Matt Rhule just signed a new two-year contract extension to remain as head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Thursday. As a result, he will no longer be in the mix for the Penn State Nittany Lions job. With the program still searching for its replacement for James Franklin, it appears a new favorite has emerged after Rhule's latest decision.
Reports indicate that Jeff Brohm, the head coach of the Louisville Cardinals, is considered the new favorite for the Penn State job, according to Brett McMurphy of On3 Sports. McMurphy gathered the date from Kalshi, which also predicts Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz, and Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell as potential candidates for the Nittany Lions.
“With Nebraska extending Matt Rhule's contract, Louisville's Jeff Brohm is [the] new favorite, at 40%, to be Penn State's next coach via Kalshi. Ohio State OC Brian Hartline is next at 29%, Missouri's Eliah Drinkwitz (17%) & Iowa State's Matt Campbell (14%).”
Brohm, who is 54 years old, has been a head coach at the college football level since 2014, when he was initially hired as the head coach of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. He also coached the Purdue Boilermakers for five seasons before accepting the Louisville job in 2023.
The Cardinals have only experienced winning seasons under Brohm, and that can be said about the 2025-26 campaign as well. Through seven games played, Louisville owns a 6-1 record and is 3-1 in conference play in the ACC. That could be a large reason as to why he is considered the favorite for the Penn State job.
While the program continues to search for its new head coach after firing James Franklin, the Nittany Lions are relying on Terry Smith as the interim. Penn State will hope to snap its four-game losing streak when the team takes on the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 10.
