Penn State has fired head coach James Franklin after 12 years amid a string of poor performances. After being given No. 2 rankings in the preseason, the Nittany Lions have lost their last three games against Oregon, UCLA and finally Northwestern Wildcats which became the final nail in the coffin.
While Terry Smith has been named as interim head coach, Penn State is searching for a new guy who can be given the reins and the rumors include Lane Kiffin.
Amid this, Joel Klatt has suggested four names on his recent show, who are worthy to take over the football program at Penn State.
The first name Klatt suggested was Curt Cignetti, head coach of Indiana who are first in Big 10 standings and are coming off a 30-20 win against No. 8 Oregon last week.
“I think the big swing is Curt Cignetti from Indiana,” Klatt said on his show (10:19). “This guy is a proven commodity, and after this last weekend with that win over Oregon, I don’t think there’s a hotter name in college football right now than Curt Cignetti.”
However, Klatt thinks Curt may not want to leave Indiana. But as far as fit goes, the Hoosiers head coach is from Pennsylvania.
“So, what’s the biggest swing you could take? I think it’s Curt Cignetti,” Klatt said. “That’s a big swing. Who knows if he would leave Indiana? I’m not sure. I think it depends on the level of support that they get, and right now, at least according to the news and some of these articles, that support is substantial at Indiana. So, the big swing is Curt Cignetti. By the way, he’s from Pennsylvania.”
Who Are Joel Klatt’s Other Three Candidates For Penn State Head Coach Pick?
Joel Klatt went on to name two candidates, who has Penn State written all over them. They are Duke head coach Manny Diaz and Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule.
“A guy that just had a lot of success as the defensive coordinator at Penn State and is now doing a really good job at Duke, that’s Manny Diaz,” Klatt continued. “I think Manny Diaz is going to get a call in this situation.
“Another one that has deep Penn State ties and is doing a really good job right now, maybe even overachieving at a place that’s been hard to win for 20 years — that’s Matt Rhule at Nebraska,” he said.
Klatt’s fourth and final choice for Penn State’s head coach candidate was Brian Hartline, who is currently the offensive coordinator of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Even though Hartline has never served as head coach, Klatt sees a lot of potential there.
“And then the guy that’s maybe under the radar, not a head coach right now, but someone who has seen it like Dan Lanning or Kirby Smart, he’s been around it, he knows what it takes, he just hasn’t been a head coach yet: that’s Brian Hartline at Ohio State,” Klatt added.
The Nittany Lions are loaded with top recruits in the near future. With James Franklin being fired, some of them might change their tune and head elsewhere; therefore, it’s important for Penn State to pick the right head coach, which comes with reputation, respect and good record.
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