Penn State football roundtable: Here’s who we would hire as head coach
READ MORE
Penn State fires James Franklin
The James Franklin era is over at Penn State.
Expand All
Penn State is searching for a head football coach for the first time in over a decade, and is doing so with an extended search after firing James Franklin in the middle of October. Candidates have begun to emerge, but the process still has a few weeks — at least — to play out, leaving fans waiting on pins and needles for a resolution.
Who would we hire if we were in charge? Read below for picks from CDT reporters Jon Sauber, Josh Moyer and Bret Pallotto.
If you had to hire a coordinator/unemployed coach, who would it be and why?
Jon Sauber: Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein
Oregon’s offense has excelled under Stein who, despite cutting his teeth as a coach in Texas, is from Louisville. Stein is only 36 years old but has as strong of a track record as you can for a coordinator that age, building elite offenses in three straight seasons despite having three different quarterbacks. He took Bo Nix, who was mostly below average at Auburn, and helped him into the Heisman conversation. He built an elite offense around Dillon Gabriel despite his lack of size and arm strength. And now he’s helping Dante Moore become one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Fans have clamored for Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, but Stein would be my easy choice if I had to hire a coordinator.
Josh Moyer: Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein
Assuming we’re sticking to reasonable and/or realistic candidates — meaning I shouldn’t pick “Nick Saban” here — then I’m going to go with a coordinator on the rise in Oregon OC Will Stein. He may be just 36 years old, but he spent the last three years as the Ducks’ impressive offensive mind. (Also, there’s precedent for a major job this young: Dan Lanning ended up becoming Oregon’s head coach at the age of 36, after spending three seasons as Georgia’s DC.) Stein isn’t the perfect candidate. But he spent a lot of time in Texas, in addition to Kentucky and the West Coast, and he’s earned a reputation as a solid recruiter. Plus, what Penn State fan in their right mind wouldn’t welcome a QB guru with a proven track record?
Bret Pallotto: Indiana offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan
The Hoosiers are the No. 1 scoring offense in the country, one year after they finished No. 2 in Shanahan’s first season in Bloomington. He’s also a Pennsylvania native and only 35 years old, giving you the chance to either sell yourself on his upside or yearning for a more experienced coach. I’ll take the upside.
If you had to hire a Group of Six head coach, who would it be and why?
Sauber: James Madison head coach Bob Chesney
If the Penn State job came open in 2027 or 2028 instead of this year, Chesney could be at the top of the list. He’s an ascending coach who has had a lot of success as a DIII, DII and FCS head coach who has carried that to James Madison. The 48-year-old is 8-1 in his second year with the program after going 9-4 in year one — right after now-Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti took many of JMU’s best players with him to the Hoosiers. Chesney is alongside USF’s Alex Golesh, Tulane’s Jon Sumrall and others as the best Group of Six head coach in the country.
Moyer: Tulane HC Jon Sumrall
Let’s be clear. Out of the three options given to us — hiring a coordinator, G6 head coach or P4 head coach — this is the worst one. And if I was forced to make this hire, I’d start looking for new athletic director jobs before I even made it official. (How’s this for a ringing endorsement?) It’s not that Sumrall, or any Group of 6 coach, is bad at what they do. It’s that going from Tiny School to one of college football’s largest fan bases — and an athletic department with deep coffers — is not a transition that’s easily prepared for. You can’t just have a good coach in the Power 4; you need a great CEO. And I’m not convinced any coaches in the Group of 6 here have reached that point yet. Sumrall is the best option in a sea of not-so-great ones.
Pallotto: James Madison coach Bob Chesney
The Pennsylvania native has had success at every level, dating back to his time as a Division III coach. There’s obvious risk paying someone to step up to a big-time program, but I think Chesney would be buoyed by the infrastructure his predecessor helped build.
If you had to hire a Power Four head coach, who would it be and why?
Sauber: Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer
This might not be as far-fetched as it seems because of the awkward fit between DeBoer and Alabama. He missed the College Football Playoff in his first season with the Crimson Tide and if that happened again this year, it would make sense if he looked for a life raft out of town before the fan base and administration become restless. And that would be a huge win for Penn State. DeBoer has won at every level of college football, even if his laid back personality doesn’t fit in Tuscaloosa. He would excel with the Nittany Lions and I have little doubt that he would put consistently elite offenses on the field in Beaver Stadium.
Moyer: Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer
Put simply, DeBoer has won at every level. He has a proven track record that shows he’d win in Happy Valley — and win often. Between 1999 and 2019, the Indiana Hoosiers boasted only one eight-win season, for example, and it was the one season where DeBoer was the offensive coordinator (in 2019). He coached Washington for two years and was twice the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. With Alabama now, he’s poised for the College Football Playoff this season. Pay DeBoer $15 million/year if you need to. This hire needs to be a home run and, if DeBoer is attainable, Penn State should do everything in its power to get him. Don’t settle.
Pallotto: Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire or BYU head coach Kalani Sitake
The criteria here — needing to poach a big-time coach — makes this difficult. What fan wouldn’t want Kirby Smart leading the Nittany Lions? But of options that seem possible, I’d strongly consider Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire or BYU coach Kalani Sitake. McGuire signed the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country this season and has the Red Raiders ranked No. 9, while Sitake is on pace to reach 10-plus victories for the fourth time in the past six seasons.
