple, Rhule took the team to two straight 10-win seasons from 2015 to 2016. He also upset Penn State when he was leading the Owls in 2015.