Penn State Football, Marcus Freeman Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman could be an ideal fit for Penn State. (Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

Top Penn State Football Candidate Passes on Job, Report Says | What it Means for Nittany Lions’ Search

Originally posted on Nittany Central | By Ian Purdy | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 11:30 AM ET

Penn State Football’s search for a new head coach drags on.

According to a report from The Athletic , top candidate Marcus Freeman has passed on the Penn State and Florida jobs.

The 39-year-old is in his fourth season at the helm in South Bend.

Under Freeman, the Fighting Irish are coming off a National Championship game loss to Ohio State, with sights set on a return trip to the College Football Playoff in the months ahead.

Many Penn State fans will remember that Notre Dame beat Penn State in the semifinals to get to the national championship game.

This year, Notre Dame is sitting at 5-2 and fighting tooth and nail to get into the college football playoff.

The Search Continues

Marcus Freeman always felt like a long shot for Penn State.

But, who are some other candidates to consider?

Over the last few days, names like Brian Hartline and Eli Drinkwitz have really heated up. Both of them make sense, and check a lot of boxes for Pat Kraft and the Nittany Lions. Currently, these seem like the two most likely candidates.

Other names like Matt Rhule, Jeff Brohm, Pat Fitzgerald and a few others are likely still in Penn State’s back pocket to try and grab, but it seems like Drinkwitz and Hartline would be a cut above these names.

This process will continue to drag on, but it seems that Kraft and the Nittany Lions can move on from the notion they could hire Freeman away from Notre Dame.

This article first appeared on Nittany Central and was syndicated with permission.

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