Brian Kelly’s Firing Changes Everything for Penn State Football’s Coaching Search
The college football carousel just spun faster, and Penn State Football may be running out of time to get its pick of the litter to be its next leader.
With LSU firing Brian Kelly this past Sunday after another turbulent, underachieving season in Baton Rouge, following a humiliating 49–25 loss to Texas A&M, the coaching market has officially entered chaos mode.
The Florida job is already open, Penn State remains in limbo, and more dominoes are likely to fall before Thanksgiving.
Why LSU Firing Brian Kelly is Bad News for Penn State Football
A Shrinking Pool and Rising Prices
When one blue blood opens, it tilts the market. When two do, it becomes a feeding frenzy.
LSU and Florida, two of college football’s richest programs with monster NIL war chests and national brands, now join the Nittany Lions in pursuit of elite leadership.
LSU’s track record speaks for itself – three different head coaches have hoisted national championship trophies in Baton Rouge over the last two decades. Nick Saban (2003), Les Miles (2007), and Ed Orgeron (2019).
That’s the definition of a plug-and-play powerhouse. The next coach there steps into a roster loaded with four and five-star talent, a fertile recruiting backyard, and one of the most passionate fanbases in America.
That makes LSU the most attractive job on the market and one that could easily swallow up candidates on Penn State’s short list.
One of those names is Lane Kiffin, the Ole Miss head coach who’s always near the center of every major search. Kiffin’s offensive firepower, recruiting flash, and SEC experience make him an obvious fit in Baton Rouge and if LSU pushes for Kiffin or Florida reignites its longtime flirtation with him, it could thin Penn State’s options quickly.
But, it could also remove a candidate who might not want to leave the Southland and spearhead a completely different football life in the Big Ten.
Penn State would have to sell identity over geography.
The Big Ten offers financial stability and playoff access, but it lacks the SEC’s sizzle. Athletic Director Pat Kraft knows he can’t afford to drag his feet. In this market, the first programs to act land the difference-makers.
The ones that wait will have to settle for what’s left and ultimately might have to settle for good over great.
Clark Lea’s Surge Comes at the Right Time
If there’s a rising name worth watching, it’s Clark Lea, the former Notre Dame defensive coordinator who has quietly built something relevant and resilient at Vanderbilt.
The Commodores have won back-to-back games over LSU and Missouri, both SEC opponents, and they’ve done it with toughness and fundamentals landing them a 7-1 record and a #9 ranking in the CFB Playoff rankings currently.
Lea, 42, embodies discipline, development, and defense. Those are all qualities Penn State desperately needs after a decade of inconsistency and coming up short under James Franklin.
Of course, the Vanderbilt connection cuts both ways.
Would Penn State really hire another coach from Vanderbilt after the Franklin era just ended?
Fair question.
But, Lea’s path is fundamentally different. He’s not a marketer or a slogan guru. He’s a teacher and culture-builder. He’s succeeding in the SEC’s toughest environment with fewer resources, not leaning on smoke and mirrors. That distinction matters.
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The Domino Effect Across College Football
LSU and Florida are just the start.
Industry insiders expect more openings soon. Texas A&M has a coach in Mike Elko who has his Aggies at 8-0 and are number 3 in the CFP rankings. He could be lured away with the right offer to a bigger program.
Arkansas is wobbling at 2-6 after firing their head coach Sam Pittman after six seasons back on Sept. 28th.
LSU’s opening could trigger an avalanche including a possible change even at Miami, currently 6-1 and ranked No. 10 in the CFB rankings, if Mario Cristobal’s team doesn’t make a serious run at the title this season.
Add in the potential for NFL poaching, Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, and Ohio State’s Ryan Day, and Penn State’s timing comes to the fore right now …
Bottom Line: No Buyout is Too Big
Brian Kelly’s firing didn’t just shake up the SEC, it jolted the entire coaching marketplace for the second time in seven days.
It forced every school with ambition to look in the mirror and ask this question: Are we bold enough to change our trajectory no matter what the cost? Kelly’s buyout is upwards of $54 million, $5 million more than Franklin’s was in Happy Valley.
For Penn State, the window is now.
The urgency is real.
LSU and Florida aren’t going to wait around to make their pick, and that could leave the Nittany Lions scrambling to play catch-up once again.
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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.
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