Penn State coaching search: Sizing up more candidates for the job, from Mike Elko to Bob Chesney

As Penn State struggles through a football season that once held a lot of promise, the coaching search continues to heat up with more programs entering the fray.

Since we last looked at coaching candidates following James Franklin’s firing on Oct. 12, Florida, LSU, and Auburn have parted with their head coaches.

Nittany Lions athletic director Pat Kraft indicated at his Oct. 13 press conference that he would swing big in his national coaching search. And so far, at least two names can be crossed off Penn State’s potential list.

» READ MORE: Matt Rhule signs two-year extension with Nebraska, ending his candidacy as Penn State’s next coach

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, whose Hoosiers are ranked No. 2 in the country, signed an eight-year contract extension nearly three weeks ago. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule, who went to high school in State College and was a Penn State letterman, signed a two-year contract extension last week.

Lane Kiffin, the coach at 8-1 Mississippi, is one of the top candidates on the market but is unlikely to leave his job in the Southeastern Conference for Penn State.

So where does that leave the Nittany Lions? Here are several candidates for the Penn State job:

The native of South Brunswick, N.J., who played collegiately at Penn, has Texas A&M looking like a national title contender. The third-ranked Aggies, who play at No. 19 Missouri this weekend, are off to an 8-0 start and have just one more ranked opponent after this weekend.

Elko is in his second head-coaching stop after taking over Duke in 2022. He went 16-9 with the Blue Devils in two seasons and has already matched that win total in his second season at Texas A&M.

With his ties to the area, Elko seems like a natural fit at Penn State, but he may take Texas A&M deep into the College Football Playoff, and there’s no guarantee he leaves College Station, even with an early exit. Still, Kraft should make a serious push for Elko, 48, who just keeps winning.

Would Penn State go back to the Vanderbilt well after hiring Franklin from the program in 2014? Lea, the Nashville native who played collegiately at Vanderbilt, is having his best season by far this year at 7-2, matching his 2024 win total already.

He spent over a decade as a linebackers coach at South Dakota State, UCLA, Bowling Green, Syracuse, Wake Forest, and Notre Dame. He was promoted to defensive coordinator with the Irish in 2018, then took the Vanderbilt job in 2021 and has been on the upswing since a 2-10 season in 2023.

Lea has continued to build momentum after upsetting No. 1 Alabama last year, but he fell just short in a comeback bid against Texas last weekend. He would be a considerable risk with just two winning seasons as a head coach.

Success has come for Drinkwitz in both head coaching stops at Appalachian State and Missouri. Before quarterback Beau Pribula’s injury a few weeks ago, the team had an opportunity to make the CFP this season. Still, Drinkwitz, 42, has back-to-back double-digit win seasons with the Tigers and has turned Missouri into a winning program in the SEC.

» READ MORE: Interim coach Terry Smith is still waiting for Penn State to unlock the deep passing game

He will have interest from other SEC schools (Auburn, LSU, Florida) but has shown the ability to recruit from Pennsylvania (see quarterback Matt Zollers and transfer portal linebacker Josiah Trotter). He was a longtime offensive coordinator, and Drinkwitz’s offense this year ranks in the top 15 in total yards (472.8), rushing yards (235.5), and first downs (25.9).

Penn State got to see up close just how good Hartline’s offense is during its 38-14 loss in Columbus last weekend. Hartline, a former letterman with the Buckeyes, played wide receiver in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns before rejoining Ohio State as an offensive quality control coach in 2017.

He worked his way up to receivers coach (2018-22), and added play-calling duties to his resumé this year with great success. The offense ranks in the top 30 nationally in total offense (437.5 yards per game), scoring (36.6 points per game), and passing yards (284.3 per game).

Hiring Hartline would come with a risk since he has never been a head coach at any level, but there’s no denying his success in recruiting and developing top receivers, from Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson to now Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.

Back at his alma mater after playing for the school in the late 1980s and early ’90s, Brohm has Louisville back as a consistent winner and continues to upset ranked opponents. Brohm is 4-4 against Associated Press-ranked teams, including a win over then-No. 2 Miami on Oct. 17.

With coaching stops at Western Kentucky and Purdue before rejoining Louisville in 2023, Brohm continues to overachieve relative to the program’s talent. At 7-1 this season, he’s a hot coaching candidate again.

» READ MORE: How Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson are navigating the ‘culture shock’ of coaching at an HBCU

Although its hopes for an undefeated season ended last weekend, Georgia Tech under Key has been a revelation. The former Georgia Tech letterman had stops as an offensive line coach at Central Florida and Alabama before returning to his alma mater in 2019 as an assistant under former coach Geoff Collins. He took over as interim coach in 2022 before getting the job full-time.

The Yellow Jackets have improved each season under the Birmingham, Ala.-area native. At 8-1 this year, they are in the CFP race and have clinched bowl eligibility for the third straight season. Like Brohm and Hartline, though, Key is coaching at his alma mater, and has Southern roots. Luring him away from Georgia Tech may be a challenge, although 247Sports reported that he would interview with the Nittany Lions this week.

Cignetti has found success after quickly working his way up from Elon to James Madison and now Indiana. Is Chesney up next?

A native of Kulpmont, Pa., in Northumberland County, Chesney spent almost two decades coaching in Division II and III before getting a head-coaching job in 2018 at FCS school Holy Cross. James Madison hired him in 2024, and is off to a hot start in his second season. The Dukes are 7-1, and he has a 16-5 overall record since succeeding Cignetti.

Chesney, 48, would be a risky hire, considering that he has no power-conference experience, but he has won at every level of NCAA football. He has one losing season in 13 seasons as a head coach, and James Madison currently ranks in the top 30 nationally in scoring offense (34.8 points per game), rushing yards (244.1 per game), and total yards (442.1 per game).