Penn State football is looking for a home run hire, after firing James Franklin amidst a 3-3 campaign. Franklin is owed about $50 million in buyout money, and Penn State will have to shell out millions more to their next head coach.
There are two candidates emerging as a possible replacement to Franklin, per college football insider Bruce Feldman. Those names are Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, and Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko.
There are specific reasons why each coach is being linked to the job.
“(Elko) is a northeast guy from Jersey, but timing could be tricky with the Aggies' playoff expectations looming,” Feldman said. “Rhule is a Penn State alum and close friends with Nittany Lions AD Pat Kraft.”
"There's two names we expect to be in the mix at Penn State…" 👀
More from @BruceFeldmanCFB on how Curt Cignetti's contract to stay at Indiana influences the head coaching vacancy at Penn State. pic.twitter.com/bQdmUuy3DM
— Big Noon Kickoff (@BNKonFOX) October 18, 2025
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti was also seen as a possible candidate for this job. Cignetti signed a contract extension with Indiana, to put those rumors to rest.
Penn State fired Franklin after three straight losses to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern this season. Penn State had entered the 2025 campaign with national championship aspirations. Franklin led the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff in 2024, where they made a semi-final game.
Franklin won more than 100 games at Penn State, and won't be easy to replace.
Penn State football's next coach will have a tough job
The Nittany Lions are a blue-blood college football program. The late Joe Paterno won loads of games while coaching the team, not to mention national championships in 1982 and 1986.
Franklin won a Big Ten championship in 2016. The Penn State football program has since taken a backseat in the conference to Ohio State and Michigan. Franklin struggled to win games against top 25 opponents, and his time in State College simply ran out.
The next Penn State coach will be expected to get Penn State to the CFP again nearly right away. Penn State fans also want a national championship, as it has been close to 40 years since the last one.
Penn State is led by interim coach Terry Smith. Smith and the Nittany Lions next play Iowa on Saturday.
