Joel Klatt outlines top candidates for Penn State coaching vacancy
By Jacob Moss
Published:
Another massive domino in the 2025 coaching carousel fell over the weekend when Penn State officially announced the firing of long-time head coach James Franklin following the Nittany Lions’ third straight loss of the season.
With the job up in Happy Valley now vacant, fans and analysts alike have begun to speculate about who the next man to take the reins for the iconic Big Ten power will be.
Fox analyst Joel Klatt discussed the subject on Monday morning, breaking down who he believes will be in the running to land one of the top jobs in college football this winter.
“You can go after the big swing, you can go after the guy that you think would fit best at your location, or you can go after the unproven, non-head coach who you believe can take you to the next level,” Klatt said. “The big swing is obviously Curt Cignetti from Indiana, and I don’t think there’s a hotter name in college football.”
Cignetti is likely to be the target that most fans have circled, but Klatt also mentions 2 names in that second category who would be good fits: current Duke head coach Manny Diaz and current Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule.
Lastly, Klatt brings up an interesting possibility from that third category, and that’s none other than current Ohio State offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline.
“He’s a gut that’s maybe under the radar, and hasn’t been a head coach yet, but he’s seen it,” Klatt said. “Like a Dan Lanning, or a Kirby Smart, he’s been around it, and he knows what it takes.”
