Nick Saban has just the person in mind that could fit perfectly in Happy Valley amid Penn State’s search for a head coach. The Nittany Lions fired James Franklin after 12 seasons following a disastrous 3-3 start, which saw the program drop three games in a row.
During his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Saban endorsed former New York Giants head coach and his former Alabama offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who is worth $12 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The seven-time national champion highlighted the qualities of Daboll that make him the best man for the job.
“I think it was a tough situation with the Giants, but he’s a very good coach,” Saban said. “He’s a bright guy, a good recruiter, relates to players, a good teacher, good offensive mind. He’ll put together a strong staff. I think that would be an outstanding hire.”
Daboll worked as Saban’s offensive coordinator when Alabama won the 2017 national championship. However, Daboll hasn’t been to college football apart from this one season as he has remained mostly in the NFL since the 1990s.
“I love Brian,” Saban said. “He did a great job here for us as our offensive coordinator. We won the championship with him calling the plays. He’s been in the Super Bowl several times with Bill Belichick and won.”
In his first year as the Giants’ head coach, Daboll won the AP NFL Coach of the Year award as he led the franchise to the playoffs. However, he has gone 11-35 in the last three seasons. He started the 2025 season with a 2-8 record before the Giants pulled curtain on him.
Candidates Mentioned For Penn State HC Job
After firing James Franklin, Penn State named Terry Smith interim head coach while they search for candidates who could lead the Nittany Lions from next season onwards.
Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz has emerged as a strong candidate for the role in Happy Valley, thanks to his strong recruiting and portal performance. Georgia Tech’s Brent Key, Duke’s Manny Diaz and Ohio State’s Brian Hartline have also been mentioned as potential candidates.
Other names, such as Matt Rhule (Nebraska), Mike Elko (Texas A&M), Joe Brady (Buffalo Bills OC) continue to be mentioned in broader speculation.
It remains to be seen who wins the job.
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