Penn State football is searching for a new head coach, after firing James Franklin earlier this year. The Nittany Lions may have a former NFL coach interested in the job. Former New York Giants coach Brian Daboll has some advocates for the position.
“One wild card in the mix is former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who was the offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2017 and helped lead the Tide to a national title. The 50-year-old is believed to have an interest in the job and is expected to get some consideration in Happy Valley. We’ve heard some former NFL players with strong ties to Penn State have pushed for Daboll to get in the mix,” The Athletic's Bruce Feldman and Ralph Russo wrote.
Penn State lost a key candidate on Saturday, when it was announced that Mike Elko was in the final stages of signing a contract extension at Texas A&M. Elko has soared with the Aggies, leading the team to an undefeated record so far. Elko is from New Jersey, and was seen as a strong candidate for the Penn State job.
Franklin meanwhile may be coaching next season at Virginia Tech. He was fired at Penn State after losing three consecutive games to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern.
Penn State is now 4-6 on the season. The Nittany Lions defeated Michigan State Saturday.
Penn State may have trouble finding the coach they want
The Nittany Lions are seeing its pool of coaching candidates shrinking. Both Elko and Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti were seen as strong candidates, but both are signing extensions at their respective schools.
Penn State is also up against a lot of other power 4 programs, who are looking for coaches. Florida, LSU, and Virginia Tech are three of several programs looking for new head coaches.
That could lead to an opening for a NFL coach, like Daboll, to get hired at Penn State. Daboll was fired by the Giants after starting the season with yet another losing record. He won just 11 games over his final two and a half seasons.
Penn State football next hosts Nebraska on Saturday. The Nittany Lions must win its final two games this season, to earn a bowl berth.
