Penn State is entering the final stages of selecting its next head football coach — a hire that will shape the program’s trajectory in an era of 12-team playoffs, transfer-portal movement, and NIL-driven competition.
The search began on October 12, 2025, when the university dismissed James Franklin after a 3–3 start and a lopsided loss to Ohio State. A negotiated settlement reduced Franklin’s buyout from more than $70 million to roughly $9 million, freeing resources and giving athletic director Pat Kraft significant flexibility in the search.
Defensive coordinator Terry Smith, and later co-interim coach Anthony Poindexter, helped stabilize the program over the final stretch, guiding Penn State to a 7–5 regular-season finish and renewed optimism heading into bowl season.
With the early signing period approaching (December 3–5) and the transfer portal set to open December 9, Kraft faces pressure to act quickly while still conducting a thorough evaluation. The Penn State job remains one of the most attractive openings in the country, offering top-tier resources, a passionate fan base, fertile Mid-Atlantic and Midwest recruiting grounds, and a realistic path to the expanded College Football Playoff.
Key Candidates Emerging
Early speculation linked Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, and Texas A&M’s Mike Elko to the position, though all three have since signed extensions to remain at their current schools. More recent reporting has centered on a refined group of candidates:
- Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer
- Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman
- Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz
- Georgia Tech’s Brent Key
- Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea
- James Madison’s Bob Chesney
- Current co-interim coaches Terry Smith and Anthony Poindexter, who remain well-regarded internally and have support from segments of the roster
The decision now appears to hinge on three pathways: pursuing a proven Power Four head coach, targeting a rising Group of Five leader, or promoting from within to maintain continuity after a stabilized finish.
Kraft has emphasized that Penn State will be “neither outworked nor outspent” in building its next era. According to program insiders, a hire could come as soon as this weekend, following the regular-season finale against Rutgers, to secure the 2026 recruiting class and retain key players ahead of the transfer-portal window.
Whatever direction Kraft chooses — a national splash, an internal promotion, or a high-upside outsider — the announcement will signal how aggressively Penn State plans to chase championships in the new landscape of college football.
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