After going 0-3 in their last three games, including two unranked losses where they were +20 point favorites, Penn State has decided to fire its head coach, James Franklin. Franklin took over Penn State in 2014 after leaving Vanderbilt to take over the struggling Nittany Lions.
After reaching the College Football Playoff Semifinal just last year and being among the top teams in the country the past few years, Penn State has decided to move on from Franklin. This is, without a doubt, one of the most important decisions in the history of Penn State’s football program. Many people believe that Penn State must get this decision right.
Here is who I think are the top three candidates to replace James Franklin at Penn State:
Matt Rhule (Current Nebraska Head Coach)
Currently the head coach of Nebraska, and with a plethora of experience coaching for other teams, Rhule is a possible candidate for the job. The biggest thing that attracts Rhule to Penn State is his former ties as a player to the program. Rhule played under Penn State’s famous coach, Joe Paterno. Rhule is known for taking over programs and rebuilding them, such as with Temple or Baylor. Rhule is currently amidst a rebuild with Nebraska, but with his past ties to Penn State, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rhule jump ship to State College.
Manny Diaz (Current Duke Head Coach)
Manny Diaz worked as Penn State’s defensive coordinator for two seasons (2022-2023), where he took Penn State’s defense to the next level and produced talents such as Joey Porter Jr. and Abdul Carter. Diaz is also in a situation where a move to State College could benefit his career. Despite having a somewhat disappointing tenure with Miami, Diaz is doing well so far with Duke, and he could be tempted by the resources Penn State has.
Eli Drinkwitz (Current Missouri Head Coach)
This one is the least likely to happen; however, don’t be surprised if Eli Drinkwitz’s name is thrown around the conversation. Drinkwitz is the current head coach at Missouri and has done a solid job keeping Missouri competitive in the SEC. While it may be hard to lure Drinkwitz away from the SEC, Penn State is one of the top jobs in the country.
