Penn State’s Coaching Search Has Turned Into a Cautionary Tale
When Penn State made the stunning decision to part ways with James Franklin just six games into the season, it wasn’t just a coaching change - it was a message. Athletic Director Pat Kraft and the university's leadership made it clear: the program expected more. And that was a bold stance, considering Franklin had guided the Nittany Lions to a College Football Playoff semifinal less than a year prior.
The move set off a wave of anticipation. Fans and insiders alike assumed the university had a plan - a big one.
A program with Penn State’s pedigree doesn’t make a midseason move like that without a vision for what’s next. Or so we thought.
Now, 52 days later, that vision looks murky at best. The coaching search has dragged on far longer than anyone expected, and with each passing day, it’s becoming harder to ignore the reality: Penn State’s search has gone sideways.
A Misfire in the Making
From the moment Franklin was let go, two names floated to the top of the rumor mill: Curt Cignetti and Matt Rhule. Both had ties to Penn State’s leadership, and both seemed like logical fits.
Cignetti, who recently took the Indiana job, was seen as a dream hire. That dream ended quickly when he inked an extension to stay in Bloomington.
Then came Rhule - a former Penn State player under Joe Paterno and a head coach who worked with Kraft during their days at Temple. But Rhule, too, chose to stay put, re-upping with Nebraska.
As options dwindled, urgency grew. Franklin, now at Virginia Tech, started pulling players from his former program, chipping away at the recruiting class he helped build. Penn State was not only without a coach, but now losing ground on the recruiting trail.
The Sitake Swing - And Miss
On Monday, there was finally a glimmer of movement. BYU head coach Kalani Sitake emerged as a serious candidate. Penn State made a strong push, reportedly offering a competitive package and positioning Sitake as the new face of the program.
But BYU didn’t flinch. The Cougars responded with a massive commitment - a reported $10 to $15 million in NIL support on top of revenue sharing, and a new deal expected to pay Sitake in the $9 to $9.5 million range. In the end, Sitake chose to stay in Provo.
That’s another swing and miss for Penn State, and perhaps the most telling one yet. A program that sees itself as a national powerhouse just lost a head-to-head recruiting battle - not for a player, but for a coach - with BYU.
What Now?
With their top targets now off the board, Penn State finds itself in a precarious position. Whoever ends up taking the job likely won’t be the first - or even second - choice. And that’s a tough sell to both fans and recruits.
Internally, there’s growing support for Interim Head Coach Terry Smith. He’s a respected figure within the program and has helped steady the ship during a chaotic stretch. At this point, promoting Smith might be the most stabilizing move Penn State can make, even if it’s not the splash hire many envisioned.
Let’s be honest - this wasn’t the plan. Penn State expected to upgrade from James Franklin, not scramble to fill the void he left.
And with the Early Signing Period already underway, the timing couldn’t be worse. Recruiting momentum has stalled, and the uncertainty around leadership is casting a long shadow over the program’s immediate future.
A Program at a Crossroads
The coaching carousel is always unpredictable, but Penn State’s search has become a case study in how quickly things can unravel. What started as a bold move to elevate the program has turned into a prolonged, public struggle to find direction.
The next hire - whoever it is - will walk into a pressure cooker. Expectations haven’t changed, even if the path to meeting them just got a whole lot more complicated.
Penn State wanted more than what Franklin delivered. Now, they’ll be hoping just to recover what they’ve lost.