Penn State Fires James Franklin: Nittany Lions’ Top Target List for Next Head Coach
For the first time in 12 years, Penn State Football is officially looking for a new head football coach.
Unlike the last time Penn State held a coaching search, however, the program is not under NCAA sanctions and should be one of the hottest coaching jobs on the market this offseason.
In looking for a new head football coach and moving on from James Franklin, the 7th-longest tenured head coach in the nation, Athletic Director Pat Kraft certainly has his work cut out for him.
Here are the top 7 names that Kraft should go after in Penn State’s coaching search.
Penn State Football Top Candidates to Replace James Franklin
Manny Diaz, Duke head coach
Under two years removed from Manny Diaz leading the best defense in the nation in Happy Valley, Diaz would be an ideal replacement for Franklin.
Already familiar with the area and recruiting at Penn State, Diaz is an aggressive, defensive-minded head coach with experience.
In his second season at Duke, Diaz is 4-2, following a 9-win campaign in his first season.
Diaz has been a great recruiter over his head coaching tenure, scoring multiple highly ranked classes during his tenure at Miami (even being named the best head coach recruiter in Florida by 247Sports) and landing two of Duke’s top six all-time recruits in his first recruiting class at Duke.
With the better resources and a more prestigious program at Penn State, Diaz could take his recruiting prowess to another level and secure plenty of talent in Happy Valley. Penn State’s “alignment” would also give Diaz plenty of resources to find a great offensive mind to run the Penn State offense.
While Diaz’s salary at Duke is not publicly available, Penn State and Pat Kraft should have more than enough resources to pry Diaz away from Duke if they want.
🦁 Love Penn State Football?
Get insider news, recruiting updates, and game analysis delivered straight to your inbox — FREE.
Join the NittanyCentral Newsletter ➜ By Clicking Here
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State head coach
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham is a young (35 years old), energetic head coach on the rise that could be looking to move to a “bigger” job. In his second season at Arizona State, Dillingham lead the Sun Devils to an 11-3 record and a college football playoff berth.
In his third season, Dillingham again has the Sun Devils 4-1 and ranked 11th in the nation. Dillingham received a new five year contract this offseason, paying him only $5.8 million in 2025 ($2.7 million less than Penn State is paying James Franklin this season).
Dillingham would give Pat Kraft a younger head coach on the rise in the profession who can bring new energy to Penn State.
Curt Cignetti, Indiana head coach
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti may be the most sought after coach on the market this offseason.
One year removed from taking the worst team ever in college football (Indiana has more losses than any team in college football history) to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, Cignetti again has the Hoosiers ROLLING this season, upsetting Oregon Saturday in Eugene, and is likely to earn a top-three ranking this week.
Cignetti’s age is certainly a concern.
At 64 years old, how many years does Cignetti have left in the coaching world before he wants to retire, but the production over the past two years has certainly turned heads around the college football world and would warrant looking into.
Urban Meyer, Fox Sports analyst
Once upon a time, Urban Meyer was rumored to be Penn State’s next head coach, expected to succeed Joe Paterno before the Sandusky Scandal sent Penn State into the dark depths of NCAA sanctions.
Now, 14 years later, could Penn State once again turn to Urban Meyer in its head coaching search? Urban Meyer has won three national championships (two at Florida; one at Ohio State) and is familiar with the Big Ten with his seven years in Columbus.
While Meyer has not coached in college football since 2018, and has not coached at all since the disastrous season in Jacksonville in 2021, his career .854 winning percentage speaks volumes to his abilities as a coach.
Whether Meyer wants to get back into coaching or whether Penn State could lure him away from Fox remains to be seen, but its worth a call to see if Urban has an itch to get back onto the sidelines.
Buy The Newest Penn State Gear From Fanatics | Shop Penn State Merchandise on Amazon
Will Stein, Oregon offensive coordinator
Penn State got a good look at Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein three weeks ago when Oregon beat the Nittany Lions in double overtime.
While Stein’s offense with Dante Moore was held mostly in check in regulation by Jim Knowles defense, Stein’s magic showed through in the overtime periods as Oregon scored two touchdowns to beat the Nittany Lions.
Stein is in his third year at Oregon and has run one of the most successful offenses in the country during his tenure. While Penn State may prefer to go after an established head coach, not a first time head coach, Stein would be an intriguing candidate on the rise and ready to move into a head coaching position.
Pat Kraft and Penn State should start with these five candidates in the head coaching search to replace James Franklin.
This coaching search is vital for both the future of athletic director Pat Kraft and Penn State football. As seen throughout the country, the firing of a head coach as successful as James Franklin could set the program back years or spring the program forward depending on the hire.
Georgia successfully moved on from Mark Richt to Kirby Smart and has not looked back. Nebraska, however, spent years trying to recover from the Bo Pelini firing. Kraft’s legacy at Penn State depends on getting this hire right.
A note to our readers; If you make a purchase through one of our affiliate links, we may receive a commission
- Penn State Fires James Franklin: Nittany Lions’ Top Target List for Next Head Coach - October 12, 2025
- 3 Things That Went Wrong For Penn State in 2025, Where do the Nittany Lions Go From Here? - October 11, 2025
- Penn State Teammates Give Rave Reviews of 2 WRs Who Haven’t Seen Many Game Reps - October 10, 2025