Penn State opened one of the most coveted head coaching positions in the country when it fired James Franklin following a third consecutive loss, and a few big names have already emerged as potential candidates to take over the Nittany Lions.The storied program has robust resources, despite being on the hook for a nearly $50 million buyout to Franklin. Penn State figures to draw interest from a bevy of intriguing names, and here are five early top candidates:5. MIKE ELKO, TEXAS A&MThe Aggies have about as many resources as any team in the nation, so on the surface it would appear a longshot that Elko would leave the program after just two seasons. But Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft just might make the call to test the waters. Elko is a New Jersey native who played at Penn, so the opportunity to take over one of the biggest programs in the Big Ten just might pique his interest.Opening Odds: +40004. MATT CAMPBELL, IOWA STATEIt seems like Campbell’s name has surfaced with every significant job opening over the past several years. He hasn’t been lured away from Ames yet, but might the Ohio native be intrigued by the chance to take over one of the nation’s most prestigious programs? Campbell, who is still only 45 years old despite being a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, started his head coaching career at Toledo and has a 104-68 record while taking his teams to 10 bowl games.Opening Odds: +18003. MANNY DIAZ, DUKEDiaz was highly respected while serving as Penn State’s defensive coordinator from 2022-23 and has plenty of head coaching experience at the Power 4 level. That includes leading the Miami Hurricanes from 2019-21 and going 13-6 since taking over Duke in 2024. Diaz was fired by the Hurricanes, so a move to his alma mater Florida State might be a bigger draw should that position become available.Opening Odds: +10002. CURT CIGNETTI, INDIANACignetti’s name is going to be tied to nearly every significant coaching vacancy as he has the Hoosiers ranked No. 3 in the nation after Indiana’s impressive win at Oregon on Saturday. Cignetti, 64, has managed to post a 17-2 record through his first two seasons in Bloomington. Kraft played at Indiana, so he has certainly taken keen notice of Cignetti’s surprising success at the traditional basketball power. Cignetti is also a Pittsburgh native who could help the Nittany Lions retain some of their key players while also keeping their recruiting class as intact as possible.Opening Odds: +6001. MATT RHULE, NEBRASKA
