Penn State triggered James Franklin’s massive buyout, officially ending his disappointing tenure in State College. The Nittany Lions made it to the College Football Playoff just once under Franklin, last season, reaching the semifinals. That wasn’t enough to save his job after a 3-0 start to 2025 turned to a 3-3 record halfway through the season, including two losses to unranked opponents with Penn State as 20-plus point favorites.
This feels long overdue, but now that the Nittany Lions have officially cleaned their hands of Franklin, the question is who replaces him? Penn State will have a lot of researching as they look to the next coach that will actually be good enough to turn Penn State into a CFP contender.
Curt Cignetti
Remember, Curt Cignetti wins and that’s something Penn State does when it doesn’t matter. As for Cignetti on the other hand, well the Hoosiers stormed into Eugene and beat the No. 3 team in the country this past weekend, which is more wins over Oregon than Penn State has in two games against them since the Ducks joined the Big Ten. It would take a lot for Cignetti to leave his post in Bloomington, but Penn State could be intriguing.
Cignetti is already a recruiting machine and the way he’s used the transfer portal to his advantage to build Indiana into a contender should be applauded. Fernando Mendoza should be the new betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and a year ago, Cignetti turned the former MAC offensive player of the year into a draft pick.
The quarterback position has held Penn State back from being as good as they should and Cignetti could immediately make Penn State good again. I think whoever the coach is that replaces Franklin, they should retain Jim Knowles, widely known as one of the best defensive coordinators in college football.
Penn State needs a coach that’s going to come in and immediately start winning games. That’s the one thing Cignetti has done well at Indiana and essentially throughout his coaching career. Again, Cignett may not want to leave a situation where he’s thriving in, but coaching at a historic team like Penn State might be worth it.
Lincoln Riley
This is another big move that could ultimately work out. Lincoln Riley hasn’t been great since going from Oklahoma to USC, but he’s a great recruiter and going from one traditionally strong program to another could put him in a position to turn things around. Riley has coached some of the best quarterbacks that have gone on to have NFL stardom. The Nittany Lions need that same sort of luck.
The biggest reservation here is that Riley isn’t excelling at USC which makes it difficult to think he’s a serious candidate. But Penn State has to make a big splash here and if things go awry in southern California this season, it might be something worth monitoring. Riley might not be quick to jump at the Penn State job just because the need to win is imminent.
He might not have an option if USC doesn’t start contending in the Big Ten soon though either. Riley landed at USC and really hasn’t done much since his first season, in which he brought Caleb Williams with him. His ability to bring in a solid quarterback while recruiting against the heart of the Big Ten will determine if he’s the right person for the job.
Lane Kiffin
Lane Kiffin will probably be one of the most sought after coaching candidates during this next hiring cycle. His name has been circled on a lot of fan bases' wish lists for good reason too. Kiffin’s offensive acumen puts him in the upper echelon of collegiate coaches. This season is the first where his defense matches the offense. His biggest problem, though, is similar to Franklin’s, which is why he’s probably not the best replacement.
Kiffin struggles in the big games too. This season, we’ll see if Kiffin can get over that hump. He’s never coached in the College Football Playoff and had a late season loss to Florida end Ole Miss’s hopes of getting in. Penn State might not be eager to bring Kiffin in just because he might not be the best immediate replacement.
Penn State needs a coach that can win right away and Kiffin is good enough to do just that, but it’s all about consistency, which has held Kiffin back from reaching the pinnacle of college football in Oxford. That said, he’s a big name that could be intriguing enough. Like with Riley, Kiffin would be wise to at least retain Knowles to ensure that the defense still plays at an elite level.