Penn State's search for a new head coach has officially entered December, but an end could start coming into view. Without a replacement for James Franklin officially named, the close of Penn State's regular season likely means this coaching search is about to pick up some major steam. The coaching search is now officially 50 days old, and a lot has happened already in this coaching carousel while Penn State has yet to make a hire.
As things pick up, let's take an updated look at the hot board.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPenn State Coaching Hot Board history: 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0
Added: Josh Heupel, Kalani Sitake, Brian Daboll, Bobby Engram
Removed: Clark Lea, Eli Drinkwitz, Pat Fitzgerald, Alex Golesh, Kalen DeBoer, Marcus Freeman
The close of the regular season was immediately followed by a wild day of coaching moves within the SEC, and that has led to the quick removal of some notable names in our ongoing Penn State coaching search conversation. In addition to Vanderbilt and Missouri locking in current head coaches Clark Lea and Eli Drinkwitz, respectively, Auburn has hired South Florida head coach Alex Golesh and Florida hired Tulane's Jon Sumrall (I didn't have Sumrall on the Penn State radar, but it is worth noting). Arkansas also hired Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield to fill its coaching vacancy. And, of course, there was the massive move of Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss to LSU, with the Rebels promoting defensive coordinator Pete Golding to take over the job in Oxford.
In addition to those changes, Michigan State jumped into the coaching carousel by removing Jonathan Smith as its head coach and reportedly making a quick move to hire former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who was among my personal top picks to be Penn State's next head coach previously. At the time of writing this up, Fitzgerald was still a free agent, but I opted to remove him from the mix given the likelihood of Fitzgerald's return to coaching taking place in East Lansing.
I am also removing Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer and Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. Both coaches are about to lead their teams into the College Football Playoff and are at what I would classify as destination jobs. There is no reason for either coach to leave their current spots for Penn State, and it always felt like they would have been long shots anyway. So it's time to move on without these guys on the radar.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut we do have some new names to review this week as the search continues.
Terry Smith, Penn State interim head coach
Nov 22, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith walks on the field following the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn ImagesLet's start with the current interim head coach, Terry Smith. Smith has continued to gain support from within the football family, alums, and his current players after guiding Penn State to a three-game winning streak to close out the regular season. Penn State's late-season winning streak helped clinch bowl eligibility after a dreadful 3-6 record. Smith should be given a fair shot at the job, and he clearly would love to be the next permanent head coach. No matter what happens next, Smith will be coaching Penn State in its to-be-determined bowl game.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBob Chesney, James Madison head coach
Bob Chesney Head Coach of James Madison Dukes walks off the field after a game against Washington State Cougars during the second half at Bridgeforth Stadium on Nov. 22, 2025 in Harrisonburg, Virginia.Still among the top candidates rising in the coaching game, Bob Chesney should remain on the radar for Penn State. Chesney will be coaching James Madison in the Sun Belt Conference championship this week, and a win could potentially lead to a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Kalani Sitake, BYU head coach
Among the newest names in the mix appears to be BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. Sitake is believed to be the mystery candidate in the rumor mill and his odds appear to be rising to be Penn State's next head coach. Sitake is coaching BYU in the Big 12 championship this week against No. 5 Texas Tech, and a win would send the Cougars to the College Football Playoff. Sitake is a BYU alum and BYU is a program with no shortage of financial support in the NIL era, but this is a coaching candidate to watch this year with openings at Penn State and UCLA.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBrian Daboll, former New York Giants head coach
Shortly after being fired as head coach of the New York Giants, Brian Daboll was photographed outside his home wearing a Penn State sweatshirt, and the speculation about his candidacy to be the next head coach is being fueled by recent comments from Nick Saban. Saban had Daboll on his staff at Alabama, and he had success calling the offense for the Crimson Tide and the Buffalo Bills.
Brent Key, Georgia Tech head coach
Brent Key's stock may have dipped slightly in recent weeks as Georgia Tech played itself out of the running for the ACC championship game and losing to Georgia in the final game of the regular season, but he has not been locked in by his current employer during this round of the coaching carousel. Florida was thought to be a program with interest in Key before landing its coaching hire this weekend.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBrian Hartline, Ohio State offensive coordinator
We are keeping Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline on the table as he begins preparing for a possible explosive showdown with Indiana in the Big Ten championship game. Hartline has continued to thrive with offensive development in the passing game, specifically with wide receivers, and would likely bring a much-needed offensive mindset to the Nittany Lions. But he could also be tough to pry away from Columbus.
Jeff Brohm, Louisville head coach
There were reports previously suggesting Jeff Brohm and Louisville were working on a contract extension, and that very well may still be true. Brohm closed out the regular season with a win over rival Kentucky, bringing an end to the Mark Stoops era in Lexington in the process. But until the news of a contract extension becomes official, Brohm can still be considered available. But getting him to leave Louisville will not be easy, as he is a Louisville alum and seems to be in a great spot for his coaching career.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMatt Campbell, Iowa State head coach
The power conference coach that remains on my radar until forced to remove him is Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. Campbell has completed his 8th winning season in 10 years at Iowa State, an unprecedented mark for the program. This may not feel like a home run hire for some, but there is a proven track record of overall success with a program with limited potential compared to what Penn State could feasibly offer.
Manny Diaz, Duke head coach
Manny Diaz, a former Penn State defensive coordinator under James Franklin, has a chance to completely wreck the College Football Playoff this week. Diaz is leading Duke into the ACC championship game with an overall record of 7-5, thanks in part to ACC tiebreakers for a five-team tie. If Diaz can guide Duke in an upset over Virginia, the ACC could likely get left out of the College Football Playoff (which could potentially be good news for Bob Chesney and James Madison).
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDan Mullen, UNLV head coach
The Dan Mullen to Penn State rumor mill has not seen a ton of traction, but Mullen's name is about to become a trendy name in the rumor mill. But it may be more likely his name may be attached to rumors to the recently opened vacancy at Kentucky. Mullen has plenty of history in the SEC and would make sense for Kentucky to show interest in his potential return to the conference. We will keep an eye on this one as the days go by.
P.J. Fleck, Minnesota head coach
The final current head coach on our list this week is Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck. I still think he is far from the right kind of culture fit for Penn State as I don't think his over-enthusiasm would work at a program like Penn State. But there would be no doubt he would inject some energy into the program, and I would love to see what he can do with Penn State's resources. He has probably maxed out what he will be able to do at Minnesota.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementD'Anton Lynn, USC defensive coordinator
Former Penn State defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn remains on the radar and the play of the USC defense overall is a big reason why. Things have not always gone smoothly for Lynn's defense this season, but the former Penn State standout still looks poised to get an opportunity to be a head coach relatively soon.
Will Stein, Oregon offensive coordinator
The other college coordinator we are keeping on the radar is Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein. Stein is already having his name drawn into the mix as a possible head coaching candidate for Kentucky. Stein is a native of Kentucky, so it makes sense why his name would be attached to the opening so quickly.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementKliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator
With the way things have gone this season for the Washington Commanders, there could be changes on the way this offseason. Could this be the right opportunity for Kliff Kingsbury to get out of town on his own? It could be. Kingsbury would bring some much-needed offensive flair to the Penn State program, and he has a good track record with quarterbacks.
Bobby Engram, Washington Commanders wide receiver head coach
Perhaps the more notable Commanders assistant to be watching is Penn State's all-time leading receiver, Bobby Engram. The current wide receivers coach for the Commanders reportedly has interviewed for the job at his alma mater, which is why I have officially added Engram's name BACK to the hot board after deciding to previously remove him. Engram was one of the names I mentioned from the start, but I lost confidence in including his name in the mix. I still think this is not the hire that gets made, but we will keep him on the radar once again.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJoe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
I inch closer and closer to just removing Joe Brady from this ongoing hot board conversation, simply because I think his next job will be as an NFL head coach. There are openings about to come around in the NFL and Brady's name will be a hot commodity in the pros. This could be the last time we bring up Brady's name here.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State coaching search hot board 5.0
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