Who will be Penn State football’s next head coach? Here are 5 potential candidates

Penn State fired head coach James Franklin Sunday afternoon, marking the end of his tenure that spanned over a decade. Now, for the first time since the 2013 season ended, the Nittany Lions will be searching for a new head coach.

Here’s what to know about five potential candidates.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule

This will be the first name that pops up on every list — or at least it should be. Rhule, who played for State College High School and walked onto the Nittany Lions, overlapped with Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft at Temple. They had a close relationship during his time there, making him a logical fit from an administrative standpoint.

And the on-field results this year have been very good for Rhule and the Cornhuskers. He landed five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola in 2024, pulling him away from a commitment to Georgia, and the QB has helped this team get to 5-1 this season with a reasonable slate remaining. It’s possible the Huskers go 11-1 (which would include a win over Penn State at Beaver Stadium if it happens) and make the College Football Playoff. That could alter the timeline if he is the top choice, but shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Rhule has a 64-57 career record, but helped build Temple up to two 10-win seasons in his four years there, and helped take Baylor from 1-11 in his first year to 11-3 in his third and final year. He had a brief unsuccessful stint as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, going 11-27 in two-plus seasons.

Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell

Another midwestern candidate, Campbell has been on the verge of taking his first big job for a while, but has held steady at Iowa State for the last nine-plus years. He’s 69-53 in that time, including an 11-3 record last season and a 5-2 start to this year. Campbell started his head coaching career at Toledo, where he went 34-15 in his four full seasons as the head coach, with an additional win in the 2011 Military Bowl after being named head coach following the end of the regular season. Campbell is known as a program builder, but has not been at a program like Penn State where there are resources to build a College Football Playoff contender. His track record at smaller schools isn’t dissimilar to Rhule, but without the chance to coach in the SEC or Big Ten thus far.

James Madison head coach Bob Chesney

There’s no doubt that there’s a level of risk with Chesney, but he could be the up-and-coming candidate that Kraft could land before he blows up on the coaching scene. The Pennsylvania native has had success at several levels, including Division II, FCS and now at James Madison. He has a 125-51 career record, including 14-5 at JMU after taking over a roster that was depleted when former head coach Curt Cignetti left for Indiana. He’s been successful as a head coach, and while he wouldn’t be a splashy hire, he could end up being the best of the bunch in the long run.

Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein

Stein is the only coordinator on this list, but he’s a good one. The former Louisville quarterback is only 36 years old but has been wildly successful as a coordinator. He was hired by Oregon head coach Dan Lanning in 2023 and has consistently coordinated the top groups in the country on that side of the ball — including putting together the performance against Penn State that poked holes in the Nittany Lions’ now-sunk ship. Stein has never been a head coach, making this a risk, but modern college football is about scoring points. And whoever hires him as head coach won’t have to worry about their offensive coordinator getting poached every year, because he’d likely be the play-caller on that side of the ball.

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti

Nobody has impacted the college football world like Cignetti has in the last two years. He was at the helm for James Madison’s move from FCS to FBS and his team went 8-3 in their first year in the Sun Belt. He then went 11-1 in 2023 and left the Dukes to take the head coaching job at Indiana — where he’s already had immense success. Cignetti led the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record and their first College Football Playoff berth in his first season. He immediately built off that by landing one of the best quarterbacks in the transfer portal in Fernando Mendoza and has the Hoosiers at 6-0 this season — including a win Saturday over Oregon on the road. Cignetti can be abrasive, and his willingness to speak his mind could be seen as an issue for some, but his track record is undeniable.

This story was originally published October 12, 2025 at 3:25 PM.

Jon Sauber

Centre Daily Times

(814) 231-6461

Jon Sauber covers Penn State football and men’s basketball for the Centre Daily Times. He earned his B.A. in digital and print journalism from Penn State and his M.A. in sports journalism from IUPUI. His previous stops include jobs at The Indianapolis Star, the NCAA, and Rivals.