Penn State Football Coaching Search: Two Hot Names to Watch
For the first time in 12 years, Penn State Football is searching for a new head football coach.
Sunday, the James Franklin era came to an end, as Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft announced that the program is moving in a different direction, immediately.
“Penn State owes an enormous amount of gratitude to Coach Franklin,” Kraft wrote in a statement released Sunday afternoon. “Who rebuilt our football program into a national power. He won a Big Ten Championship, led us to seven New Year’s Six bowl games and a College Football Playoff appearance last year. However, we hold our athletics programs to the highest of standards, and we believe this is the right moment for new leadership at the helm of our football program to advance us toward Big Ten and national championships.”
While there are many compelling names, and the Nittany Lions could turn to known commodity such as Urban Meyer or Manny Diaz as the program’s next head coach, there could be some rising candidates to watch as Penn State begins its coaching search.
Two Penn State Football Head Coaching Candidates Who Would be Great Fits
Mike Shanahan, Indiana offensive coordinator
Alongside Curt Cignetti, Mike Shanahan has completely revamped the Indiana offense into one of the most explosive offenses in the nation.
Under Shanahan’s tutelage, Indiana’s offense ranked second in the nation in scoring offense (41.3 points per game) and earned the program’s first college football playoff birth. After spending the past two seasons learning under Cignetti, Shanahan could be ready to lead his own program.
At only 35 years old, Shanahan would give Penn State a young, energetic head coach with a very high ceiling.
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D’Anton Lynn, USC defensive coordinator
Another young coordinator that could be primed for an opportunity to lead his own program is USC’s defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.
After turning around UCLA’s defense three seasons ago, Lynn has now done the same under Lincoln Riley at USC over the past two seasons. From 2023 to 2024, Lynn improved USC’s defense by 10.3 points per game in his first season on the job.
Lynn is also a Penn State letterman, playing four seasons under the late Joe Paterno from 2008 to 2011, earning three All-Big Ten honorable mentions at cornerback. Lynn’s ties to Penn State in the past could spark his interest if Pat Kraft comes calling.
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