Penn State missed out on former Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline in what has become a disastrous coaching search to replace James Franklin. (Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch)
Penn State reached Day 51 without a head coach on Wednesday. Which happens to coincide with the start of the early signing period, and instead of announcing a new leader or building recruiting momentum, the program watched another potential target come off the board.
Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline is reportedly set to become the next head coach at South Florida as was just announced Wednesday morning. He had been part of Penn State’s search, but contact did not progress very far before he moved toward the USF job. His departure removes another option from a shrinking pool.
The Shrinking Pool: The Losses That Doomed the Search
This follows the most damaging development of the process.
According to reporting from Matt Fortuna, Penn State and Kalani Sitake reached the stage of a verbal agreement before BYU stepped in and closed the door with a long-term extension it was announced Tuesday.
Sitake stayed at his alma mater and publicly thanked BYU fans for their support.
Before Sitake, Penn State had already watched other top targets fade out.
Mike Elko stayed at Texas A&M. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer and Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman did not gain traction.
Lane Kiffin and his rotating stops of impulsivity landed him at LSU on Monday.
So, as openings across the country fill, Penn State remains the biggest job in the sport without a coach.
The Fallout: Penn State’s Recruiting Ranks 144th Nationally
The fallout is already showing on the recruiting front.
James Franklin, who was let go back in October by Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft, has already signed nine of his former Penn State commits to his 2026 class at Virginia Tech, which now ranks No. 29th nationally.
Penn State has two one commitments, and ranks 144th.
One year ago, Franklin was preparing for a Big Ten Championship Game and celebrating the No. 15-ranked recruiting class.
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“Inexcusable”: National Analysts Slam Pat Kraft’s Strategy
On his show this week, Josh Pate described the Nittany Lions’ search as a disaster and placed responsibility squarely on Kraft. Pate said Kraft fired Franklin without securing clarity on a replacement, calling the result inexcusable for a major program.
For PSU fans the concern is simple. There have been 53 days passed since Franklin’s firing, and top candidates have either stayed or gone elsewhere.
Sitake felt the love from his alma mater in Provo, and Hartline is heading back down to South Florida, where he logged a couple of years with the Miami Dolphins.
The early signing period arrived with no head coach in place.
The search is ongoing, but the situation is in a critical stage, and the dilemma in Happy Valley is becoming a national embarrassment.
BYU announces an extension for Kalani Sitake.
So far, Penn State firing Franklin so early helped him land another job and helped a lot of coaches get paid somewhere else.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 3, 2025
The lesson of what appears to be a disaster at Penn State is simple: don’t react emotionally in times of trouble and make decisions that you don’t know where they may lead. Because right now, James Franklin would be their best option.
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) December 2, 2025
Signing day is tomorrow and the lowest ranked class in the Big Ten is Penn State.
No need to rush at this point! pic.twitter.com/4QftznLOjV
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) December 2, 2025
Kalani Sitake staying at BYU is a massive blow to Penn State.
This is a disaster in State College. They thought this one was wrapped, now have to pivot very quickly.
My goodness
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) December 2, 2025
ESPN’s Greenberg said it best when he touched on it with his tweet.
When you make big decisions when you are emotional, they tend to yield diminishing returns.
It’s also never a good idea to make a course-altering move without a well-thought-out plan in place.
Does Kraft even have one at this point? Did he ever?
Stay tuned.
It was at PRISM where Staszak produced live games and began his career as an on-air reporter.
After a couple of brief stints with CBS-3, WB-17 and WGAL-8 in Lancaster, PA, Staszak began a 12 year stretch at FOX 29 where he became the lead sportscaster in 2007. It was there that Staszak found himself in the middle of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Championship coverage that earned him an Emmy nomination for best sports reporter in 2008.It was one of five Emmy nominations that Staszak earned over the course of his career.
All told Staszak covered three World Series, two Stanley Cup Finals, an NBA Finals and one Super Bowl during his television run.
Staszak left the TV business for 97.5 The Fanatic in 2013, where he enjoyed eight years bloviating his beliefs on how a professional football team should be run.In 2018 when he fortunate enough to be the first sports talk host in the city, along with cohort Zach Gelb, to provide post-game coverage of the first Super Bowl Championship for the city’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles.
Staszak was also a writer for 97.5 The Fanatic along with 4 Philly Sports and now covers Penn State athletics for NittanyCentral.com.
- 51 Days, ZERO Coach: Penn State Coaching Search Collapses on Early Signing Day - December 3, 2025
- Penn State Blasts Nebraska Behind Kaytron Allen’s Record Night: Game Balls to the Stars Who Finally Showed Up - November 23, 2025
- James Franklin Breaks Silence on ‘Surreal’ Penn State Firing With Candid Revelation - November 22, 2025
Author
A proud graduate of Villanova University, Staszak’s first gig in the industry was with PRISM sports in 1989, covering the four local home teams, the Flyers, 76ers and Phillies while also covering the Randall Cunningham-led Philadelphia Eagles.
It was at PRISM where Staszak produced live games and began his career as an on-air reporter.
After a couple of brief stints with CBS-3, WB-17 and WGAL-8 in Lancaster, PA, Staszak began a 12 year stretch at FOX 29 where he became the lead sportscaster in 2007. It was there that Staszak found himself in the middle of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Championship coverage that earned him an Emmy nomination for best sports reporter in 2008. It was one of five Emmy nominations that Staszak earned over the course of his career.
All told Staszak covered three World Series, two Stanley Cup Finals, an NBA Finals and one Super Bowl during his television run.
Staszak left the TV business for 97.5 The Fanatic in 2013, where he enjoyed eight years bloviating his beliefs on how a professional football team should be run. In 2018 when he fortunate enough to be the first sports talk host in the city, along with cohort Zach Gelb, to provide post-game coverage of the first Super Bowl Championship for the city’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles.
Staszak was also a writer for 97.5 The Fanatic, and currently covers the Eagles for Heavy Sports, in addition to Penn State athletics for NittanyCentral.com.
About the Author
