Uncertainty still hangs over the Nittany Lions, but the coaching grapevine is starting to point in one direction. National analyst Josh Pate said on his show that he believes Penn State football team has “zeroed in” on its next head coach and that the favorite is James Madison’s Bob Chesney, a fast-rising 48-year-old Pennsylvania native whose only question mark is the jump in competition from the Group of Five to a Big Ten powerhouse.
Publicly, though, the search still looks wide open. As On3 reported, it remains unclear which path athletic director Pat Kraft will ultimately choose. Chesney has surfaced as a serious name to monitor, but Kraft has already interviewed interim coach Terry Smith this week and has kept the broader process tightly guarded.
Other coaches tied to the vacancy include Georgia Tech’s Brent Key and Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea, and, at least for now, there is no consensus top target inside the industry or around the program.
Chesney’s appeal is easy to see. He is a Western Pennsylvania product who has piled up wins at every stop, from Salve Regina and Assumption to Holy Cross and now James Madison.
His career record north of 130 victories and his reputation for building tough, disciplined teams make him an intriguing cultural fit for a Penn State football team roster that does not need a teardown so much as a new voice.
At the same time, Smith has turned his interim shot into a real candidacy. Since replacing James Franklin in October, he has stabilized the locker room, overseen a 37-10 statement win over Nebraska, and watched players and fans alike campaign for him with “Hire Terry Smith” signs and chants inside Beaver Stadium. Penn State will give him a formal interview, and a road win at Rutgers to secure bowl eligibility would only strengthen his argument.
For now, the Nittany Lions’ search sits in that gray area where multiple paths remain possible. Buzz around Chesney is growing, Smith has real momentum, and names like Key and Lea are still lurking. Until Kraft makes his call, the only certainty is that Penn State’s next coach will inherit a ready-made stage and enormous expectations in Happy Valley.
