Which Penn State coaches could be back under a new head coach in 2026?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Penn State fired James Franklin, leaving most assistant jobs uncertain for 2025.
- DC Jim Knowles likely returns under 2025 coach thanks to a $3M contract.
- Quarterbacks coaches Danny O’Brien and Trace McSorley will likely follow Franklin.
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Penn State fires James Franklin
The James Franklin era is over at Penn State.
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Penn State’s decision to fire head coach James Franklin will likely affect the entire coaching staff moving forward. While he departed in October, the rest of the staff has been tasked with finishing out the rest of the season. That being said, it’s far from a guarantee that the staff will be back next season.
There will inevitably be coaches who decide to leave, some who are not asked to come back and some who return to Penn State under the next head coach.
Let’s take a look at the likelihood that each position coach and coordinator is back in 2025.
Likely to be back
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles
There isn’t a staff member more likely be back than Jim Knowles, who signed a three-year contract in January that will pay him, on average, $3 million per year. He’s still highly thought of as a DC, and would be sought after if he was on the open market. The scenarios where he isn’t back are where a new head coach is adamant he wants his own DC, or Knowles leaves on his own volition for another job.
Interim head coach/cornerbacks coach Terry Smith
Smith has already said he’d consider an offer from a new head coach to be back at Penn State, and it would be a surprise if he didn’t get one. He has the type of institutional knowledge as a former Nittany Lion player and now coach that could be extremely helpful for a new head coach coming in. Smith is also well-regarded as a cornerbacks coach and in Pennsylvania as a recruiter, making his retention a high probably outcome regardless of who the next coach is.
Tight ends coach Ty Howle
Howle has consistently churned out some of the best tight ends in the country, which will make him a desirable candidate for any new head coach. And he, like Smith, played at Penn State, making it more likely he stays. This is less certain than Knowles or Smith because it’s possible Howle is looking to move up in his career, but it would make sense on both sides if Howle was back next year.
Up in the air
Linebackers coach Dan Connor
Connor is one of the great linebackers in Penn State history, but he’s also relatively inexperienced as a coach. He’s coached the Nittany Lions’ linebackers for the last two seasons, but it’s possible a new coach has their own person for his spot. That being said, the likelihood that Knowles returns gives the entire defensive staff a better chance of retaining their jobs.
Safeties coach Anthony Poindexter
There isn’t a position coach on the staff more likely to get a coordinator job than Poindexter. He’s had opportunities in the past but has chosen to stay with Penn State, but now that Franklin — who hired him at PSU — is gone, there’s a chance he’s more willing to move on. If Poindexter is back, it would be a major win for the Nittany Lions. But it’s hard to ignore the possibility that another program wants him to lead its defense.
Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein
Trautwein was always a candidate to leave this offseason, especially if an NFL team came calling. He’s well regarded for his development ability, but it’s hard to ignore some of the struggles on the offensive line that Penn State has had this year. It’s difficult to know right now how much that will impact his stock — and it’s also in the realm of possibility that the new head coach has his own offensive line coach to fit a specific offensive scheme.
Running backs coach Stan Drayton
Drayton might be the most up in the air of all the current assistants. He doesn’t have a real connection to the Nittany Lions after just joining after the 2024 season, but is highly regarded as one of the best running backs coaches in the country. It’s entirely possible that the next head coach makes him a priority when it comes to retention and that Drayton decides to leave regardless because he should be sought after.
Special teams coordinator Justin Lustig
Lustig could go either way when it comes to retention. He’s from Pennsylvania and talked about his desire to be at Penn State when he was initially hired, but he’s also become close with Franklin in their time together. There’s a decent chance he has to choose between the Nittany Lions and following Franklin to his next stop.
Defensive line coach Deion Barnes
Barnes has the connections and lack of experience that would make staying on staff appealing for him, and Knowles potentially being back would help as well. But it’s hard to ignore the stagnation of the defensive line’s starters. He’s not entirely responsible for that, and he’s done a good job with the team’s young defensive lineman, but it does create some murkiness about his future and whether a new coach would retain him.
Unlikely to be back
Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki
Kotelnicki’s second season at Penn State has been a letdown, and it’s hard to envision a new head coach wanting to bring him back. There’s a good chance he’s an offensive coordinator elsewhere next season, but it would not be a surprise to see him back at a high-level program in the future. He’s proven he can put together a good offense, as he did in 2024, even if this season has been a massive step back.
Wide receivers coach Marques Hagans
Hagans has failed to develop Penn State’s receivers and was a candidate to be elsewhere even if Franklin was the head coach next season. The position has consistently been one of the worst on his team over the last few years and has failed to contribute in a meaningful way, even when the team made the College Football Playoff last season.
Quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien
O’Brien and assistant quarterbacks coach Trace McSorley are the two coaches with the deepest ties to Franklin, which means they’ll likely be on staff with him wherever he ends up. In fact, that might be the most likely outcome for any specific coach, assuming Franklin is back on the sideline next season.
