Penn State will hire its next head coach in the coming weeks after parting ways with James Franklin earlier this season.
Along with Florida, LSU and Auburn, Penn State is one of the best open jobs on the market and figures to be of significant interest to numerous top coaches.
Penn State head coach candidates
Kalshi, a predictions market that is legal in all 50 states, has posted markets for more than a dozen potential candidates to be the next Penn State head coach.
Let’s break down some of the leading candidates before making a prediction on Penn State’s coaching search.
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri head coach
Current Kalshi price: 42 cents per contract
Eli Drinkwitz is the clear favorite to be the next Penn State head coach if you believe in Kalshi’s market prices. He’s set to wrap up his 6th season at Mizzou in a couple of weeks and led the program to back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2023 and 2024. The Tigers have taken a small step back this year, but Drinkwitz is still expected to be a candidate at all the top open jobs this cycle. One potential negative for Drinkwitz at Penn State is he’s never coached at a Big Ten institution and has spent almost all of his career in the South.
Brent Key, Georgia Tech head coach
Current Kalshi price: 21 cents per contract
Georgia Tech coach Brent Key has turned things around at his alma mater in relatively short order. The Yellow Jackets are contending for the ACC title this season. In the 3+ years prior to Key taking over as interim head coach in 2022, Georgia Tech won a total of 10 games. However, Key has made some pretty convincing statements about remaining at his alma mater beyond this season. “Slice me open and see what colors I bleed,” Key said earlier this month. Like Drinkwitz, Key has spent most of his career in the South and has never worked at a Big Ten program.
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Brian Hartline, Ohio State offensive coordinator
Current Kalshi price: 15 cents per contract
Brian Hartline is regarded as one of the top offensive coaches in the country. The former NFL wideout has had a big hand in turning Ohio State into the nation’s premier wide receiver factory. Hartline, 38, does have some potential marks against him, though. He’s an Ohio State alum who has never coached anywhere but in Columbus. He’s been on staff since 2017 in various capacities and is Ohio State’s offensive coordinator in 2025. Hartline is the team’s primary play caller in 2025, which should be a boost for his candidacy. The Buckeyes are thriving with first-year quarterback Julian Sayin and are averaging 6.95 yards per play this season (12th nationally entering Week 13).
Bob Chesney, James Madison head coach
Current Kalshi price: 11 cents per contract
Bob Chesney is less established than the coaches above him on this list, but he could be a candidate at any number of top jobs this offseason. Chesney is in his second season at James Madison and already has the Dukes competing for a College Football Playoff berth. Chesney is a Pennsylvania native who played at Dickinson College, a Division III program located less than 100 miles from Happy Valley. Chesney’s career has brought him to several schools in the northeast, including Holy Cross, Assumption and Johns Hopkins.
Here’s a look at the live market on Kalshi for Penn State’s next head coach:
Penn State head coach prediction
Given the options above, I like backing Bob Chesney to be the choice in State College. He has deep ties to the area and is a proven winner at multiple levels. I’m skeptical about the fit for Drinkwitz or Key given their lack of Big Ten experience and their well-documented affinity for their current jobs. Hartline is intriguing, but being an Ohio State lifer may be enough of a red flag to keep his name further down the list. Chesney checks more boxes than any of these other candidates.
How does Kalshi work?
Kalshi is one of the top prediction markets available and is legal in all 50 US states. Markets posted on Kalshi could include everything from sports to politics to weather.
Here’s how it works: Users purchase contracts for a certain prediction in a given market. Those contracts will then pay out at a rate of $1 per contract if graded as accurate. For example a $10 prediction on Bob Chesney to be the next head coach at Penn State would pay out approximately $85 if Chesney is the next permanent head coach in Happy Valley.
Kalshi users can also adjust their position before the market is settled. So if new information about a Penn State coaching candidate becomes available, users can adjust accordingly.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
