If Penn State’s coaching search has revealed anything as it enters into December, it’s that the belief in Penn State exceptionalism — a long-standing sense that the program is special in ways others simply aren’t — is colliding with the realities of modern college football.
STATE COLLEGE | When James Franklin was fired and multiple recruits decommitted from Penn State, Jackson Ford stayed put. On Wednesday, he was the first of two players to sign with the Nittany Lions’ 2026 recruiting class on Signing Day.
Penn State's coaching search, which was intended as a fresh start for the program, has instead become the cycle's most embarrassing pursuit. Almost two months have passed since James Franklin's October 12 dismissal, yet the Nittany Lions remain without a head coach.
The Penn State Nittany Lions have spent the last 52 days searching for a new leader after athletic director Pat Kraft fired former head coach James Franklin in mid-October.
https://nittanycentral.com/feed/ As day 52 of Penn State’s search for a new football coach goes on, Penn State finds itself at a crossroads. So far, Pat Kraft and the Nittany Lions have been turned down by several candidates.
Peyton Falzone has been through an 18-month recruiting cyclone in which all three schools he committed to fired their head coach. The quarterback developed callouses to the process, which he called "absolute chaos" and unfair to athletes.
The Penn State Nittany Lions are struggling to conclude their coaching search, and it is having ramifications across the rest of the program. The Nittany Lions only landed two commitments on Wednesday, the start of the early signing period.
The Penn State Nittany Lions fired head football coach James Franklin in October after a 3-3 start. A year ago, Franklin had Penn State in the Big Ten Conference title game before going on to make a run to the College Football Playoff semifinal round.
Could Penn State plunder a Military academy for its next head coach? Not literally, but figuratively, the Nittany Lions could steal away with a terrific leader if they did choose to focus their search for a head football coach on those schools.
The Penn State Nittany Lions went from being one of the most highly regarded football programs in the country to being in one of the worst situations possible in a matter of months.
https://nittanycentral.com/feed/ Penn State reached Day 51 without a head coach on Wednesday. Which happens to coincide with the start of the early signing period, and instead of announcing a new leader or building recruiting momentum, the program watched another potential target come off the board.
Stephen A. Smith is rarely a man without an opinion. While it's unsurprising then that he has a take on Penn State's successor to James Franklin after the former coach's October firing, the exact extent of his take might be surprising.
Although it doesn't seem possible, things just keep getting worse for Penn State's football team. For starters, Penn State still hasn't named a head coach for the 2026 season.
https://nittanycentral.com/feed/ In one of the most unique recruiting classes the sport has ever seen, Penn State Football will have at least two signees.
When Penn State made the decision to fire head coach James Franklin earlier this season, it was almost certainly a move that needed to happen. It was simply time.
This college football season more than perhaps any other we've realized just how closely tied many of the top people in the sport are to one super agent.
When Penn State head coach James Franklin was fired on October 12th, athletic director Patrick Kraft was doing what most of the fanbase wanted. A little less than two months later and it is likely that he wishes that he had ignored them.
https://nittanycentral.com/feed/ In the midst of what has been a crazy season thus far for Penn State football, early national signing day is knocking on the door.
Penn State is the most high-profile college football head coach job remaining now that both Florida and LSU have filled their vacancies, and the Nittany Lions reportedly have one name at the top of their wish list.
When the dust settled yesterday and everyone took stock of the current national coaching carousel, the Penn State situation suddenly became a bit awkward.
Penn State beat Rutgers 41–34, but almost nothing about the night felt encouraging. The win delivered bowl eligibility on paper, yet the performance was filled with the kind of miscues, busted coverages, and predictable play calling that erase momentum in a season that needed a strong final statement.
Penn State’s season ends on Saturday at Rutgers, but ultimately, the most important outcome will not be written on a scoreboard. Instead, it will be written in Pat Kraft’s office, where Penn State’s athletic director is closing in on a hire that will define his tenure and potentially either stabilize or fracture the direction of the program.
The Penn State Nittany Lions can cross one major coaching candidate off their list. Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea agreed to a contract extension on Friday, the school announced.