Who will replace James Franklin? Nine candidates Penn State should consider

AI-assisted summary
• Penn State fired head football coach James Franklin after a three-game losing streak dropped the team from its preseason No. 2 ranking.
• Franklin’s tenure ends with a 104-45 record, but he struggled against top-10 opponents.
• Potential replacements include Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, and Indiana’s Curt Cignetti.

Penn State fired football coach James Franklin on Sunday, Oct. 12 in a move that will create a ripple effect on this years coaching carousel.

Franklin and the Nittany Lions fell from preseason No. 2 in the US LBM Coaches Poll to disappointing very fast following their three-game losing streak. Penn State fell to Oregon in overtime on Sept. 27 before falling to winless UCLA and unranked Northwestern, with the latter two losses mounting loads of frustration with the fanbase and program.

Franklin, who was hired before the 2014 season, led Penn State to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff last season. He finishes his Penn State tenure with a 104-45 record, but struggled against elite prorgrams, posting a 4-21 record against top-10 ranked teams.

Penn State is already without quarterback Drew Allar for the rest of the season, as he suffered a season-ending injury against Northwestern.

Here’s a look at potential coaching candidates for Penn State.

Penn State coaching candidates

Matt Rhule, Nebraska

Rhule, a Penn State linebacker from 1994-97, is in his third season as head coach at Nebraska with the Cornhuskers 5-1 this year.

The 50-year-old former Carolina Panthers coach from 2020-22 has a proven track record as a program builder, as he led quick and successful rebuilds at both Temple and Baylor. He also has a long friendship with Penn State athletics director Pat Kraft.

But Rhule also has a losing record in games against ranked competition, which might sour a Nittany Lions fan base that bemoaned Franklin’s record in marquee matchups. Other factors to keep in mind are Rhule’s comfort level at Nebraska and the fact he’s already tugged the Cornhuskers through a difficult two-year learning curve.

Matt Campbell, Iowa State

Campbell, who played college football at Pittsburgh and Division III Mount Union, has built Iowa State into a perennial Big 12 contender since joining the program in 2016.

The 45-year-old coach is a two-time Big 12 coach of the year and has two top-15 finishes with the Cyclones. He has also developed numerous NFL players, including Brock Purdy, Breece Hall, David Montgomery and Will McDonald IV.

Campbell has been a hot coaching name for multiple years, and Penn State could be the first job to lure him away. As much as any coach in the Power Four, there’s always been a very high level of interest and intrigue in how Campbell would fare if given Penn State-type resources. What’s clear is his ability to build a successful and sustainable program.

Curt Cignetti, Indiana

Penn State likely will consider Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who has turned Indiana into a national title contender in just two seasons.

Cignetti and the Hoosiers are coming off a 30-20 road win over No. 2 Oregon, rising to a program-best No. 3 ranking in the US LBM Coaches Poll. He is 17-2 at Indiana.

Prior to his time in Bloomington, Cignetti helped transition James Madison to the Bowl Subdivision and had a successful stint at Elon. He spent six easons as head coach of Division II Indiana University at Pennsylvania, where he father also coached.

The work Cignetti has done at Indiana represents one of the finest coaching jobs in recent Power Four history. While there’s a belief that the Hoosiers have succeeded at a historic level solely because of its offense, that’s just one piece of the puzzle. Cignetti has done an outstanding job turning the Hoosiers into one of the most physical teams in the Big Ten.

Manny Diaz, Duke

Diaz served as the defensive coordinator at Penn State from 2022-23 before taking over as head coach at Duke in 2024.

Diaz has a 13-6 record with the Blue Devils, leading the program to a 9-4 record in 2024. He also was the head coach at Miami from 2019-21, but finished 21-15 before being fired after the 2021 season.

Diaz wouldn’t be the most attractive option, but he has recent familiarity with the program. He’s also a two-time head coach at Miami and the Blue Devils with a clear area of expertise. One negative for his candidacy are the recent links to the Franklin era, which could make Diaz a non-starter.

Jon Sumrall, Tulane

Penn State will kick the tires on Sumrall, now in his second year at Tulane, and will find an attentive audience. Sumrall’s defensive background would be a good fit from a cultural perspective, though he’d need to present a strong plan for how he’d handle the offensive side of the ball. This is more of a long shot because of Sumrall’s deep ties to the SEC and particularly Kentucky, which might have an opening in the next two months.

Brent Key, Georgia Tech

Key would be an unflashy but serious hire for a program that could flourish by embracing the same mentality that has Georgia Tech rising in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Much like Franklin at Vanderbilt, there’s also high interest in how Key could do with a move to a program with much deeper resources.

Mike Elko, Texas A&M

Elko already has an elite Power Four job at Texas A&M, where he’s steadily developing a team and program capable of winning an SEC title and a national championship. But there’s a definite argument for PSU having a clearer and easier path to the playoff and an opening-round bye than at A&M, which would make the Aggies’ second-year coach at least listen to the Nittany Lions’ offer.

Alex Golesh, South Florida

Golesh is one of the hottest names in the Group of Five after leading South Florida to a 5-1 start, including Oct. 10’s 63-36 win against previously unbeaten North Texas. The former Tennessee assistant inherited a one-win team but led the Bulls to bowl bids in each of his first two years to lay the groundwork for this year’s breakthrough.

His background and track record on offense are two major selling points, though his lack of experience makes Golesh one of the Nittany Lions’ backup options.

Fran Brown, Syracuse

Brown, a second-year head coach at Syracuse, has limited head coaching experience but has made a mark after taking the job in 2024.

Brown was the defensive backs coach at Georgia from 2022-23 after serving in a variety of roles at Temple and Baylor under Rhule. The Camden, New Jersey, native was also at Rutgers from 2020-21.

Brown led Syracuse to a 10-3 record last season, and the Orange were 3-1 nthis year after an upset of Clemson. But with starting quarterback Steve Agneli injured in the defeat of the Tigers, Syracuse has lost two in a row.