Penn State enters the final month of the 2025 season with some more clarity on its search for a new head coach.
At that point, and even before it, all focus will be on the next head coach in Happy Valley to replace the firedIt’s still early in that process. Penn State is vetting candidates, some are more or less out of the running and others have emerged as big-time targets.
But it’s important to remember that things can and will change between now and the time of the hire. It’s also important to know Penn State won’t have a head coach in place until the regular season has officially ended, barring something crazy. After another week of intriguing results around college football, let’s take the temperature of another pool of candidates, as we’ll do every week moving forward.A Northeast native and a Penn graduate, Elko is familiar with this area. That matters little compared the expert coaching job he’s done at Duke and now Texas A&M. Elko will be perhaps the biggest name on Penn State’s list, but there are complicating factors. If the Aggies make the College Football Playoff and make a run, PSU may have to pivot.Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer vs. South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025 in Columbia, S.C. Penn State was licking its chops last week as Alabama nearly fell to struggling South Carolina. That would have doomed the Crimson Tide’s CFP hopes and made DeBoer an available and attractive candidate at season’s end. But ‘Bama now remains firmly in CFP contention. That still won’t deter AD Pat Kraft from trying for DeBoer . DeBoer is a proven winner at every level and would be a fantastic fit. The question is whether he wants to remain in Tuscaloosa and if the timing works out.Missouri, with quarterback Beau Pribula injured and two losses, is largely out of the CFP conversation. But that doesn’t change the impressive work Drinkwitz has done with the Tigers. All it means is he’s more likely to be available. He may be a better fit for one of the open SEC jobs this offseason, but his name remains near the top of the “big swing” list for Penn State. Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea reacts to his defense making a goal line stand during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Missouri, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. Much like James Franklin before him, Lea has taken lowly Vanderbilt and turned it into a relevant program. He’s shown an ability to build in the modern era of college football and will be in line for a promotion this offseason.Last week:Penn State is kicking the tires on Meyer after his successful runs at Florida and Ohio State. But that all came before the transfer portal and NIL turned into their current states.Bob Chesney, James Madison head coach: WarmWe’re keeping Chesney on the “warm” spot because he’s certainly not the most attractive name like Elko or DeBoer. But he fits the Curt Cignetti mold as a lower-level coach who has had success building a modern program.COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 19: Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline looks on during spring practice at Woody Hayes Athletic Center on March 19, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. Hartline has no head coaching experience and is in just his first year as the OSU play caller. That doesn’t really match what Penn State wants with a proven head coach and a program builder. It’s just hard to ignore Hartline’s recruiting success, especially at a position Penn State has long struggled.As we’ve written about with Diaz in the past, he’d have player support and is an elite motivator. He just hasn’t shown he can succeed as a head coach quite yet, and Penn State would want a bigger swing if it can find it.Matt Rhule, Nebraska head coach: ColdRhule signed an extension with the Cornhuskers last week, and his team lost to USC. That doomed what once looked like a potential CFP season. The loss cancels Rhule’s candidacy as Penn State head coach as much as the extension. If Kraft really wanted his close friend, he could pony up the increased buyout. But it wouldn’t look great to move on from Franklin and bring in a guy who fell below his potential at another Big Ten school.Freeman’s name is swirling in this coaching cycle. He’s a winner and a great figurehead of any program. Penn State just doesn’t seem like the right fit for him to move away from Notre Dame. Perhaps the NFL comes calling here.Brohm is a great X’s and O’s coach. He’s pulled off some miraculous wins at Purdue and now Louisville, his alma mater.Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator: ColdBrady is a fantastic offensive mind. He’s the play caller for NFL MVP Josh Allen and led LSU to a national championship in the college ranks. He’s going to be an attractive candidate for NFL jobs, and the LSU opening complicates things. The former Penn State GA would be interesting. There are just better fits.Like with Rhule, if Kraft really wanted to go get Cignetti, he could do it. It would cost an arm and a leg, but Penn State could find the funds if it was the desired fit. That just isn’t the priority right now, especially for an older head coach who has a CFP team this season. He’s not moving off of the “cold” slot anytime soon, it’s just not fair to completely rule his name out. Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald checks a replay during the second quarter on Oct. 1, 2022. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.comThe former Northwestern head coach did a commendable job at a difficult program. Recently cleared of hazing allegations during his tenure, he’s received a lot of exterior support.
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