Penn State fired James Franklin after he started 3-3 this season. The Nittany Lions have not played well all year. Their season has crashed after they lost to Oregon in overtime in the white out game. Penn State then followed those losses with defeats against UCLA and Northwestern. Franklin finished his career with a record of 104-45 while at Penn State. He helped stabilize the program after the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Below are 5 candidates for the Penn State job.
This is a no-brainer 1st option. The Pennsylvania native has won everywhere he has coached. Most recently, he has gone 17-2 in less than 2 seasons at Indiana. Ironically, he beat Oregon yesterday on the road. Previously, he was 52-9 at James Madison. He checks off all the boxes as an excellent candidate for the Penn State job.
Marcus Freeman has done an outstanding job as Head Coach at Notre Dame. I think he turns down Penn State, but I'd give him a call. He is 37-12 at Notre Dame, and his team beat Penn State last year in the College Football Playoff before they eventually lost to Ohio State in the National Championship game.
Lane Kiffin is one of the best offensive minds in College Football, and he has done a great job at Ole Miss. The fit might be awkward with the button-up Penn State compared to the outspoken Lane Kiffin, but he is a good football coach. He has had a record 50-18 at Ole Miss, and he might not leave. He could also be interested in the Florida job if it opens.
Matt Campbell has done a good job at Iowa State. He has gone 69-53 at Iowa State, one of the toughest jobs in College Football. Last season, they won 11 games for the 1st time in school history. He is a good candidate who knows how to build a strong program and culture.
Alex Golesh is a good candidate who has a strong offensive background from his days at Tennessee. He has gone 19-13, and he has his program firmly in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot for the group of 4 team this year. In the previous 4 seasons, USF was 4-27 as a program. Golesh won 7 games in his 1st two seasons and 5 wins already this season. He might not be the biggest name, but he is a good coach.