The college football coaching carousel has been spinning fast and furious, and over the past few days, it’s gone full tilt. The biggest jolt came when Lane Kiffin made headlines by leaving Ole Miss to take the reins at LSU - a seismic move that dropped just ahead of conference championship week.
But while some programs are locking in their next era, Penn State is still very much in limbo. The Nittany Lions made a bold decision earlier this season, parting ways with James Franklin midyear. And now, with Franklin officially heading to Virginia Tech, the search in State College continues - and it’s raising more questions than answers.
Right now, Penn State’s coaching vacancy stands out not just because it’s still open, but because of how uncertain the process has looked. While other schools have moved quickly - even Ole Miss, which didn’t know it had a vacancy until Kiffin’s surprise exit, already has a new head coach in place - the Nittany Lions appear to be stuck in neutral.
College football analyst Josh Pate didn’t mince words when breaking down the situation on his show, Josh Pate’s College Football Show. “The Penn State coaching search continues,” Pate said.
“Everyone else has hired a coach. Ole Miss didn’t even know their job was open until today.
They already filled theirs. I mean, I don’t really know where we are.
I really don’t know where we are.”
That sense of uncertainty isn’t just about timing - it’s about direction. Pate described the search as feeling “lost,” a strong statement that reflects the ambiguity surrounding the process. And while he left room for the possibility that Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft could be playing things close to the vest, Pate wasn’t convinced that a big surprise hire is waiting in the wings.
“This search feels lost. It has for a while,” Pate said.
“I say that with some hesitance, because you just never know. Pat Kraft could be duping everyone and he could have a home run, grand slam, like turn-the-world-on-its-ears mystery candidate and he’s going to unveil it and everyone, including me, has to say, ‘Wow, big apologies to Pat Kraft.’
I don’t think that’s where we are, but maybe that’s where we are.”
As the Nittany Lions prepare for a bowl game at 6-6, the clock is ticking. The early signing period is just weeks away, and in today’s college football landscape, every day without a head coach can cost you on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal.
One name that’s surfaced in connection with the Penn State job is BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. Sitake has quietly built a strong program in Provo, and his leadership has earned respect across the country. But whether he’s a realistic candidate for Penn State - or even interested in the job - remains unclear.
“I have no clue how advanced their talks have been with him,” Pate said. “I have no idea if he’d be a fit.
He’s never lived close to that part of the country. He’s never recruited over there.
It could be oil and water, it could be a great fit, I have no idea. I don’t even know how interested he is.”
What is clear is that Sitake is focused on the task at hand - coaching BYU in the Big 12 Championship Game this week against Texas Tech at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is set for noon ET on ABC, and Pate believes that once that game wraps, we may start to see more movement and clarity around the Penn State search.
For now, though, the Nittany Lions remain in a holding pattern - a major program with a proud history, searching for the right leader to guide its next chapter. The longer the search stretches on, the more pressure there will be to get it right.