Mehki Flowers #10 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after a defensive play during the Penn State Spring Football Game at Beaver Stadium on April 15, 2023 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Why is Penn State football waiting to name a head coach? They fired James Franklin early in the season and supposedly got a jump on the market. But now the season is over. Numerous schools tapped the available pool of talent and hired new coaches. Signing day for high school recruits starts tomorrow. And Penn State still doesn't have a coach. What is going on here?
Penn State fancies itself as an elite program on the door step of a national championship. The problem is, they are not that. They are a really solid, good football program that is a cash cow with its huge stadium and enthusiastic fan base. And they are a program without a coach.
PENN STATE FOOTBALL WAITING FOR WHAT?
I think Penn State thought it would fire Franklin and dozens of coaching candidates would line up to ask for the job. But they just fired a coach who won 10 games a year and went to the Big Ten Championship game and the College Football Playoffs last year. Who wants that gig?
There is no doubt Penn State wants to make a splash with this new coaching hire. I'm certain the first call they made was to Urban Meyer but that went nowhere. Stories popped up this weekend that they were going after Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer. That seems like a non-starter. Other good candidates are falling off the board and signing with other teams. Wild cards may include BYU coach Kalani Sitaki or even New York Giants fired coach Brian Daboll.
Why is Penn State football waiting? For more college football talk and analysis tune in each weekday to Craig Shemon and Company from 2-6 pm on ESPN Southwest Florida.
