Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft's options in the Nittany Lions' coaching search are dwindling.
It has now been 50 days since Penn State fired James Franklin in October and began a “national” search for the program’s next coach. However, with the regular season ending this past weekend and teams around the country announcing hirings, the Nittany Lions are seemingly no closer to hiring a candidate to replace Franklin. On Sunday and Monday, Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft’s list once again got shorter as two Big Ten rivals hired coaches who had popped up in Penn State’s coaching search.
Two Top Penn State Head Coach Candidates are Off the Board
Bob Chesney, UCLA
On Monday afternoon, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Bob Chesney has “emerged as the target of UCLA’s coaching search,” and that Chesney was “set to sign a 5-year deal with UCLA.”
Chesney popped up in Penn State’s coaching search because he is a proven winner at multiple levels of college football, from Division III all the way up to the FBS level.
However, the knock on Chesney is that he does not have power four experience at any point on his resume.
Chesney took over as the head coach at James Madison when Curt Cignetti left for Indiana, and continued winning at a very high level with the Dukes. Chesney boasts a 20-5 record in two seasons at James Madison and has the Dukes fighting for a spot in the college football playoff this year.
Facing the Former Target: Chesney and the Bruins Travel to State College in 2028
The fit for Chesney at Penn State seemed clear, as Chesney originally hails from Kulpmont, Pennsylvania and played college football at Dickinson.
With Chesney now off to UCLA, Penn State will now see him in 2028 when the Bruins travel to play Penn State in State College.
A Swift Turn: Pat Fitzgerald Returns to the Big Ten at Michigan State
Michigan State pulled off perhaps the quickest coaching search possible Sunday, as the Spartans fired Jonathan Smith and hired Pat Fitzgerald within a couple of hours.
Fitzgerald last coached at Northwestern in 2022 and holds a career 110-101 record in 17 years with the Wildcats. The former Northwestern coach was another name that popped up during PSU’s lengthy coaching search, as he could have been hired and started recruiting before the regular season ended.
Big Ten Experience: Why Fitzgerald Was a Logical, Available Fit for Penn State
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Fitzgerald was seen as a potential fit at Penn State because of his lengthy experience in the Big Ten, which included three 10-win seasons and two appearances in the Big Ten championship game.
With Fitzgerald officially hired by Michigan State, Penn State will face in 2027 and 2028 for the Land Grant Trophy.
What direction Pat Kraft will go in the Coaching search remains extremely tight lipped. With more and more candidates slipping off the board, it remains to be seen who Penn State will zero in on and when a hire will be made.
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- Penn State Coaching Search Chaos: Two Potential Candidates Hired By Big Ten Rivals - December 1, 2025
- Penn State Bowl Game: The Opt-Out Question and 3 Matchups That Could Decide Terry Smith’s Future - December 1, 2025
- Pat Kraft’s Penn State Coaching Search Hits Another Snag as 2 More Candidates Sign Extensions - November 28, 2025
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