In what has become a disastrous Penn State coaching search, Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia could be a name to watch for AD Pat Kraft. (Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)
Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft reportedly was very confident that the Penn State head coaching search was nearing completion with BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. However, after a last-minute change of heart, the Nittany Lions are back to the drawing board to replace James Franklin as the head coach for the Nittany Lions, with many top candidates already off the board and a signing class that ranks last in the country.
So, where does Pat Kraft turn, and who could be left on the hot board at the moment? Here are three names to know …
The Crisis Candidates: Three Names Left on Penn State’s Hot Board
Candidate 1: Matt Campbell – The Perpetual “Maybe”
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell was one of the hottest names on the market after the 2020 season, where Campbell led the Cyclones to a 9-3 record and a top 10 finish, the only top 10 finish in Iowa State history.
Since then, Campbell’s name has continued to come up in coaching searches, but he has never been convinced to leave Iowa State.
In 10 years with the Cyclones, Campbell holds a 72-55 overall record. Under Campbell, the Cyclones have finished inside the top 25 three times, which is more than the rest of the 118-year history before Campbell.
Candidate 2: Tommy Rees – The Young, Unproven OC Gamble
At only 33 years old, Tommy Rees is the youngest candidate in Penn State’s coaching search.
Rees name popped up this week after Penn State looked to reset its hot board after Sitake rebuffed the Nittany Lions.
The former Notre Dame quarterback has been both an NFL assistant coach and college coach at numerous stops since 2015. Rees spent one season as the Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator for Nick Saban in 2023 before jumping to the NFL to become the passing game coordinator and tight ends coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2024.
Rees took over as the Browns offensive coordinator this season.
Candidate 3: Matt Patricia – The NFL Head Coach Flop Who Beat Out Brian Hartline
If you had asked Penn State fans which coordinator from the Buckeyes they would want as a head coach, probably every one of them would have said Brian Hartline.
However, with Hartline now off to be the head coach at USF, Penn State is reportedly interested in the other Buckeye coordinator Matt Patricia.
Unlike Hartline, Patricia has head coaching experience (three seasons with the Detroit Lions) and plenty of experience as a coordinator (six seasons with the New England Patriots). However, Patricia only has six seasons of coaching experience at the college level, with five of those seasons coming before 2004.
Patricia does have three Super Bowl rings from his time in New England.
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The Ultimatum: Why The Locker Room Says “Terry Smith or Nobody Else”
Despite current and former players pushing for Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith to get the permanent head coaching job, Smith still seems like a last resort candidate for Penn State.
As NittanyCentral’s Ian Purdy wrote Wednesday, this may be because of a rift between athletic director Pat Kraft and major Penn State donors that could end with donors spurned or Kraft’s firing.
On Thursday, Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas posted, “We stand with Terry or nobody else, that simple” on X, further indicating the players in the Penn State locker room are in support of Smith.
The Rift: Donors, Players, and the AD’s Strained Relationship
Until Pat Kraft can provide a definitive answer, the uncertainty will only continue to amplify the internal pressure, leaving the future of Penn State Football hanging precariously in the balance.
Some of the biggest names in college football are now off the board, but so is the urgency of trying to fill the Nittany Lions’ vacancy before signing day.
Where Pat Kraft ultimately lands in a coaching search that has become a national punchline, will define his tenure, could decide his future, and there are no easy answers remaining for Penn State moving forward after how the aftermath of Franklin’s firing has been handled.
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- “Terry Smith or Nobody Else”: The Player Revolt That Pat Kraft Must Face After Search Disaster - December 4, 2025
- 50 Days of Failure: How Pat Kraft’s Whiffs Could Set Penn State Football Back a Decade - December 3, 2025
- Penn State Coaching Search Chaos: Two Potential Candidates Hired By Big Ten Rivals - December 1, 2025
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