New prominent coach gets linked to the Penn State job

Penn State is in need of a new head coach after firing James Franklin, and there are some prominent names that are expected to factor into the search. According to a new report, one of them is Marcus Freeman.

Pete Nakos of On3 reported on Tuesday that Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft is planning to “take a couple of big swings” at high-profile coaches. Freeman, who is in his third season with Notre Dame, is one coach that Kraft is planning to reach out to.

Nakos notes that other coaches like Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Ohio State’s Ryan Day are not viewed as serious candidates for Penn State, which is hardly a surprise.

Freeman is in his fourth full season at Notre Dame and has an overall record. 37-12. He led the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff National Championship last year, where they lost 34-23 to Ohio State. Freeman has built Notre Dame into a national title contender again, and he has one of the most sought-after coaching jobs in the country.

It seems unlikely that Freeman would want to leave Notre Dame, but Penn State’s reported interest suggests they are going to cast a wide net with their search.

Another high-profile coach who has been linked to the Penn State job seems like a far more realistic option. With talk that Adidas was behind the Franklin decision, money should not be an issue for the Nittany Lions. That should make the job even more appealing.